[nevergore]

Most reputable news stations won’t report until they can verify from two reputable sources....

They are now reporting it.....

[lancium]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_of_Free_Association A Compact of Free Association (COFA) is a type of diplomatic relationship that an independent country has with the United States of America, as an associated country. Presently, there are three sovereign states that have this type of relationship with the United States. They are the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Republic of Palau. The COFA allows the United States to operate armed forces in Compact areas, to demand land for operating bases (subject to negotiation), and excludes the militaries of other nations without U.S. permission. The U.S. in turn becomes responsible for protecting its affiliate nations and responsible for administering all international defense treaties and affairs, though it may not declare war on their behalf.