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CNN Live Sunday

Bombing Resumes Tomorrow on Island of Vieques

Aired June 17, 2001 - 17:08   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn now to the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. The U.S. Navy plans to resume bombing exercises there tomorrow using inert ordinance, which is the kind that does not actually explode. The Bush administration, in a controversial move, decided last week to stop using the island for training exercises after the current agreement with Puerto Rico expires in May 2003.

So, for more on what tomorrow's exercises will bring, we're going to turn to CNN's Bill Delaney, who is joining us with the latest via videophone from Vieques. Bill, it looks a little quieter there than it has been lately.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very much so, Stephen. Very quiet here today, a very relaxed atmosphere. I'm at the gate -- the entrance to Camp Garcia. Protesters here, about two dozen during the day, mostly sheltering from the sun under tents, many even playing dominoes. It's been that relaxed here today.

But make no mistake, Stephen, there is still an atmosphere of expectation here. We think it's going to get a lot more interesting here, a lot more complicated here tomorrow, and there'll be a lot more people here tomorrow. None of those protesters mollified in the slightest by the Bush administration plan to pull out of Vieques in about two years. They say now or never.

Now, there's a police presence, a relaxed, pretty light police presence here all day. About 15 policeman in front of gate, as you can see, about the only sign that trouble may be in the offing tomorrow conceivably. Note the gas masks they all wear on their waist.

Now, of course, as you said, Stephen, what this is all about is the bombing runs off the USS Theodore Roosevelt that are expected to start around 8:00 tomorrow on the bombing range that makes up about 3 percent of this 33,000 acre island. The USS Theodore Roosevelt battle group has been doing exercises since Wednesday, but the bombing runs with those dummy bombs will begin, as I said, tomorrow around 8, last until 11 in the evening, Monday until Friday, and we wait to see what kind of protests evolve, possibly even overnight and into the early morning hours -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: Bill, I'm curious whether you're hearing any reference from the protesters there to the fact that even with inert bombs, people there have suffered heart conditions due to the stress and the noise of these exercises even when live ammunition is not used?

DELANEY: Well, you know, I haven't heard the heart conditions. I have heard the cancer. Just about everyone you speak to here says the cancer rates in Vieques are 10 percent higher than other parts of Puerto Rico, and they blame that very much on the munitions that have been dropped here now for some 60 years -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: So, whether there's a ban or not, there'll be a lot of stuff to talk about, even following the cessation of exercises. Bill Delaney on Vieques, Bill, thank you.

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