US warship heads to Georgian port (Poti) with humanitarian aid

AFP ^

[maquiladora]

ISTANBUL (AFP) — One of three US ships carrying relief supplies to Georgia cleared Turkish straits and headed for the Black Sea Friday, where it was due to arrive in the Georgian port of Poti in a few days.

The two other ships -- the Coast Guard cutter Dallas and the Mount Whitney, currently being loaded up in an Italian port -- are also bound for Georgia with humanitarian aid.

[maquiladora]

Ok...So now we know that the US Navy is planning to dock in Poti.

Now keep in mind that Poti and its surrounding area is still being held by Russian forces. The Russian units in the Poti area did not withdraw like a lot of other units did today, in fact even today there have been several reports of a tighening of the grip on Poti, with reports of trenches being dug and checkpoints being built. - "Russian troops took control of the entrance to Georgia's main Black Sea port yesterday, despite their promise to start pulling troops out. Several armoured personnel carriers and troop trucks blocked the bridge that is the only land entrance to Poti." ... "Russian soldiers continued to patrol the strategically important port city of Poti on the Black Sea..." etc.

It doesn't look like the Russians in Poti are going anywhere soon, and with USS McFaul expected to dock there in 2 or 3 days the potential for this to become a flashpoint is clear.

[paul51]

They already have some humvees courtesy the USA. I wonder how much of the aid will end up in russian hands.

[TheDon]

How cool to be in the Black Sea! As long as you don’t get blasted out of the water!

[paul51]

They already have some humvees courtesy the USA. I wonder how much of the aid will end up in russian hands.

[GauchoUSA]

Exactly!

[SierraWasp]

Check this out...

[maquiladora]

I guess we were thinking along the same lines there.

I don’t think the press has picked up on this really yet but I’m sure they will over the weekend. Could be another ‘Pristina airport moment’.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Those 30 year old rust buckets the russians have in the black sea are not going to want to get anywhere near a Arleigh Burke class destroyer. They are loaded with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Tomahawks, sea sparrows, and mk-46 torpedos.

USS McFaul

[GAB-1955]

The Humvees, I fear, can be categorized as contraband of war that Russia had a right to seize. That's the position Russia will take; they were military supplies in a belligerent port. Even if the Russians accept that the U.S. owns the Humvees, they don't have to restore them, but merely pay compensation when the war is over.

Since Russia has not made a declaration of a war zone nor listed material which is regarded as contraband, the U.S. has every legal right to land humanitarian supplies in Georgia. The guns and missiles on the US ships will be the punctuation to the statement.