[Rte66]

Y'all help me with this. Quote from the story above:

" ... [USS Nashville] anchored off the coast of Lebanon Thursday morning prepared to receive some 1,200 Americans fleeing fighting to take them to Cyprus.

The amphibious assault ship prepares for its voyage ..."

Is this amphibian going to be allowed to dock? If it stays anchored off the coast, how are the evacuees going to get on it? I've heard that American ships are not being allowed to dock by the Lebanese government.

I know there is a smaller "landing craft" that the Marines came ashore in - will the evacuees be tendered out to the USS Nashville on one of those? How many does it hold? Will it have to go back and forth?

Just trying to understand the logistics, because you *know* people are gonna be ranting about this, since they have about everything else.

[BurbankKarl]

It is docked right now in Beirut

[conservative in nyc]

Associated Press
US Navy Ship Anchors Off Coast of Lebanon
By JOE PANOSSIAN, 07.20.2006, 01:10 AM

The USS Nashville anchored off the coast of Lebanon Thursday morning prepared to receive some 1,200 Americans fleeing fighting to take them to Cyprus.

An Associated Press Television cameraman mounted a beach 12 kilometers (7.46 miles) north of the capital Beirut on board a landing craft that will ferry passengers to the vessel approximately 300 at a time.

A group of Americans began boarding the landing craft beached in front of the Le Royale hotel, an employee of the hotel told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to give statements to the media.

--Snip--

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/07/20/ap2891549.html

Thanks, crAP, for giving away logistics information!

[FreedomPoster]

>>If it stays anchored off the coast, how are the evacuees going to get on it?

Some likely ways are linked below:

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/lcac.htm
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/ch-46.htm
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/h-53.htm

And I seriously doubt it is "anchored". Freedom of movement is key for a warship in a semi-dicey environment.