PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS FEAR TERRORISTS WILL USE THEM

Date: 03-19-2002

The East-West Wire is a news service provided by the East-West Center in Honolulu. For more information, contact Susan Kreifels at 808-944-7176 or EastWestCenter.org

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PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS FEAR TERRORISTS WILL USE THEM They Ask US To Help Prevent Terrorism, Not Just React To It

HONOLULU (March 19) -- Their international airports lack X-ray machines. Drug trafficking and money laundering are growing problems. It's easy to slip through immigration with false passports.

The small, remote Pacific island nations fear terrorists are eyeing them as staging areas to carry out violence in the United States and elsewhere. Even though they know their needs are low on the U.S. priority list, leaders from 11 countries meeting at the East-West Center last week agreed to ask the U.S. government for training and resources to identify and combat terrorism.

"Just because our region is relatively peaceful does not mean nothing is happening," said Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, who attended a meeting of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders. "I don't think we should be complacent. The Pacific island countries will be used to stage activity elsewhere."

Leo Falcam, president of the Federated States of Micronesia and chair of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders, said terrorists are aware that the islands lack protection. "People are very vulnerable to tactics used by terrorists. Someone says 'Here is $20,000, we need a place to stay and property to build on.' It's going to happen. I'd rather prevent than react."

Adm. Dennis Blair, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, offered no false hope to leaders. "Cooperation with Pacific islands will come in time but it's lower on the priority list than Southeast Asia...Our hands are full now with the terrorism we know about."

While there is potential for terrorist activity in the Pacific islands, Blair said there is "not very hard evidence." But he added that "the more you look, the more you find. Terrorists seem to look for new routes."

Blair said sharing intelligence with U.S. officials and offering verbal support was the best way island nations could help the war against terrorism.

Falcam said island officials will meet later this month in Hawaii for training with U.S. and Australian experts on detecting terrorist activity.

Sitiveni Halapua, director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center, can be reached at 808-944-7724 or halapuas@EastWestCenter.org

Gerard Finin, a fellow in the Pacific Islands Development Program, can be reached at 808-944-7751 or fininj@EastWestCenter.org

This is an East-West Wire, copyright East-West Center