Speaking at the 11th annual Hawaii Military Partnership Conference, an annual military-business love fest sponsored by the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, Lt. Gen. Francis J. Wiercinski, Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific described the monstrous Army heʻe (octopus) in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific: “Obviously our center of gravity is here in Hawaii. It’s where the… Read more »
The Grim Implications of Obama’s New Defense Plan
Joseph Gersonʻs analysis of the Pentagon’s New Strategic Guidance “The Grim Implications of Obama’s New Defense Plan” has been published in Counterpunch: In early January the Obama Administration released the Pentagon’s new Guidance, Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense. It is clearly designed less to cut U.S. military spending than to reorder Pentagon priorities to ensure… Read more »
Panetta: Two combat brigades to be withdrawn from Europe
The realignment of U.S. military troops will mean a reduction of troops in Europe, but an increase in the Asia-Pacific region. This will pose a threat of military expansion in Hawaiʻi and countries in the Asia Pacific reigon. But the military, corporate and political special interests that benefit from the military industrial complex in Hawaiʻi… Read more »
EPA: Pohakuloa Training Area among the top 10 polluters in Hawai’i
The Hawaii Tribune Herald reported that the Pohakuloa Training Area made the EPA’s top 10 polluters list for Hawai’i in 2010: A Hilo power plant and the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area made the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s newly released list of the state’s top 10 industrial polluters for 2010. […] The Army’s training area and… Read more »
WWII-era munitions removed from Bellows driving range
The golfers at the Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo encountered a real hazard on the course; several bombs were unearthed. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported: Several World War II-era munitions found buried at Bellows Air Force Station’s golf driving range were removed Tuesday and today, the Air Force said. The munitions were described as… Read more »
Video depicts Marines urinating on enemy corpses
Rob Burns of the AP reported “Marines probe video showing troops urinating on enemy corpses”: The Marine Corps said today it is investigating a video depicting what appears to be four Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. In a statement, the Marine Corps said it has not verified the origin or authenticity of… Read more »
Okinawa, New Year 2012: Tokyo’s Year End Surprise Attack
Japan Focus just published two excellent articles about the release of the environmental impact study for the military base expansion in Okinawa: “The Fatally Flawed EIS Report on the Futenma Air Station Replacement Facility – With Special Reference to the Okinawa Dugong” by Sakurai Kunitoshi and “Pre-Dawn Surprise Attack: The “Drop-off” of the Environmental Impact Statement” by… Read more »
Accidents, Rapes, Murders, Suicides, Guns and Explosives
Here is a sampling of recent news stories related to crimes and accidents involving military personnel. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported “Motorcyclist killed in Ewa Beach was decorated Army sergeant” (1/06/2012): The city Medical Examiner’s Office today identified the 27-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier who died in a motorcycle accident Thursday as Aaron Bennett. Bennett, from… 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 »
A Korean Spring?
As Christine Ahn of the Korea Policy Institute writes in Foreign Policy In Focus, there are interesting and hopeful changes taking place in the Korean peninsula. Many in the west are speculating about what will happen in the aftermath of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. But the transition to new leadership… Read more »
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