Posts Categorized: Local Campaigns

Inouye says submarine fleet will increase in Hawaiʻi

William Cole reported in the Honolulu Star Advertiser  “Subs ahoy: five new subs for Pearl Harbor says Inouye” (March 3, 2012) that despite cutbacks  in many parts of the defense budget, Senator Inouye has secured assurances from the Navy that the attack submarine fleet will actually increase in Hawai’i, adding to the largest concentration of… Read more »

U.S. military reductions in Okinawa adds up to more militarization of Hawai’i

Despite much bellyaching from the Pentagon about having to go on a diet, President Obama himself stated, “Over the next 10 years, the growth in the defense budget will slow, but the fact of the matter is this: It will still grow, because we have global responsibilities that demand our leadership.” The new defense strategy reflects… Read more »

U.S. military’s Pacific ‘pivot’ and Okinawa drawdown unsettles the region

After several weeks of speculation and anonymous ‘leaks’ about possible changes to the U.S.-Japan plan to relocate the Futenma Marine base to Henoko, Okinawa, government officials announced that the U.S. would begin moving some troops out of Okinawa, independent of the base relocation to Henoko. But the news is having an unsettling effect across the… Read more »

Disarray or disinformation? – Shifting U.S. military plans in the Asia Pacific region

Over the past week there have been confusing and contradictory reports about plans to relocate U.S. military bases in Okinawa. Do they reflect the actual state of disarray in the U.S.-Japan alliance or psychological operations to pressure local communities into accepting base relocation plans in Okinawa and Guam? On February 1, the Kyodo News Service… Read more »

Okinawa’s win may be Hawai’i’s tragedy

As Okinawans move closer to removing the oppressive presence of U.S. military bases from their island, the repercussions are already being felt across the Pacific. In November, President Obama announced that the U.S. will deploy 2,500  troops to Australia.  Recently, the U.S. and Philippines have engaged in talks about expanding the U.S. military presence in… Read more »

ALONG THE AXIS OF PEACE: Global Resistance to U.S. Military Bases and Space-based Weapons

DOWNLOAD PDF OF THE POSTER   ALONG THE AXIS OF PEACE: Global Resistance to U.S. Military Bases and Space-based Weapons February 18, 2012 7:00 – 9:00 pm Art Auditorium UH Manoa FREE From Vandenberg, California to Kwajalein Atoll, Kaua’i to Jeju, South Korea, Okinawa to the UK, the U.S. global network of military bases and… Read more »

6 Marines from Kaneʻohe base killed in helicopter crash in Afghanistan

News sources have confirmed that the six Marines killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan were from the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay: The helicopter, a CH-53D Sea Stallion from Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, crashed Thursday in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand. The Marine unit, known as the Lucky Red Lions,… Read more »

Waikāne munitions cleanup feasibility study comments due 2/13/12

The Marine Corps clean up of unexploded munitions in the Waikāne ahupuaʻa is now at a critical stage where decisions will be made about the extent of clean up.  On January 12, 2012, the Marine Corps released its final draft of the Waikane Feasibility Study report. Comments on the proposed alternatives are being accepted  until… Read more »

The new Defense Guidance document: Cuts for the military, but humanity still hangs from a cross of iron.

January 17, 2012 will mark the 51st anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhowerʻs famous farewell speech, in which he presciently warned of the dangers of the military-industrial complex.  Last year on the 50th anniversary of the speech, Andrew Bacevich wrote “The Tyranny of Defense Inc.,” an excellent reflection on the evolution of Eisenhowerʻs thinking and… Read more »

The Secret Life (and death) of Drones

The Washington Post published an interesting article on the intense secrecy surrounding the U.S. drone wars around the world: Since September, at least 60 people have died in 14 reported CIA drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal regions. The Obama administration has named only one of the dead, hailing the elimination of Janbaz Zadran, a top… Read more »