U.S. sends warship off Lebanon coast

[David]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Signaling impatience with Syria, the United States has sent its USS Cole warship off the coast of Lebanon in a show of support amid Beirut's political crisis, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

A senior Bush administration official told Reuters the United States was very concerned about the political deadlock in Lebanon, which Washington blames on Syrian meddling, and the U.S. military gesture underlined that worry.

"The United States believes a show of support is important for regional stability. We are very concerned about the situation in Lebanon. It has dragged on very long," said the senior official, who spoke on condition he was not identified.

Lebanon's Western-backed governing coalition and its Syrian and Iranian backed opposition have failed to reach a deal to end the country's political conflict.

A U.S. defense official said the Cole left Malta on Tuesday and was headed toward Lebanon, adding it would not be within visible range of Lebanon but "well over the horizon."

The USS Cole was attacked off the coast of Yemen in October 2000 by al Qaeda militants. Seventeen U.S. sailors were killed.

A couple of U.S. Navy tankers were also in the area, the official said.

"The point would be to encourage stability during a potentially critical period," the defense official said.

The Lebanese government had no immediate comment.

But Hezbollah ally and Christian opposition leader, Michel Aoun, said the United States sent the USS Cole to display its deterrence capability and he was not worried about the action.

BUSH ORDERED MOVE

The presidential election in Lebanon was postponed again this week to March 11 from February 26, the 15th such delay, after rival leaders failed to reach a deal.

The deadlock has threatened to degenerate into sectarian violence and continues to poison inter-Arab relations in the run-up to an Arab League summit in Syria next month.

"The Arab League is engaged but it has not been successful. In those set of circumstances we think a show of support for regional stability and regional solutions is important," said the senior Bush administration official.

The defense official indicated the Cole could be replaced by the USS Nassau, an amphibious assault ship. The Nassau is en route to the Mediterranean, the official said.

"The Cole wouldn't be designed to stay there for the long term," the official added.

President George W. Bush had ordered the move earlier this week as a sign of concern over Lebanon and consulted U.S. allies such as France and Britain about it.

"The president is concerned about the situation in Lebanon and discusses the issue regularly with his national security team," said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

Bush administration officials declined to provide the exact whereabouts of the USS Cole.

The United States has increased pressure on Syria in recent weeks, targeting more individuals with sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury froze assets of four Syrians on Thursday, saying they facilitated the flow of money, weapons and terrorists through Syria to al Qaeda in Iraq.









USS Cole

[SparrowHawk62]

On the 444th day when our hostages were finally let go, (Thanks to Ronald Reagan,) we should have turned the middle east into one huge glass parking lot!
Now again my shipmates sit of the coast of Bayrot Lebanon waiting for this shit hole of a country to implode on itself one more time, as I did back in the early 80's.
Shell the shit hole until nothing moves and nothing stands then leave. Screw the stupid so called Americans who are on vacation there, their loyalty is not with the US of A.
I will never forget the Barracks that some Ali crazed son of a camel blew up, killing my shipmates. (Marines are shipmates!) It's well past time we stopped being the world's Police Force for these third world ass wipes that refuse to live with one another.

[Gunner Carvo]

Damn good choice in my opinion.

[DeadlyDaring]

I think the USS COLE should take precautions against ALL incoming Aircraft etc This time round...

[locksly]

Petty Officer John Washak said that right after the blast, a senior chief petty officer ordered him to turn an M-60 machine gun on the Cole's fantail away from a second small boat approaching. "With blood still on my face," he said, he was told: "That's the rules of engagement: no shooting unless we're shot at." He added, "In the military, it's like we're trained to hesitate now. If somebody had seen something wrong and shot, he probably would have been court-martialed." Petty Officer Jennifer Kudrick said that if the sentries had fired on the suicide craft "we would have gotten in more trouble for shooting two foreigners than losing seventeen American sailors."The destroyer's rules of engagement, as approved by the Pentagon, kept its guards from firing upon the small boat loaded with explosives as it neared them without first obtaining permission from the Cole's captain or another officer
USS_Cole_bombing

[Gunner Carvo]

"I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six." That's the way I was taught. Not to mention, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

[Robert Ryan]

Well just recommison the New Jersey, the Missouri, the Iowa, the Washington, and the Wisconsin, and for one month let them sit off the coast and fire them big 16 inchers, and leave what is left to the buzzards, hell buzzards gotta eat to.

[DeadlyDaring]

Roughly how long and how much $$$$ would be needed to put these BABY's back in action!!???????

[locksly]

Originally Posted by DeadlyDaring

Roughly how long and how much $$$$ would be needed to put these BABY's back in action!!???????

It would take 2 years to paint and do maintenance boiler inspections X-raying steam lines ect to get them ready . Cost would be less than a new ship , but real sailors would be needed that can run a steam ship and shoot guns not press buttons.

The Washington was another class of ship.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/i...000/n89065.jpg

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/u.../bb/bb55cl.htm


And you better put at least 8 of these 25 MM machineguns on each ship for exploding speedboats .
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/mk-38.htm

Iowa class battleship
The Iowa-class was a planned class of six battleships ordered by the United States Navy in 1939 and 1940 to escort the Fast Carrier Task Forces that would operate in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Four were completed in the early to mid-1940s; two more were laid down, canceled prior to completion, and ultimately scrapped. They comprised the final class of U.S. battleships to be built.[5]

Builders: New York Navy Yard
Philadelphia Navy Yard
Norfolk Navy Yard
Operators: United States Navy
Preceded by: South Dakota
Followed by: Montana
Commissioned: 22 February 1943
Decommissioned: 31 March 1992
In service: 22 February 1943
Out of service: 17 March 2006
Ships in class: 6
Ships preserved: Iowa
New Jersey
Missouri
Wisconsin
Ships never completed: Illinois
Kentucky

Iowa_class_battleship

[Boats]

Carvo said it best:

"I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six." That's the way I was taught. Not to mention, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."


In those water's the rules of engagement should not apply. Protect your ship at all cost and to that we should have had a small boat on the water to chase off anyone coming within 100 meters of the ship. They get inside that line - I'd dust'em off the water in a heart beat.