defence aspects

Micronesia

U.S. spokesmen hit defence aspects hard at Maui talks

alks about a new political tatus for the Trust Territory of ic Pacific stalled since lortly after Ronald Reagan on the American presidential lection are now back on ack (PIM Nov p 5).

But if the noises made by US articipants in an early-October

round of talks on the Hawaiian island of Maui are any indi cation, those tracks are going to be straight, narrow and headed in one direction only.

US spokesmen insisted forcefully on Maui that there will be no more money for the various Micronesian govern

ments beyond what has already been negotiated, and they were insisting on American military rights in the area ‘for the longest period’.

The current offer is a roughly SUSI billion total aid package to the various Micronesian governments (along with a maximum 7.5% a year inflation factor) over the life of a 15-year compact of ‘free association’ between the new Micronesian governments and the USA. During those 15 years, there would be no ques tion that the US would control certain military and defence rights in the area, while the Micronesian governments would retain control over all other aspects of their interna l and international political life.

But after 15 years, what?

It is clear the Reagan admin istration wants a pledge from the Micronesian governments not only to allow the US into the area after the 15 years are up, but to guarantee that others will be kept out the so-called doctrine of deniability.

It was war and military need that brought the US into the vast sweep of islands known as Micronesia in the first place.

And it is the continuing needs of the military that are foremost in American minds as the post- World War II trusteeship is brought to a close.

The point was made at the opening of the Maui talks by Noel C. Koch, deputy assistant secretary of defence for inter national security affairs: ‘1 wish to ask that each of your governments consider again the importance we place on ensuring, for the longest period of time, that no third country has military access to your territory, your ports, your airfields’, Koch said.

In return, Koch promised ‘exactly the same defence com mitment we have given to Australia and New Zealand under the ANZUS alliance’.

Then Koch, in a departure from his prepared remarks, put American military interests in a more vivid context. He referred to the bloody American cam paign to recapture the islands of Micronesia from Japan during World War 11. ‘What happened then will not happen again,’ he vowed.

That’s all well and good for the US, Micronesian leaders indicated, but such promises in ‘perpetuity’ will not come free.

Palau has already made a 100-year agreement with the United States for specified har bour and training rights within its borders. But the other island groups want to see what the US is willing to give in exchange for near-permanent military rights.

The next round of talks were scheduled to be nuts-and-bolts discussions of some 11 ‘subsidi ary’ agreements to the main compact of free association.

They were probably to take place in Washington DC. These technical discussions were to focus on such things as econ omic aid, extension of American social welfare pro grammes into Micronesia, and the like.

But hanging over all minds will be the bottom-line military interests of the US in any final agreement.

While the Micronesian leaders on Maui weie learning how the Reagan administration will approach the political status talks, they also met the people who will represent the US in the final rounds.

The leader of the US del egation was Under-secretary of State James L. Buckley, the former United States senator.

Buckley headed up the top-level study group which rec ommended that the Reagan administration go ahead with the status talks.

Also on hand unofficially were three key members of the American team for Trust Terri tory matters: Pedro San Juan, Janet McCoy and Fred Zeder.

San Juan has been nominated to be assistant secretary of the Department of Interior for Ter ritorial and International Affairs. McCoy, a public re lations specialist from Oregan with close political ties to Reagan from his days as Cali fornia governor, wil almost cer tainly be named High Com missioner of the Trust Territory replacing acting HiCom Dan High. Zeder, a Honolulu businessman and director of the Office of Territorial Affairs from 1975 to 1977, is in line to be chief US representative at

future status talks.

Jerry

Burris in Honululu.