Posted on 05/07/2004 7:42:32 AM PDT by yonif
In what could signal a change of policy, a US warship from the Sixth Fleet held a quiet call at the port of Haifa this week.
The USS Thorn, a 7,800-ton destroyer, departed Thursday, reportedly after a three-day stay. Its 300 crew members were not allowed to disembark for shore leave to the disappointment of Haifa's businesses. Israeli officials said this was for security reasons.
Despite the low-profile visit, it does mark the first time that a large US naval ship has called at an Israeli port since late 2000. The US Navy's removing of Haifa Bay as a port of call has been a blow to Haifa's economy, which had enjoyed the visits by tens of thousands of sailors who brought in tourist income. The shipyards also profited from repairs on US vessels.
Officials in Haifa have been lobbying for the return of the fleet, which at one time saw 40 to 50 ships a year anchoring in its bay and its tens of thousands of sailors spending an average of $100 a day each.
The US Sixth Fleet has stayed away from Haifa since October 2000, shortly after the current conflict with the Palestinians broke out, after the USS Cole was bombed by suicide bomber in Yemen. That blast killed 17 American sailors and wounded 39 others.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav has raised the issue with various officials over the past year. Most recently, he appealed directly to the new commander of the Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral Harry Ulrich, who visited Haifa earlier this year.
Three weeks ago, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz promised Yahav that he would instruct Defense Ministry Director-General Amos Yaron to push the matter on his visit to the United States. Last November, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer told Yahav there were various reasons why the port calls ceased, but said he would try to move the matter forward.
Sources said Ulrich promised to dispatch an ocean tug to the port, which he did. The visit by the USS Thorn followed. But US officials asked that the visit be kept quiet.
Officials in Yahav's office were bewildered by the sudden secrecy of the visit.
"We were prepared to announce the visit, but the Americans asked us not to say anything and keep the visit as low-profile as possible," said a Haifa Municipality official.
Municipality officials declined to comment on the specific visit this week, but said, in general, that they are working seriously to try and encourage the return of the fleet's lucrative visits.
"The economic importance of the Sixth Fleet to Haifa businesses, the pubs and restaurants as well as the suppliers, is great," said Haifa deputy spokesman Ronni Grossman. "The mayor has said that the return of the fleet is a national interest that goes beyond economics. It is a link between Israel and the US Navy, which is very important."
The US Sixth Fleet began calling on Haifa in 1979. Visits peaked in the mid- to late-1980s with some 40 to 50 ships a year. Aircraft carriers with crews of more than 5,000 often stayed for a week. "When an aircraft carrier would arrive, I can tell you the city looked differently," said Grossman. "I think the sailors really liked to come to our city."
It is estimated that over the past 20 years there have been more than 1 million recorded tourist visit days made by US sailors, in which they spent an estimated $350 million.
A US official in Tel Aviv confirmed that this week's visit took place. Regarding the sailors' lack of shore leaves, the official said the attack on the USS Cole had "long-lasting impact." "We love the city of Haifa and hope that visits can return to what they once were," the official said.
Two Indian Navy vessels will be calling at the Haifa Port next week and their sailors will be allowed to have shore leaves, said Subrata Das, first secretary of the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Haifa's main deep-water port is currently being moved northward toward the Kishon River. Municipal planners hope to revive the idle, lower port area by turning it into a swank mall of restaurants and bistros.
Unofficially, it was believed that this would be easier to guard and perhaps allow US sailors a safe haven on dry land for appreciated R&R.
The Navy must pay a whole lot better than when I served!
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