Oceania | Diplomacy | Oceania
The Trump administration’s actions – or lack thereof – in its dealings with the FAS are undermining U.S. interests in the Pacific.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the status of assistance being provided to the Freely Associated States (FAS) of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The report revealed that the Trump administration has failed to properly staff necessary – and legally required positions – in a timely manner, preventing the FAS from satisfying their own reporting obligations.
Actions speak louder than words, and the administration’s actions – or lack thereof – in its dealings with the FAS are undermining the United States’ interest in a region that U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samual J. Paparo described as “the Department of Defense’s priority theater.”
As any World War II scholar can attest, the small islands that are spread out over the Pacific Ocean were critical for the United States’ ability to defeat the Japanese. Today, these islands make up roughly 20 independent countries and territories that have legal control over not only the land, but more than 7 million square miles of maritime territory. This area, which is twice the size of the United States, remains important for the same military reasons that existed 80 years ago. In addition to national security, the Pacific is also economically important, with hundreds of billions of dollars of goods being shipped through it every year, including significant portions of American imports and exports.
