Marines Diverted from Iraq (missionaccomplished ship) Help Tsunami Victims

[leftchick]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/546F50AD-6FBD-41D3-910B-2530E3F1896F.htm

~snip~

Despite bearing witness to the wholesale carnage and destruction, it was noted that the morale among the American marines was very high - not because they were able to help out the unfortunate survivors, but because they are no longer en route to Iraq, their original destination.


In fact, it seems somewhat ironic that this particular US taskforce includes the powerful aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. It was aboard this very same warship on 1 May 2003 that US President George Bush triumphantly proclaimed "mission accomplished" and announced an "end to all major combat operations in Iraq". Unfortunately for the Bush administration the Iraqi resistance did not subscribe to this directive issued by the US commander in chief.


Over the past 20 months, the insurgency has continually gained in strength and efficiency to the point where the Pentagon was left with no choice but to increase the level of troop commitment to Iraq.


The USS Abraham Lincoln taskforce was just part of a planned 15,000 troop reinforcement, which will bring the American-led forces' total up to about 150,000 soldiers - more than were initially committed to the actual combat phase of the military intervention.