An American anthropologist says there has been inadequate consultation by the US military with the local community on Guam where it plans to transfer 8,000 marines over the next few years.
In a new book, Catherine Lutz claims that territories which host these posts face a range of devastating environmental, social and financial impacts.
US military officials recently told an industry forum on Guam that the troop build-up will be a win-win situation, with plans for utilities and infrastructure projects.
But Professor Lutz says Guam's government feels left out of the loop on some of the key issues over the military's plans.
"And there's been a lot of secrecy, a lot of deflecting language that the Pentagon uses when they're asked on what's going to happen. People desperately want to know but they're not getting that information in a timely way. A huge number of new projects are starting and the plans are even more shocking in terms of just how many different places around not just Guam but the whole Marianas chain the Pentagon has its sights on."
Catherine Lutz
