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Countering Soviet Inroads in the South Pacific
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10346 |
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Section : |
Current Issues
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| Issue
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12 / 1986 |
3,073 Words |
| Author
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Ben Blaz
Ben Blaz is the representative from Guam in Congress and a
retired brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps. |
A largely unheralded U.S. fishing treaty with the South Pacific--as unlikely as it may seem--was a significant victory in the superpower rivalry that has been stirring up the placid waters of the region. Signed by U.S. representatives in October 1986, the $60 million, five-year package removed a festering sore spot in U.S. relations with the 13 nations of the South Pacific Forum.
The agreement coincided--almost to the day--with a regional setback for the Soviet Union, which lost its toehold in the central Pacific Republic of Kiribati when that nation turned down a Soviet offer to extend and enlarge a controversial fishing pact.
While good news for the U.S. effort to improve relations with the South Pacific, these developments are not cause for either rejoicing or relaxing. They merely emphasize that the era of unchallenged American goodwill in the region has ended.
The South Pacific became the newest arena of superpower rivalry when the Soviet Union recently decided to play on islanders' fears and resentment, trying to exploit problems in the United States' relations with these traditional U.S. allies.
Seeking to become players in a region where they have no historical or genuine commercial interests, the Soviets are trying to create a diplomatic presence, poison U.S. commercial and political relations with the islands through so-called fishing pacts, and bankroll the spread of nuclear-free fallacies.
The Soviets' goal is strategic
... (1987 of 19100 Characters)
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