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>Wake Island is once again becoming a strategic locale for United States military purposes. Johnston Island which was once an important military installation is now virtually abandoned with chemical warfare agents allegedly stored there. Midway Island where the turning point battle of World War II was fought, is now mostly a Wildlife Refuge for albatross, also known as gooney birds. It has been visited by both the late Senator John McCain and former President Barack Obama.
>There are also other uninhabited and minor outlying Islands and atolls in the Pacific that are under United States control. Palmyra. Kingman Reef. Howland Island. Baker, Jarvis, and so on.
The Spratly Islands located off the west coast of the Philippines in the South China Sea / West Philippine Sea are claimed by a number of nations including the Philippines and China. Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also believe these islands belong to them.
>So, why are the Spratly Islands so important to China? Perhaps they will turn out to be mineral-rich. They are very strategically located well off-shore from China near a route through which much of the world’s maritime shipping must transit between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. China is also enhancing its military preparedness in Southeast Asia. To consider this as merely defensive rather than in the interest of hegemony against neighboring countries would be naïve.
>New U.S. Ambassador in Canberra Arthur Culvahouse arrived this week for his new post and immediately ruffled Australian feathers by accusing China of payday diplomacy in the Pacific. “The money looks attractive and easy upfront, but you better read the fine print.” China invested a lot of money in building a super port in the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu which appeared to be more than was needed and could even accommodate Chinese warships who might pay a port call. Then when the host nation cannot pay the debt, the Chinese want to take control.
>Small Pacific island nations and territories are more concerned about economics and perceived climate change than they are about foreign security threats. In reality, they would probably not be a target anyway, but rather just a transit point.
>However, by establishing contact and communication, the United States can often obtain crucial information not available through our own resources. The potential of a terrorist attack from the high seas has never been adequately addressed. But it needs to be. Soon.
>In addition to our active duty and National Guard, defense contractors including Booz Allen Hamilton and the Rand Corporation are actively involved and working closely with our military decision makers in providing actionable timely intelligence information. BAH has analysts who work side-by-side with the Joint Interagency Task Force – West (JIATF-W) at Camp Smith, Hawaii. They also deploy to U.S. embassies in the Asia-Pacific. Rand Corporation in Santa Monica also provides analysis of national security and Indo-Pacific issues.
>China is not the only threat to inhabitants of Oceania. The Fiji Islands in the South Pacific a few years ago acknowledged that young Muslim males from their country were being recruited to study in Pakistani madrassas to train as jihadis. It has never been publicly established why at least two of the 9/11 hijackers had previously traveled to Fiji, with whom they met and what they did there.