By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

              SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The U.S. Navy has notified the Puerto Rican
              government that it plans to resume training exercises on Vieques soon, drawing
              criticism from the U.S. territory's governor and others who want the Navy to stop
              using the island for bombing practice.

              Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon called the Navy's announcement ``offensive and
              unacceptable,'' saying that it was poorly timed in the week before Easter and that
              the decision to resume the exercises ``ignores in a crass and insensitive way the
              questions of health that are under consideration.''

              Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered the Navy to call off planned
              training last month, saying he was trying to find a permanent solution to the dispute
              over the exercises on Vieques, a small island off Puerto Rico's eastern coast with
              9,400 residents,

              But that was a temporary decision, and Puerto Rico's secretary of state received a
              letter from the Navy on Thursday saying it would hold exercises on Vieques as early
              as April 27. The Navy, which is required to notify Puerto Rico 15 days before
              exercises begin, said the training will last about six days.

              The Navy owns two-thirds of Vieques and has been conducting training exercises
              there for six decades. Its bombing range covers 900 acres on the island's eastern tip
              -- less than 3 percent of its territory.

              Public opposition to the bombing grew in Puerto Rico after an errant bomb killed a
              civilian guard on the bombing range in April 1999. Protesters invaded the range,
              preventing exercises for a year until U.S. Marshals forcibly removed them last May.

              Since then, the Navy has been using only inert ammunition and has scaled back the
              frequency of training, but it says live-fire exercises on the island provide vital training
              for U.S. troops. The Navy's letter said only non-explosive ordnance will be used in
              the upcoming exercise on the island's eastern tip.

              Calderon, who was sworn in as Puerto Rico's governor in January, has urged the
              Navy to put an end to the training on Vieques, citing health concerns. The Navy has
              insisted there is no scientific evidence linking the bombing to any health problems.

              Vieques residents are to decide in a referendum on Nov. 6 whether they want the
              Navy to leave the island in 2003 or to remain and pay $50 million to be used for
              economic development, housing and infrastructure.