Puerto Rico, Navy Reach Deal for Limited Training on Island

Puerto Rico agreed Monday to permit the U.S. Navy to resume limited training on the island of Vieques and said it would help clear the bombing range of protesters who want the Navy to leave.

The agreement, which came after months of negotiations, also calls for a referendum that would give islanders two choices: let the Navy resume use of the range on its own terms, including the use of live bombs, or require the Navy to cease all training by May 1, 2003. That is two years earlier than the Navy had indicated it was willing to give up what it calls the “crown jewel” of its Atlantic training sites.

The deal apparently clears the way for the George Washington carrier battle group to use Vieques for training in March before heading to sea for a six-month deployment. The last carrier battle group scheduled to use Vieques, last December, was forced to forego the training before deploying, a situation the Navy’s leaders said could not be repeated.

“I believe this plan will help resolve the impasse over Vieques in the fairest possible way, because it will meet our training needs while giving the people most affected by this decision, the people who actually live on the island, the ability to choose for themselves the future of their island,” President Clinton said in a statement.

The Puerto Rican Independence Party, which has led dozens of protesters camping inside the Vieques bombing range, announced it would oppose any renewed military exercises.

“We will continue with our civil disobedience,” said party Vice President Fernando Martin.

In a letter to Clinton, Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Rossello called Clinton’s plan for Vieques “a fair and positive basis” for resolving the conflict that began after a civilian security guard was killed by an errant bomb in April.