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US Sends Aircraft Carrier, Planes (Abe Lincoln, Bonhomme Richard Battlegroups)
AFP through The Australian ^ | December 29, 2004

Posted on 12/28/2004 4:59:02 PM PST by Strategerist

THE US military said today it had diverted an aircraft carrier, other ships, at least 20 aircraft and thousands of sailors and marines to Asian countries struck by devastating tsunami waves.

The men and material were dispatched by US Pacific Command with many of the aircraft heading for Thailand and Sri Lanka, two of the worst hit countries.

Logistical problems hampered a massive humanitarian relief operation along Asia's devastated shores as the death toll from a huge earthquake and deadly tidal waves surged past 55,000.

“We have diverted the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier and its five ships. They left Hong Kong yesterday and they are en route to the Golf of Thailand,” said Major Guillermo Canedo, a Pacific Command spokesman in Hawaii.

“We are dispatching assessment teams to several of the nations that were affected. They will be working with the local government, the US embassies and the NGOs to determine how the US military can best assist,” Canedo said.

He said the command had dispatched six Hercules C-130 cargo aircraft loaded with food and water. The planes were loaded in Okinawa, Japan, and are headed to Utaphao in Thailand.

Nine P3 aircraft have also been assigned to fly to Utaphao to help in the relief effort.

Five KC-135 stratotanker aircraft, also filled with aid cargoes, are en route to Thailand and Sri Lanka, he said.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said earlier that 12 C-130 transport planes with relief supplies were heading for the stricken Asian nations.

Aside from the USS Abraham Lincoln and its five ships, the USS Bonhomme Richard with six ships is steaming to the Bay of Bengal. Canedo said it would take about six to seven days for that navy group to arrive.

The USS Bonhomme Richard is carrying a “significant number of helicopters that can be used for search and rescue,” he said.

“The sailors and marines aboard these ships, roughly 15,000,” he said.

The quake Sunday, the biggest in 40 years, rocked the seabed off Indonesia's Sumatra island, sending huge waves across the Indian Ocean.

Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India were among the countries worst hit by the natural disaster.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 7thfleet; carriers; humanitarianrelief; navy; pacificcommand; shipmovement; sumatraquake; tsunami; usn; ussabrahamlincoln; ussbonhommerichard
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1 posted on 12/28/2004 4:59:03 PM PST by Strategerist
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To: Strategerist

Those stingy Americans!


2 posted on 12/28/2004 4:59:52 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: Strategerist
Hope none of the Islamic "Freedom Fighters" get any bright ideas down in the south of Thailand.
3 posted on 12/28/2004 5:01:57 PM PST by Dallas59 ("A weak peace is worse than war" - Tacitcus)
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To: Strategerist

Once again the unwelcome "Uncle Sam" to the rescue!

GO TROOPS!!!


4 posted on 12/28/2004 5:04:50 PM PST by Hu Gadarn
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To: Dallas59

Gosh, how stingy can those cowboy Yankee imperialists get? </sarcasm>


5 posted on 12/28/2004 5:05:50 PM PST by The Teen Conservative
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To: Dallas59

good point, I also fear something like that happening.


6 posted on 12/28/2004 5:06:08 PM PST by oceanview
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To: Strategerist

Is the BH the carrier that has been converted for use as a SF platform..first used as a jumping off base against the Taliban?


7 posted on 12/28/2004 5:08:44 PM PST by ken5050 (Ann Coulter needs to have children ASAP to propagate her gene pool. Any volunteers?)
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To: ken5050

USS Kitty Hawk was the one used as a "Special Forces" Carrier.


8 posted on 12/28/2004 5:10:12 PM PST by Strategerist
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To: Dallas59
Hope none of the Islamic "Freedom Fighters" get any bright ideas down in the south of Thailand.

What? You really expect the SMs* to send help?

wait...

*SM© = Sweet Muslims

9 posted on 12/28/2004 5:10:28 PM PST by Publius6961 (The most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.)
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To: Strategerist

Utapao is in Pattaya Why not fly to Phuket or Krabi?


10 posted on 12/28/2004 5:13:22 PM PST by expatguy (http://laotze.blogspot.com/)
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To: cyborg

Yes, and in the meantime Norway was busy looking around to see if it had any aircraft carriers to divert to the disaster scenes.


11 posted on 12/28/2004 5:14:28 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: Strategerist

Ahhh, "The Great Satan" strikes again.


12 posted on 12/28/2004 5:15:37 PM PST by 4.1O dana super trac pak (Stop the open borders death cult)
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To: expatguy

Phuket's airfield is INOP-at least according to the NOTAM


13 posted on 12/28/2004 5:15:49 PM PST by fastattacksailor (The US without the UN is like not having your mother-in-law with you on your honeymoon)
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To: Publius6961

I sure don't. How much was that check the Saudi prince gave to Giuliani? Ten million? Glad he ripped it up in his face.


14 posted on 12/28/2004 5:16:27 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: muawiyah

They couldn't find any flatttops---but did find a fishing trwaler or two.


They expect them to get to Thai by August...

;-P


15 posted on 12/28/2004 5:16:46 PM PST by fastattacksailor (The US without the UN is like not having your mother-in-law with you on your honeymoon)
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To: Strategerist

Paging Mr. Stingy....


16 posted on 12/28/2004 5:17:34 PM PST by mewzilla
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To: Dallas59

Hell, they probably blame us for it.


17 posted on 12/28/2004 5:18:34 PM PST by BJClinton (Post election suicide hotline number: 1-800-BUSH-WON)
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To: The Teen Conservative

Sure is pretty stingy of us to send aid that can't be diverted to a Swiss bank account. /sarcasm


18 posted on 12/28/2004 5:19:27 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (This space for rant)
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To: Dallas59
I don't mean to be unsympathetic about the loss of life, especially those of the kids. For the past few years I find increasingly difficult to muster any outpouring of grief for any tragedy in the rest of the world, natural or human caused.

I wonder why I feel the way I do.....Gee....
19 posted on 12/28/2004 5:19:36 PM PST by Dallas59 ("A weak peace is worse than war" - Tacitcus)
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To: Dallas59

Hope none of the Islamic "Freedom Fighters" get any bright ideas down in the south of Thailand.

Exactly what I was thinking. I hope they instruct our boys to watch their back first and give assistance second.


20 posted on 12/28/2004 5:22:39 PM PST by oldbrowser (You lost the election.....................Get over it.)
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