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11/29/99 12:00 noon Re-drafted by Orzulak PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON VIDEO REMARKS TO THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO CONCERNING NAVY TRAINING ON VIEQUES NOVEMBER 29, 1999 My fellow citizens: Six months ago, there was a tragic accident at the Navy range on Vieques. Hillary and I were greatly saddened by the loss to the family of David Sanes (SAN- ness), and the suffering of the others injured that day. We remembered them in our prayers on Thanksgiving. That terrible accident focused attention on the longstanding concerns of residents of the island about training operations there. These concerns cover a wide range of issues – from safety and health to the economy and the environment. They reflect a distrust that, unfortunately, has been building for decades. The accident led to a strong view in the Commonwealth that the Navy should end its training operations in Vieques. I understand that view. I understand how much those of you who live near the firing range are concerned for your safety, and the safety of your children. I understand the feeling that the people of Vieques will never be able to fully build their economy or improve their quality of life if the situation doesn't change. At the same time, as Commander in Chief, I cannot send American servicemen and women into harm's way if they have not been adequately trained. I know that Puerto Ricans understand that as well as anybody. Puerto Rico has a proud heritage of sending its sons and daughters to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. You have never turned your back on your duty to share in the burden of defending our country. Some of you have even trained on Vieques. Since 1941, every action that our Atlantic fleet has been involved in started in Vieques first. It's no accident that our nation lost no pilots in Kosovo. The training they received there helped save lives. The reason this is such a difficult issue is because right now, some of this training can only be done on Vieques. There is now comparable alternative. As President, while I want to fix this problem as quickly as possible, as Commander-in-Chief I recognize that we can't fix the problem overnight. At the request of Governor Rossello and Resident Commissioner Romero-Barcelo, I asked Defense Secretary Cohen to convene a group of distinguished citizens to come up with a plan that addresses the concerns of the people of Vieques while meeting the national security needs of our nation. The Panel found that we have not always been good neighbors on Vieques and recommended that we work toward replacing Vieques in five years and reduce training involving bombing to 130 days a year.

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