Stryker brigade approved; democractic process subverted

The Advertiser reports that "Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has approved a rapid-response Stryker Brigade Combat Team for Hawai'i that will include increased firepower from the ground and air... expected to be operational in 2007..." The Star-bulletin also covers the story, and quotes James Tollefson, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, saying, "Obviously, this reinforces the importance of Hawaii as a forward base in the Pacific." Yes, the same reason why the U.S. purported to annex and illegally occupy Hawaii in the first place, during the Spanish-American war in 1898. Pacific Business News also has the story.

DMZ HAWAII / ALOHA AINA put out a press release on the decision.

DMZ HAWAII/ALOHA AINA
For immediate release
Contact: Ikaika Hussey 221-2843

Military subverts democractic process in Hawaii
Abercrombie, Pentagon move ahead with expansion against public will

The Pentagon has approved a Stryker brigade for Schofield Barracks, in spite of tremendous public protest at public hearings throughout Hawaii last month. More than 500 people testified at public hearings on the environmental impact statement for the stationing of Stryker vehicles in Hawaii; all of the testifiers, except for a small handful, spoke against the Stryker and the plans to expand military use of Hawaiian lands by an additional 31,000 acres. Hawaii is currently the most militarized state of the union.

Federal environmental law requires that agencies considering massive projects with considerable environmental consequence to conduct an EIS, or "Environmental Impact Statement," that combines professional assessments of the environmental and cultural impacts of the proposed project. The draft EIS for the Stryker brigade already includes frightening statistics - including carcinogens, mutagens, respiratory risks, and increased traffic, housing, and job competition from increased military dependants.

It is also illegal, according to the National Environmental Policy Act, to use the EIS as a justification for a given project. Yet "everything is on track," according to Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI-Dist 2) for the stationing of the vehicles and the land expansion, even though the public comment period on the EIS has not expired.

"The message here is that public comment is worthless - decisions are made in spite of the people's opinion," said Kyle Kajihiro, one of the seven arrested.

"This is sham democracy."
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Posted: Tue - December 16, 2003 at 09:24 AM

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Stryker brigade approved; democractic process subverted

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