US Navy warship arrives with aid for Georgia

[ashling]

International Herald Tribune
US Navy warship arrives with aid for Georgia

The Associated Press
Sunday, August 24, 2008

BATUMI, Georgia: A U.S. Navy warship carrying humanitarian aid anchored in the southern port of Batumi on Sunday, sending a strong signal of support to an embattled ally. In central Georgia, an oil train exploded and caught fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air.

***

The guided missile destroyer USS McFaul, loaded with 72 pallets of humanitarian aid, is the first of five American ships scheduled to arrive this week

warship carrying humanitarian aid??? What kind of game does this administration think they are playing?

Does anyone have any info on the other ships? The USS McPhaul is a destroyer.

[ChazII]

1. Don't shoot the messenger

http://www.military.com/news/article/myanmar-shuns-aid-from-us-warships.html

The article contains some information on your question. The story is by the AP :

Here is one paragraph:
The four U.S. warships were seen as a major potential boost for the relief effort with the capacity to deliver supplies to inaccessible areas of the delta, with 14 helicopters, two landing craft vessels, two high-tech amphibious hovercraft and about 1,000 U.S. Marines.

Mods if I have violated the Ap rules the paragraph may need to be removed. I don't remember the exact new rules set by the AP.

Edited to add the one sentence paragraph from the story.

[ashling]

3. I promise I won't shoot

... but I was talking about Georgia, not Myanmar.

[ChazII]

5. I appreciate that

and I read your question too broadly. I thought you meant anytime during the * administration. Thanks for not shooting.:-)

[NYVet]

2. An idea here...

The Navy only has so many supply ships, and Georgia is an ally of ours.

Maybe those supply ships are tied up in other missions and these ships carrying the supplies were the closest to the supply depot that we could load up.


And when was the last time you saw the government doing something in a manner that was efficient or made sense?

[Junkdrawer]

4. From my post yesterday....

...

The Mount Whitney, the flagship of the Sixth Fleet, will join the guided missile destroyer USS McFaul and the Coast Guard cutter Dallas in delivering relief supplies to Georgia, it said.

...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jEQzqvGPGpc-EYunVAOWqnyOR29w

Yesterday's post:

Not to Distract, but NATO and Russia may be headed for confrontation on the Black Sea...

[malaise]

6. Do you believe that only humanitarian aid is on those

war ships.

[Junkdrawer]

7. That's the question. Russia disarmed Georgia and demands....

that the West not rearm her. I think the Russians are staying in the port of Poti to insure that doesn't happen. The US, in turn, used the port of Batumi.

Poti is more strategic because of the rail line that was just blown up.

The potential for direct US - Russian confrontation is EXTREMELY high.

[malaise]

8. Bingo n/t

[Junkdrawer]

9. More on Batumi...

...

The destroyer USS McFaul is reported to be carrying supplies such as blankets, hygiene kits and baby food. The supplies will be unloaded by a floating crane as the port is too shallow for the ship to dock.

Two more US ships are due to arrive later this week.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Batumi, said that apart from delivering aid, the arrival of US naval personnel is undoubtedly intended to send a signal to the Russians - that America is serious about its support for Georgia.

But, he adds, the prospect of US and Russian armed forces actually meeting on Georgian soil is one that both sides seem keen to avoid.

Batumi is not a natural harbour for a naval vessel the size of the USS McFaul to dock but Russian forces have been fortifying their positions at the key port of Poti, further up the coast.

...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7579506.stm

[malaise]

11. Thanks Junkdrawer n/t

[ashling]

10. My point exactly

Of all the ways to send humanitarian aid, we've got to choose the most intimidating.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Gunship Diplomacy only works if you can back it up.

In this case all they're doing is waving their dicks around and pretending their tough. The Russians, I suspect, are far more amused than frightened.

[Junkdrawer]

13. Superpower confrontation timed for the Democratic Convention...

How Conveeenient...