Does this mean that people can return to those islands?

Certainly seems unlikely they would close the military base unless they were forced to so do by some military or substantial economic action.

This type of thing is what makes me worried about the long term sustainability of US security. The paradigm is not really rule of law when it comes right down to it, it's might makes right. This is an inherently insecure paradigm.

Whether there can actually ever be a different paradigm seems difficult though.