September 17, 1970
Page 32405
CULEBRA
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, on July 14, I expressed my concern about naval shelling and bombardment of the inhabited island of Culebra, a municipality of Puerto Rico. In spite of strong objections expressed by many Senators from both parties,conservatives and liberals alike – as the Honorable JORGE L. CORDOVA, Resident Commissioner for Puerto Rico, recently expressed it in a letter to the Senator from New York (Mr. GOODELL):
The Navy has of late assumed a position of utter and arrogant intransigence, and it is my opinion that passage of your proposed amendment is necessary.
There are powerful reasons for terminating the shelling of Culebra now. Injuries, near misses, economic deprivation, and constant fear have resulted.
All of Puerto Rico is united in demanding an end to this intolerable abuse. Continued naval bombardment and shelling of Culebra threatens the very presence of the Navy in the Caribbean at a time of increased Soviet activity there. The stakes are simply too high to permit this to continue.
Tragically these human and political costs have been borne needlessly. Alternative uninhabited sites are available and others could be constructed. These are not only adequate; they would provide superior training to that how conducted on the tiny inhabited island of Culebra. On uninhabited sites firing restrictions necessarily imposed on operations near Culebra could be removed to permit more realistic training with modern weaponry.
The Senator from Washington (Mr. JACKSON) has undertaken efforts to persuade the Navy to solve the political problem it has created. There can be only one solution – cessation of all firing activity on Culebra and its neighboring keys.
I hope that Senator JACKSON is successful in his efforts, but I am in agreement with the Commissioner from Puerto Rico. If the Navy does not agree to a complete cessation of its operations on Culebra within a brief and reasonable period of time, Senator GOODELL's amendment to the military construction authorization bill, aimed at cutting off funding of further shelling of Culebra, must be passed by the entire Senate, and I am pleased to ask Senator GOODELL to add my name as a cosponsor of this amdndment.
There is, of course, a simple solution to this increasingly serious problem. The President as Commander in Chief has full authority to order the Navy to cease firing on tiny Culebra. I call upon him in the name of humanity and commonsense to do so immediately.