Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Bombing on Vieques Resumes Tomorrow

Aired June 17, 2001 - 16:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell calls the Navy's promise to end bombing exercises in 2003 on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, a pretty good solution. He told the show today that he does not think the decision will jeopardize other test sites, where the US military presence is opposed.

In the meantime, bombing on Vieques resumes tomorrow. And Bill Delaney joins us by videophone -- Bill.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Donna.

A relaxed scene here at the entrance to Camp Garcia here on Vieques Island. Very laid back today. Police presence is here at a 20-foot buffer zone they've established for the first time at the entrance gate at Camp Garcia. Police stretched down route 997 here at intervals for about a mile or so.

As for the protesters, extremely laid back today. A lot of them sheltering under awnings, many playing Dominoes. No action of any kind today; that's expected to start tomorrow around 8 in the morning when the air-ground bombing from the USS Theodore Roosevelt is expected to begin.

Now the battle group involves some 10,000 sailors and about 11 vessels way out to sea here, has been involved over the weekend in electronic communications exercises, exercises passing materials from one ship to another. That sort of thing is supposed to go on for about 19 days, but it's the next five days, Monday through Friday from 8:00 in the morning until about 11 at night that the air-to-ground bombing will begin at the 3 percent of this island; this 33,000-acre island, that is a bombing range, and that of course is what these protests are all about.

As I said, Donna, very laid back here this afternoon, protesters promising there'll be a lot more people here tomorrow.

Back to you, Donna.

KELLEY: All right, from Vieques Island, our Bill Delaney. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com