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Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 08:24:15 -0500
From: Barbara Larcom <larcom@bcpl.net>
Subject: US MILITARY SEEKS NEW BASES IN LATIN AMERICA
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Excerpt from:
Subject: Weekly News Update #462, 12/6/98
Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 21:32:21 -0800 (PST)
From: David Wilson <wnu@igc.apc.org>
*2. US MILITARY SEEKS NEW BASES IN LATIN AMERICA
US officials revealed on Dec. 1 that the US has begun talks with
several countries in Central and South America to find new bases
of operation for US military forces stationed in Panama. Under
the terms of the Panama Canal Treaties, signed in 1977 by US
president Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, US
forces must be fully withdrawn from Panama by Dec. 31, 1999.
Preliminary discussions are now said to be underway to find
airfields to substitute Howard Air Force Base in Panama, which
the US must shut down on May 1, 1999. Nearly half of the 4,000 US
troops remaining in Panama are stationed at Howard, and fighters,
tankers and surveillance jets pass through the base on some
15,000 missions a year.
The Pentagon has already held talks with Honduras, Peru and
Ecuador about the possibility of allowing small numbers of
surveillance aircraft, like AWACs, to use existing airfields in
those countries, according to senior defense officials who spoke
to the New York Times "on condition on anonymity because of
diplomatic sensitivities inherent in America's military presence
in the region," in the words of the Times. [NYT 12/2/98]
On Dec. 4, US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) spokesperson Raul
Duany confirmed that the US is seeking accords with countries in
the Caribbean and Central and South America to gain access to
commercial or military airstrips to provide maintenance for its
planes on detection and pursuit missions against drug
traffickers. [El Nuevo Herald 12/5/98 from EFE]
Without naming specific countries, Pentagon spokesperson Ken
Bacon also confirmed that the Pentagon is seeking access to new
bases in the Caribbean, Central America and the Andean region of
South America. "I believe that there are many benefits to
continuing our military presence in the region," said Bacon. "We
trust that other countries will appreciate those benefits and
that we will be able to negotiate the access that we need." [La
Republica (Peru) 12/4/98, quotes retranslated from Spanish]
US Secretary of Defense William Cohen said at a news conference
on Dec. 1 that he had discussed the issue with representatives of
a number of countries gathered in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
for a hemispheric meeting of defense ministers. The defense
ministers of 33 countries of the Americas met from Nov. 30 to
Dec. 2 to discuss the war on drugs, international terrorism and
illegal arms trafficking. The historic colonial city of Cartagena
de Indias was put under tight military control for the duration
of the ministerial summit, which followed up on similar meetings
held in the US in 1995 [see Update #291] and Argentina in 1996.
[LR 11/30/98 from AFP]
"What we are looking for are forward operating locations that
could be of assistance in surveying the territory to prevent the
transfer of narcotics," said Cohen. USSOUTHCOM Commander Gen.
Charles Wilhelm said the US is likely to need two or three
forward bases soon to come close to replicating the range of
flights now launched from Panama. "We need to be close to the
regions where we need to operate," said Wilhelm in an interview,
though he declined to identify prospective sites. "We're not
interested in building air bases," Wilhelm insisted. "We're
interested in air bases where we can get jet aid, where we can
arrange accommodations for air crews. Perhaps we can lease a
little hangar space."
"For the most part," explained Wilhelm, "Latin Americans don't
want larger numbers of North Americans in their countries. They
don't want armored brigades. They don't want fighter wings on
their airfields, around their towns and villages."
Peter Romero, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American
Affairs, said the Clinton administration still hopes to establish
a larger base, anchored by a multinational center against anti-
narcotics trafficking. [NYT 12/2/98] A Notimex article published
by New Jersey's new Spanish-language daily Hoy reports that the
US has been desperately seeking a new host country for the
Multilateral Anti-Drug Center (CMA) since Panama rejected the
project [see Updates #440, 456]. Unnamed "official sources" cited
by Notimex say that Cohen is now negotiating with Colombia, the
Dominican Republic and Guatemala to accept the CMA. [Hoy 11/30/98
from Notimex]
Responding to media reports that the CMA might be established in
Puerto Rico, USSOUTHCOM spokesperson Duany insisted that the US
is no longer pursuing its plans for the multilateral anti-
narcotics base. "What is known as the Multilateral Anti-Drug
Center is not going to be established in Panama, or in Puerto
Rico or in any other country," said Duany.
Duany noted that the US Southern Army and the Southern Special
Operations Command--both subcomponents of USSOUTHCOM--will be
moved with some 1,400 personnel to Puerto Rico in June 1999.
"These two organizations are dedicated to supporting anti-drug
missions, but this is not an additional center or anti-drug
base," Duany emphasized. USSOUTHCOM moved its headquarters from
Panama to Miami in the fall of 1997 [see Updates #386, 392, 403,
415]. [El Nuevo Herald 12/5/98 from EFE, quotes retranslated from
Spanish]
Negotiations to establish the CMA in Panama "faltered in
September over the Americans' insistence that the United States
still be able to mount other military operations from the base,
not just those involving drugs," according to the New York Times.
[NYT 12/2/98]
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Weekly News Update on the Americas * Nicaragua Solidarity Network of NY
339 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012 * 212-674-9499 fax: 212-674-9139
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