Previous Story
Collateral damage
I find it alarming to know that the 3-mile submerged land ownership for the CNMI that passed the U.S. Congress in the not too distant past has exceptions that will not include submerged land ownership in the Marine Monument in the Northern Islands, Farallon de Medinilla, and Tinian. DOD has eyed Pagan and the Saipan airfield for military use. Pagan will be taken out of the deal but will submerged land ownership exempt Saipan as well? If it does, what is left in the CNMI to have submerged land ownership of and of meaningful value to its people? I believe that such exemption gives more reason to reevaluate the CNMI’s political relationship with the United States. Increased military presence in the CNMI used to be a welcome idea and now that it is at our doorstep we are having second thoughts and rightfully so to be alarmed with the demands that the military is bringing to the negotiating table. Our leaders must be astute and resolute in dealing with the military because DOD has no conscience for the economic, environment, and social disruption of people. Its traditional explanation for such events is, “natural consequence and collateral damage.”
Alvaro A. Santos
Agag, Saipan
