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http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/11/115815.shtml?s=lh
U.S. May Cut Navy Presence in Persian Gulf
NewsMax.com Wires Wednesday, July 11, 2007
WASHINGTON -- After a much-publicized military buildup in the Persian Gulf,
the United States is now planning to have only one aircraft carrier in the
region for part of this year.
In what officials have said was partly muscle-flexing toward Iran, the Navy
has maintained two aircraft carrier battle groups in area since early this
year and twice held major exercises in the Gulf.
But the force could be reduced to one carrier in the coming weeks unless one
now there is ordered to stay beyond its planned homecoming or another is
rescheduled to go there early, three defense officials said Tuesday.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak
on the subject for the record. The military tries to say as little as
possible about ship movements for security reasons.
Ships currently in the region are the USS John C. Stennis and USS Nimitz,
and both are expected to leave soon. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Enterprise left Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia over the weekend to
head to the area and will replace one of the carriers, the U.S. 5th Fleet
announced Tuesday.
As plans stand now, the Enterprise would be alone in the region for roughly
three months because the USS Harry S. Truman isn't scheduled to deploy until
the fall, two officials said.
The Pentagon could decide to change the scheduling - keeping the Nimitz in
the region longer or sending the Truman there early, one official said.
Officials declined to comment on whether the expected reduction in carriers
in the region was a matter of scheduling or funding. They also pointed out
that the norm is for one carrier to be deployed there.
The 5th Fleet said the Enterprise carrier group is fully capable of
performing any mission.
"Enterprise Carrier Strike Group provides us with the right assets at the
right time," Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of Naval forces for the
region, said in a statement from 5th Fleet. Its area includes about 2.5
million square miles of water, the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf
of Aden, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.
"Enterprise presence provides Navy power to counter the assertive,
disruptive and coercive behavior of some countries, as well as support our
soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan," Cosgriff said.
Bush administration officials have said the U.S. buildup in the Gulf was
intended to impress on Iran that the four-year war in Iraq has not made
America vulnerable and to assure allies of the U.S. commitment to the
region.
Iran has been in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program and U.S.
allegations that Tehran is involved in supplying weapons that insurgents use
in neighboring Iraq to kill Americans and Iraqis.
In late March, with the two carrier groups assembled in the same place, the
Americans held maneuvers with 15 warships and more than 100 aircraft in the
Gulf. While they would not say when the war games were planned, U.S.
commanders insisted they were not a direct response to the seizure days
earlier of 15 British sailors and marines by Iranian naval forces.
Also, in late May, ships packed with 17,000 sailors and Marines moved into
the Persian Gulf as the U.S. Navy staged another show of force off Iran's
coast just days before U.S.-Iran talks in Baghdad.
U.S. May Cut Navy Presence in Persian Gulf
NewsMax.com Wires Wednesday, July 11, 2007
WASHINGTON -- After a much-publicized military buildup in the Persian Gulf,
the United States is now planning to have only one aircraft carrier in the
region for part of this year.
In what officials have said was partly muscle-flexing toward Iran, the Navy
has maintained two aircraft carrier battle groups in area since early this
year and twice held major exercises in the Gulf.
But the force could be reduced to one carrier in the coming weeks unless one
now there is ordered to stay beyond its planned homecoming or another is
rescheduled to go there early, three defense officials said Tuesday.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak
on the subject for the record. The military tries to say as little as
possible about ship movements for security reasons.
Ships currently in the region are the USS John C. Stennis and USS Nimitz,
and both are expected to leave soon. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Enterprise left Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia over the weekend to
head to the area and will replace one of the carriers, the U.S. 5th Fleet
announced Tuesday.
As plans stand now, the Enterprise would be alone in the region for roughly
three months because the USS Harry S. Truman isn't scheduled to deploy until
the fall, two officials said.
The Pentagon could decide to change the scheduling - keeping the Nimitz in
the region longer or sending the Truman there early, one official said.
Officials declined to comment on whether the expected reduction in carriers
in the region was a matter of scheduling or funding. They also pointed out
that the norm is for one carrier to be deployed there.
The 5th Fleet said the Enterprise carrier group is fully capable of
performing any mission.
"Enterprise Carrier Strike Group provides us with the right assets at the
right time," Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of Naval forces for the
region, said in a statement from 5th Fleet. Its area includes about 2.5
million square miles of water, the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf
of Aden, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.
"Enterprise presence provides Navy power to counter the assertive,
disruptive and coercive behavior of some countries, as well as support our
soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan," Cosgriff said.
Bush administration officials have said the U.S. buildup in the Gulf was
intended to impress on Iran that the four-year war in Iraq has not made
America vulnerable and to assure allies of the U.S. commitment to the
region.
Iran has been in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program and U.S.
allegations that Tehran is involved in supplying weapons that insurgents use
in neighboring Iraq to kill Americans and Iraqis.
In late March, with the two carrier groups assembled in the same place, the
Americans held maneuvers with 15 warships and more than 100 aircraft in the
Gulf. While they would not say when the war games were planned, U.S.
commanders insisted they were not a direct response to the seizure days
earlier of 15 British sailors and marines by Iranian naval forces.
Also, in late May, ships packed with 17,000 sailors and Marines moved into
the Persian Gulf as the U.S. Navy staged another show of force off Iran's
coast just days before U.S.-Iran talks in Baghdad.
