Free Republic

TAIPEI (REUTERS) - The United States sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday (Jan 24) in the first such operation this year, the Taiwanese government said, as it increases the frequency of transits through the strategic waterway amid tensions with China. The voyage risks further heightening tensions with China, which considers Taiwan its own and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control. Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement late on Thursday the ships were moving in a northerly direction and that their voyage was in accordance with regulations....

Story Number: NNS060326-01 Release Date: 3/26/2006 12:13:00 AM From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs NORTH PERSIAN GULF (NNS) -- The Kiribati-flagged merchant vessel M/V Rokya 1 and USS McCampbell (DDG 85) collided at 11:09 p.m., local time, March 25, approximately 30 miles southeast of the Iraqi coastline in the North Persian Gulf. Two U.S. Sailors received minor injuries as a result of the collision. Two crew members from Rokya 1 also received minor injuries and were treated on-scene by McCampbell’s independent duty corpsman. Rokya 1 and McCampbell, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, both received...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship in the Persian Gulf off Iraq, slightly injuring four people, the Navy said Sunday.