Guam defends missile tests and nuclear weapons to preserve ‘peace’

The Governor of Guam sees missile testing and the placement of nuclear weapons on U.S. territory as a way to deter aggression and maintain peace in the region.

Pacific Island Leaders Progressive Plan to Declare the Pacific Ocean a ‘Zone of Peace’.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said the U.S. territory had no choice but to defend itself amid ongoing nuclear threats in the Asia-Pacific region.

The move comes after North Korea conducted a series of missile tests that could theoretically hit Guam, which the United States considers an important strategic military base that could help it deter any potential attack.

Military presence and activities on the island continue to increase.

The latest expansion in the U.S. involves Long-Range Missile Test Proposal It will launch in two months – the start of twice-yearly tests for the next decade.

Asked whether Guam’s Pacific neighbors should be concerned about the proposed missile testing and militarization, Governor Guerrero said the region is a “causal agent for conflict” and that a military presence is necessary to keep the peace.

She said the presence of U.S. armed forces was necessary to deter China from invading Guam, a sentiment echoed by Washington, which has emphasized its stance in the Pacific to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

“If (the United States) just walks away, our prospects for peace will be much worse. I don’t want our people to be ruled by China. This is a very real threat.”

Last year, China Guam’s critical infrastructure hacked In May 2023, Typhoon Mawar hit the island, disrupting communications systems.

The typhoon caused extensive damage to Guam, particularly Andersen Air Force Base and Joint Area Marianas, according to the Air Force.

“We are part of the Pacific”

China’s presence in the region is not new. It has been providing development assistance— Despite the decline – and has provided support to Pacific nations for over 20 years.

However, recent diplomatic activity, such as Kiribati and the Solomon Islands breaking away from Taiwan and aligning themselves with China, demonstrates Beijing’s growing power and influence.

These benefits Caused some anxiety The traditional partners in the Pacific are New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

But Pacific Islands Forum leaders have made it clear Geopolitics “means nothing to them”, climate change is the main security threat and they are “focused on building resilience, peace and prosperity”.

Guam has Submitted an application to become an associate member of the forumAnd aspire to become a full member.

“We are part of the Pacific. We are Pacific Islanders. We are the most developed Pacific Island in the North Pacific,” Guerrero said.

“We feel very strongly that we can contribute to improving the lives of our brothers and sisters in Oceania.”

Carlota Leon Guerrero, Guerrero state’s chief policy adviser for military and regional affairs, has been tasked with building relationships with Pacific nations and leaders in hopes of gaining associate membership.

“I want them to know that we are only going to add more, not less. We have a lot to offer the district and we want to help,” Carlotta said.

The former journalist and humanitarian said she sees the military as a means of providing humanitarian aid and relief to Pacific nations in need and wants to share resources with other Pacific nations.

She said the military is being trained to be the first port of call for world events in the region and can help with peacekeeping in the Pacific.

Military expansion comes at a cost – Chamorro advocate

But a potential threat has emerged: launching nuclear missiles from Guam in the name of “defense.”

This stance has come under heavy scrutiny from local Chamorro activists, such as Monaca Flores, who say that “military expansion represents the continued occupation and continued colonization of our islands.”

She has been protesting outside Andersen Air Force Base, which plans to launch long-range missiles from northern Guam, which she worries will lead to more land loss and threaten the security of the people of Guam and the entire Pacific region.

“Military expansion comes at the expense of the security of their waters, their lands and their communities,” Flores said.

“Without the military presence, our health would improve, our housing, our environment would improve. These military bases don’t actually keep us safe.”

Flores believes that war and climate change are interconnected.

“Look at the military exercises in the Philippines, in Hawaii… All the damage to the ocean is linked to the climate crisis. We can’t separate the two things. We can’t separate militarization from colonization.”

While Governor Guerrero agreed that climate change is important, she said Guam has “no choice but to protect itself from ongoing threats,” recalling its history as a Spanish colonization and later Japanese occupation in 1941 and 1944.

The United States occupied the island in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

Today, Guamans are divided into two factions, one of which views the United States as a “liberator” and the other as a “colonizer” who “reoccupied” the island.

She said that because Guam is located in the Pacific, it has always been and always will be a center of conflict.

Flores reviewed the impact of past conflicts on the people of Guam, including the “negative health effects” caused by historical nuclear radiation.

“Many generations have been exposed to radiation that is mostly secret and unknown to us. Many people don’t know they are being harmed by Agent Orange and radiation.

“We really have to assess this upcoming project because it will cause a lot of harm. How can we anticipate more harm when we haven’t accepted the harm we still face?” she added.