South Pacific

from the book

The CIAs Greatest Hits

by Mark Zepezauer

In 1993, US citizens were shocked to learn that their government had performed nuclear experiments on innocent and unknowing test subjects. To the residents of US-administered "trust territories" in the South Pacific, this was an old story.

Ever since we nuked Japan in August 1945, the US had regarded the Pacific as an "American lake." For years, both the US and France tested nuclear weapons and lobbed missiles at various Pacific islands under their "trusteeship," hustling the natives out of the way.

Sometimes natives were returned prematurely to their irradiated homelands, which resulted in birth defects and cancers. Not surprisingly, this led to particularly strong anti-nuclear sentiments among the Pacific islanders. Also not surprisingly, the CIA has done everything in its power to counter them.

The US has occupied the tiny island of Belau since World War II and, despite native calls for self-determination, is unlikely to depart anytime soon. In 1979, the Belauans had the effrontery to pass the world's first anti-nuclear constitution.

Since then, the US has sponsored ten elections in an unsuccessful effort to revise the document. Because the Pentagon wants to keep a military base on Belau for the next 30 years or so, there have been endless beatings and assassinations of Belauan anti-nuclear activists.

The island nation of Kanaky (also known as New Caledonia) has been occupied by French troops since a bogus 1987 election that "ratified" French rule. Kanaky's exiled resistance movement receives support from the island nation of Vanuatu (formerly called New Hebrides), which has one of the most progressive governments in the Pacific. The CIA has been funnelling money into destabilizing Vanuatu, which it charges iS the victim of "Libyan subversion."

In Fiji, a pro-US government was replaced by a progressive coalition in a 1987 election; less than a month later, a ClA-backed coup deposed the elected government. ClA"-coup experts," including the head of the World Anti-Communist League, were on hand before, during and after the coup. The new ruling junta purchased US helicopters to use against any Fijians who have the gall to imagine they have the right to elect whomever they please.

CIAs Greatest Hits

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