Latest news with #RNZPacificCommonwealth
Scoop
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Massive US-led military exercise underway in CNMI
, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) will be front and center of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025 as the US Air Force launched its most expansive military exercise in the region last week. The Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs official Edward Camacho said nearly 300 aircraft and over 600 troops will conduct military exercise in about 25 locations on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota and their surrounding airspace during exercise set from 7 July to 8 August. The special assistant for military affairs to the CNMI governor Arnold Palacios said that Saipan military exercises started on 7 July, followed by Tinian and Rota's on 8 and 9 July 8, respectively. The Saipan exercises will be happening until 8 August, with both Tinian and Rota's concluding at the end of July. Relaying a message from the Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, he said the goal of the exercise "is to integrate and experiment with logistics, sustainment, and enabling capability to bring Fifth Generation Fighters, command and control aircraft, and airlift and air refueling into the Western Pacific region at the speed and scale that has not been seen." Palacios welcomed the US military and forces from allied and partner nations as they commence REFORPAC 2025. "The US Armed Forces and our esteemed international partners who are gathering in our region for vital military presence underscores a shared commitment to regional security, stability, and humanitarian cooperation," he said. Palacios said REFORPAC will go a long way in strengthening the alliance between the US and its allies. The Air Force will deploy over 500 Airmen on Saipan with two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, four Black Hawk medium utility helicopters; approximately 115 Airmen on Tinian and six F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft; and 25 personnel and two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft on Rota. Camacho said the Air Force assured stakeholders they will toe the line when it comes to mitigation processes to ensure the military exercise is not disruptive to the islands' ecosystems and way of life. He said REFORPAC is vital to the United States and the region's security "because it showcases our air power and then it also showcases our ability to work with other countries as far as operational interoperability capabilities and as well as communications and maneuvering." Asked to comment on a request made by four CNMI and Guam groups to have a 45-day extension on the comment period for the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Camacho said that it is not his decision to make. The Revised DEIS' current 75-day review window for public comments on the Mariana Islands Training and Testing and CNMI Joint Military Training proposals began 6 June 6 and is scheduled to close on 20 August. "I don't have any problem with an extension of the 45 days. Unfortunately, others might, and the others that might have that issue are beyond my level to make that decision."
Scoop
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
CNMI and Guam decry rushed military proposal, demand more time for public input
, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent Community groups from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam are calling for a 45-day extension to the public feedback period on a US military proposal for joint military. From Luta, For Luta, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, Tinian Women's Association, and Our Common Wealth 670, as well as dozens of concerned community members and the diaspora, have rasied concerns about the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIS) on the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) and CNMI Joint Military Training (CJMT) proposals. The 75-day public review and comment period started on 6 June. The deadline for public feedback is 20 August. In a letter, titled "For Our Home, Our People, Our Responsibility" that was submitted to CNMI elected and appointed officials, the groups raised urgent concerns about rushed timelines, inaccessible documents, and the lack of meaningful public participation in decisions that carry generational consequences for the Marianas. "This is not an opportunity to comment. This is an overhaul of our lives, our land, and our right to self-determination," the letter stated. "We are not asking for symbolic gestures. We are asking our leaders to use their power to slow this process down, ensure our people are not left out, and make sure that local agencies are not silent." Key concerns raised in the letter include; inaccessible documents and broken links on the CJMT website; delayed translations, with Chamorro and Carolinian versions only posted 17 days after the EIS release; rushed and siloed public meetings, with no space for open dialogue or community exchange; and lack of agency response, including absence of comments or guidance from CNMI regulatory bodies. "We write to you as people of this land. As descendants of fishermen, farmers, weavers, and healers. As stewards who carry forward traditions of protection, relationship, and inafa'maolek-even in the face of harm. We write because what is happening now threatens not just the environment, but the very future of our home," the groups said. They said the MITT and CJMT are not routine documents, as the proposals outline expanded war games, live-fire training, and permanent transformation of the Mariana Islands and its surrounding waters. They added that the Revised DEIS carries real, generational consequences-yet was released on overlapping timelines, updated quietly (as recently as June 23), and shared through broken links and inaccessible formats. "Public meetings [were] rushed across Tinian, Saipan, and Rota - while most of our people still have no meaningful access to the materials. The public meetings further highlighted these barriers. "There was no space for open dialogue. No opportunity to witness or engage with the thoughts, questions, and concerns of our neighbors. "Community members were directed to submit comments in isolation-asked to step aside, into a corner, to speak or write without visibility, without affirmation, and without the collective process that our cultures are built on. This is not meaningful and substantive participation. It is performative, procedural, and extractive," they said. In addition, the community groups from Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the diaspora are also urging the CNMI leadership for transparency, accountability, and meaningful community inclusion not only on the Revised DEIS but also on ongoing US Air Force developments on Rota. The groups also took issue with recent developments that saw Guam being used as a decoy in global headlines for B-2 bomber attacks in Iran. To this end, the groups are calling for three immediate actions: A 45-day extension to the MITT and CJMT public comment periods; full, transparent, and equitable access to materials across all islands; and public engagement and comments from relevant CNMI agencies, shared openly with the community. The signatories emphasised that this is not only about environmental review-it's about the future of the Marianas. "Our islands are not expendable. Our people are not collateral. This is a moment to lead-not through silence or compliance, but through courageous alignment with the values we were raised in."
Scoop
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Leaders In US-Affiliated Pacific React To Iran Strikes
, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent Leaders in the US-affliliated Pacific Islands have reacted to the US strikes on Iran. US president Donald Trump said Iran must now make peace or "we will go after" other targets in Iran, after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran's foreign ministry said the US has begun a "dangerous war against Iran", according to a statement shared by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency. The governor of the Northern Marianas, Arnold Palacios, said he is "monitoring the situation in our region with our US military partners". "The Northern Marianas remains alert and we remain positively hopeful and confident that peace and diplomacy reign for the benefit of our fellow brethren here at home and around the world." Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds said the Marianas has long understood "the delicate balance between strategic presence and peace". "As tensions rise in the Middle East, I'm hopeful that diplomacy remains the guiding force," she said. "My prayers are with the service members and their families throughout the region, most especially those from our islands who quietly serve in defense of global stability." Guam's governor, Lou Leon Guerrero, said right now, there are no credible threats to their island, and "we will do everything in our power to keep Guam safe". "Our people have always been resilient in the face of uncertainty, and today, as we watch our nation take action overseas, that strength matters more than ever," she said. "Guam is proud to support the men and women who serve our country - and we feel the weight of that commitment every day as home to vital military installations." She said she and her team have been in close touch with local military leaders. "I encourage everyone to stay calm and informed by official sources, to look out for one another, and to hold in our thoughts the troops, their loved ones, and all innocent people caught in this conflict." Lieutenant governor Josh Tenorio said: "What is unfolding in the Middle East is serious, and it reminds us that our prayers and our preparedness must go hand in hand. "While we stand by our troops and support our national security, we also remain committed to the values of peace and resilience. Our teams are working closely with our Homeland Security advisor, Joint Region Marianas, Joint Task Force-Micronesia, and the Guam National Guard to stay ahead of any changes." Meanwhile, Mark Anufat Terlaje-Pangelinan, one of the protestors during the recent 32nd Pacific Islands Environmental Training Symposium on Saipan, said he wasn't at all surprised by the US' attack on Iran. "This is exactly what we concerned citizens have been warning against for the longest time," he said. Terlaje-Pangelinan said the potential of CNMI troops and the Marianas itself being dragged into a wider and more protracted conflict was disheartening. "Perpetuating the concept of the CNMI being a tip of the spear more than being a bridge for peace between the Pacific landscapes does more harm than good. The CNMI will never be fully prepped for war. With our only safe havens being the limited number of caves we have on island, we are at more risk to be under attack than any other part of America." Iran has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, it said in a letter issued Sunday, urging the council to condemn the US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, has described the US military action in Iran as a direct threat to world peace and security. It's been announced that the UN Security Council will hold an emergency session. Officials in Iran are downplaying the impact of US strikes on its nuclear facilities, particularly the Fordow site buried deep in the mountains, in sharp contrast with Trump's claims that the attack "obliterated" them.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Science
- Scoop
Saipan Environment Forum Hears Caution On Pacific Garbage Patch Cleanup
An expert says there is pushback from environmental groups when it comes to cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent An expert says there is pushback from environmental groups when it comes to cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Bradley Nolan, waste management adviser at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), spoke at the 32nd Pacific Islands Environmental Training Symposium at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan. He was asked from the floor about efforts to address the massive plastic accumulation zone in the North Pacific – a swirling gyre of marine debris between California and Hawai'i, commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Nolan, who presented on regional waste management resources, acknowledged the urgency and complexity of the issue, tying it to global negotiations under way for a plastics treaty. 'Article nine of the plastics treaty currently under negotiation talks about legacy plastics and cleaning up the marine environment,' he said. 'There are a number of technologies trying to scrape up and clean the patch, and it makes sense to do that – but now we're seeing pushback from some environmental groups.' According to Nolan, a growing number of scientists and green groups have raised concerns that clean-up efforts could destroy an unintended but now-established ocean ecosystem. 'Because that garbage patch has existed so long, it's created a new marine habitat – a floating ecosystem that didn't exist before,' Nolan said. 'Efforts to clean it up could cause massive bycatch and harm species that have come to depend on it.' While the 'patch' isn't a solid island of trash, it is a dense concentration of microplastics and floating debris, which accumulate due to oceanic gyres. Roughly 80 per cent of that material comes from land-based sources, not ships, he said. Calling the garbage patch 'a significant problem with no simple solution', Nolan said the issue touches on marine biodiversity, waste transboundary movement, and the production of harmful micro- and nano-plastics. 'This is a complex issue – and complex issues rarely come with easy fixes,' he said. In 2023, the Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit environmental engineering organization, removed about 25,000 pounds of trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch remains a symbol of the global plastics crisis. While innovation in clean-up continues, experts like Nolan stress that prevention – especially at the land-source level – must be prioritised across the Pacific. The four-day symposium features workshops on hazardous waste, climate adaptation, and the PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) contamination crisis facing islands such as Saipan and Guam. It concludes on Friday.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Call For CNMI Leaders To Fight Back On High Airfares
Article – RNZ The former representative shared his frustration after attempting to book a four-day roundtrip ticket from Guam to Saipan. Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent Former Northern Mariana Islands lawmaker Edwin K. Propst taken to social media to urge leaders to 'go to war' with United Airlines over what he claims are exorbitant airfares between Saipan and Guam. The call to action comes amid renewed efforts to reinstate the Essential Air Service program in the CNMI and push for a cabotage exemption. 'Attention all leaders of the Marianas in the public and private sector, it is time to go to war with this airline,' Propst wrote. The former representative, who now works at the CNMI broadband policy and development office, shared his frustration after attempting to book a four-day roundtrip ticket from Guam to Saipan in June – to find the lowest available fare was US$767. 'For a 25-minute flight?! 'They have just made record-breaking profits and instead of rewarding their customers, they increase their prices.' Propst called the airfares 'devastating' to the local economy and tourism. The CNMI is currently seeking exemption from federal cabotage restrictions, which bar foreign airlines from operating domestic routes between US territories such as Guam and the CNMI. Governor Arnold Palacios mentioned this effort during his State of the Commonwealth Address, saying he had 'actively advocated for potential cabotage waiver [and] essential air services' in recent talks with federal agencies and congressional leaders. Palacios emphasized the importance of improved regional connectivity to support the CNMI's tourism-dependent economy. Senate public utilities, transportation and communications committee chair, Senator Jude Hofschneider called Propst's complaints a 'sad reality of economic times,' adding that United's pricing is 'likely a business decision by the air carrier'. Still, Hofschneider said the moment calls for greater support of Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds' bill introduced in April to requalify CNMI airports for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. If passed, the measure would allow federal subsidies to fund daily round-trip flights even if commercial carriers withdraw service. A quote from CWM Travel International showed a Saipan-Guam roundtrip departing 8 June 8 and returning 12 June costing $420 – significantly cheaper than Propst's booking but still high for an inter-island flight. The EAS program, created in 1978 and stripped from CNMI eligibility in 2012, was intended to preserve air access for small US communities. King-Hinds' bill seeks to restore eligibility to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota by placing CNMI alongside Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico in exemption status.
