Iraqis at G-8 still a possibility
Scott M. Larson
President Bush opened the door for the new leaders of Iraq to participate in the G-8 Sea Island Summit.
.................
Plans are already in place for Aghan President Hamid Karzai to visit Sea Island as well as the leaders of five other Middle East nations and six African countries.
With the summit set to begin Tuesday, confirmation of an Iraqi visit would likely come at the last minute.
http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/060204/2208241.shtml
Something is amiss... look at this...
Let's go through a list of which countries are putting navies to sea for the month of June. Take the U.S. naval group's departure from San Diego. What's the official story of the 6,000+ sailors leaving Monday?
(Norfolk) a local television station in Norfolk reports that a total of seven carrier strike groups are putting to sea in June - which if I'm not mistaken is an unprecedented move: "While the Navy won't say where the seven carrier groups are going, the carriers not already deployed are expected to be gone for only one to two months." Story (RealPlayer needed) at http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=1902088&nav=23iiNU2h (England) The British are also putting an unusual number of ships to sea during June. http://www.navynews.co.uk/articles/2004/0405/0004052601.asp Meantime, Channel 13 in Hampton Roads, VA reports in part that:
"Called "Exercise Blinding Storm" by the United States and "Exercise Rapid Alliance" by the U.K., the training will involve about 30,000 troops from seven nations in exercises off and on the coast of North Carolina. Dutch marines and French soldiers will take part, as well as a Peruvian submarine and contingents from Germany and Canada. The flotilla is expected to set sail Tuesday, with the two-week amphibious exercise scheduled to begin June 10. The British landing platform dock ship Albion has already arrived. It carried four Challenger II battle tanks — the British equivalent of the U.S. M1-A1 Abrams tank. The tanks will be sent ashore aboard the ship's new landing craft during the exercise. The biggest British ship — the aircraft carrier Invincible — also has docked with a crew of 1,050. " http://www.wvec.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D82SAKN80.html
Also look at this huge list of other recent deployments...
Carrier Group Leaves On Deployment
Ships Are Not Scheduled To Support Operations In Iraq
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3339032/detail.html
HUGE NAVAL STRIKE GROUP IS DEPLOYED! Western Pacific
(1) Aircraft carrier Stennis (CSG)
(2) Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57)
(3) Burke-class destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83)
(4) Guided-missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54)
(5) Fast-attack submarine USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716)
(6) Replenishment ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) Also
(7) amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood
(8) amphibious transport dock ship Denver
(9) amphibious transport dock ships Comstock
(10-11) Burke-class guided missile destroyers Preble and Hopper -- will depart next month.
(12) USS Tucson Departs on Western Pacific Deployment
(13) Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell
Also: USS McCampbell (DDG 85) departed May 5 for its first
deployment. The ship and its crew are headed to Southeast Asia in support of a Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) cruise. McCampbell will be conducting joint naval exercises with the countries of Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Also: Twenty Royal Navy ships, led by HMS Invincible, are heading
off to take part in the exercise called Rapid Alliance, which is taking place off the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Article: Marines Take off for Naval Exercise with U.S.
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2918574
Mediterranean Sea Surface Strike Group deployment:
(14) Guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61)
(15) Guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71),
(16) Guided-missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55)
USS John C. Stennis Strike Group Deploys for Pacific Operations:
Navy-Marine strike group leaves on 6-month deployment:
More than 5,000 sailors and Marines with the Belleau Wood
Expeditionary Strike Group will leave San Diego Thursday for
a six-month deployment in support of the war on terrorism
The amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood and the amphibious
transport dock ships Denver and Comstock will depart from 32nd
Street Naval Station beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. "It is the
first time an expeditionary strike group will be commanded by a Marine general, according to the Navy.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/
2004/05/27/military/20_54_265_26_04.txt
"The Army begins a major staging operation today at the port to ship equipment to southwest Asia." Article: Army to ship vehicles overseas via Olympia:
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20040520/topstories/54346.shtml
Official explanation: Strike Group Deploys Early To Help Quell
Insurgency "The plan was developed to train naval forces for quick response to crises and in support of national interests."
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/militaryconnection/3351632/detail.html
Ford heads to sea Frigate's crew departs for 4 months
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/04/05/27/loc_ford001.cfm
USS Tucson Departs on Western Pacific Deployment
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13418
Surface Strike Group Ships Deploy From Norfolk
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13096
"coastal patrol ships Typhoon and Sirocco prepared to leave port at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base Friday to relieve two sister ships" http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=69752&ran=237692
ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) accompanied patrol
boats USS Typhoon (PC 5) and USS Sirocco (PC 6) on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Naval Station Rota, Spain, and arrived in port with the two PCs May 12.
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13328
Ohhh, now that is a worry.
Inviting Iraq and Afghanistan to the G-8 meeting, a brave thing for President Bush to do, but it will be like waving a red flag in front of a charging bull.
Good find, first that I had heard of it.
Thanks,