Menendez Joins in Celebration with People of Vieques-Representative Bob Menendez (D-NJ) made the following statement today coinciding with the closure of the U.S. bombing range and departure of the U.S. Navy from the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico...

Navy Certification on the Discontinuation of Training at Vieques-Section 1503 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-398; 114 Stat. 1654), as amended by Section 1049 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Public Law 107-107; 115 Stat. 1012), places certain conditions on the discontinuation of training at the Vieques Naval Training Range...

Depleted uranium: a killer disaster?-Dr. Doug Rokke has a disturbing habit of laughing when he should probably be crying. He laughs when he talks about battlefields contaminated with radioactive waste. He can't stop laughing when he talks about what he claims is a massive government cover-up. And he keeps laughing when he talks about his health problems, which he attributes to deliberate Army negligence, and which will likely kill him...

For the second year, the protests over the military bombing exercises in Vieques, Puerto Rico, drew the most coverage- The Latino population of the USA has grown 58% since 1990 to 35 million, but Hispanics continue to be marginalized on evening newscasts on NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, a study by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists reports today.

Milivy's Message-This morning a little after 11:30 am the body of little Milivy arrived in Vieques. Her parents and grandparents together with the leaders of Camp Milivy formed part of the party that arrived by plane...

Pro Vieques Article by Admiral Carroll- It has been said wisely, "The military always prepares to win the last war." This harsh criticism persists because it is all too true. Just look at what the U.S. Navy and Marines are doing on the beaches and ranges of Vieques Island...

U.N. VIEQUES 42 VERDICT: GUILTY and PROUD- The unprecedented criminal trial against the U.N. Vieques 42 started on Monday, June 3, 2002 in front of Judge Robert M. Stolz and concluded Friday, June 7, 2002. Martin Stolar, Ken Gilbert and Philip Segal donated their services representing the protestors during the weeklong trial. The demonstrators were arrested last year in front of the United Nations while exercising their first amendment right and voicing their opposition to the U.S. Naval bombing on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico on May 15th, May 31st, and August 2nd, 2001. All the protestors were charged with disorderly conduct. 32 of the 42 protestors were found guilty. They were given a one year conditional discharge and must pay a $60 fee.

Admiral Speaks Out on Vieques Site- In a departure from frequent claims about the unmatched advantages of Vieques Island, a Navy commander said Monday that moving live-fire exercises from Puerto Rico will in some ways improve Navy training.

Fort Bragg is possible Vieques alternative for bombing training- A study commissioned by the U.S. Navy says Fort Bragg could be part of a ‘‘promising alternative’’ to Navy training on the Vieques Island bombing ranges in Puerto Rico.

Group planning protest of Ocala forest bombingrange decision- The Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice said it plans to appeal a decision by the U.S. Forest Service to let the Navy use its Ocala National Forest bombing range for another 20 years.

Habitat law may let military bypass environment act- Hawai'i environmentalists are raising alarm over proposed federal legislation that would allow the military to bypass key portions of the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Navy to halt military training exercises on an uninhabited Pacific island but the victory could be erased by Congress. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan rejected claims by the Pentagon that bombing of the 206-acre Farallon de Medinilla was vital for national security interests. Siding with environmentalists seeking protection of numerous bird species under federal law, he ordered a 30-day halt to the training.

Journey of Peace for Vieques in Amsterdam- The Vrede Voor Vieques Committee in the Netherlands (Comité de Paz para Vieques en Holanda -Paises Bajos), the Transnational Institute (TNI) and X-Y Solidarity Fund invite you to the Journey towards Peace in Vieques in the "Cavia Filhuis" at Van Hallstraat 52-1, Amsterdam this Saturday, April 20 at 19 hour (7pm)...

Message from Bob Rabin in Federal Jail- I just finished talking to Bob Rabin in the federal jail. His trial is set for this Friday the 19th of April, 2002. This is the third anniversary of the death of David Sanes. Bob is fine. In good spirits with his characteristic sense of humor and spirit of struggle intact,...

Call-A-Week Alert- The island of Vieques is a Puerto Rican island just east of the U.S. territory with a population of 9400. In 1938, the United States Navy expropriated large swaths of the island's territory; Navy land currently occupies 26,000 of the island's 33,000 acres. The navy uses this land for bomb practice & weapons storagel...

PEACE ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AT NUCLEAR WEAPON RADAR STATION- This morning Sylvia Boyes, 57, from Keighley in Yorkshire and Olivia Agate, 64, from Skipton, hiked across the moor behind the radar base and were apprehended by MOD police as they reached the perimeter fence. They were carrying bolt-cutters, hammers and paint mixed with iron filings. They were charged under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice Act with "coming equipped to commit criminal damage", a relatively serious offence. They are bailed to attend the Magistrates' Court at Scarborough next week. A condition of their bail is that they stay at least 200 meters away from the Fylingdales Station and do not go to the spy base at Men with Hill...

DOCUMENTS FROM THE PEOPLES ASSEMBLY OF THE CRDV- The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques was founded on 26 March, 1993, to continue the historic and heroic struggle to end the military presence on Vieques. The word - DEVELOPMENT - was included in the name of the organization due to the importance we assign to community participation in the future development of a Free Vieques.

STUDIES ON VIEQUES FLORA AND FAUNA: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS-CasaPUEBLO has presented a series of studies pertaining to the flora and fauna of Vieques, that clearly demonstrates sequestration of high levels of toxic elements in plant and animal tissue samples. Consequently, the ecological food web of the Vieques Island has been adversely impacted. Environmental consequences of military activities on the island are no longer restricted to the LIA, but has regional consequences...

University student Pedro Colón Almenas is the latest Puerto Rican political prisoner-Pedro was found guilty of aggression against an ROTC officer after a four day trial in September of last year with Federal Judge Hector Lafitte (known for giving the harshest sentences to Vieques activists). On February 22nd, Pedro was sentenced to one year of prison and three years on probation after prosecutors submitted a PSI of 41-51 months -from an original 15-21months.

Navy makes case to keep bomb range-The U.S. Navy has decided that having a little bit of TNT in the groundwater or vaporizing the occasional scrub jay is a small problem when it comes to having its bombers prepared for war.

Toxic Waste Landfills Pose Birth - Women living within three kilometers (two miles) of a hazardous waste landfill site have a 40 percent greater risk of conceiving a child with a chromosomal birth defect, such as Down's syndrome, concludes a new study published today in the medical journal "The Lancet."...

Whale deaths tied to Navy test-The mysterious mass stranding of 16 whales in the Bahamas in March 2000 was caused by US Navy tests in which intense underwater sounds were generated for 16 hours, according to a newly released government report compiled by civilian and military scientists...

Navy to train in N.C., Fla., instead of Vieques-Military training normally held on the firing range on Vieques island will instead be carried out in North Carolina and Florida this month, a U.S. Navy official said Wednesday...

Of Vegetation, Livestock and Vieques: towards a perfect crime- In years to come, hundreds on the Big Island, like Viequenses today, will claim that the US Navy is responsible for deaths in their families, or for their own illnesses. When that happens, the claim could be dismissed, as yet more speculation because the Navy may again be exonerated of its crimes and held not liable for its many victims of a prolonged, simulated war.

Vieques Not Needed For Navy Maneuvers- Vieques proves the old adage that the military always prepares for the next war by re-running the last war. What else could explain the U.S. Navy's insistence on rehearsing for amphibious assaults on the island - whose inhabitants voted Sunday for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces - in exactly the same way famous battles were won in the Pacific during World War II? The sands of Iwo Jima ran red with the blood of heroic Marines storming ashore, but that certainly is not the way conflicts will be fought in the foreseeable future.