Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

US warships in Mediterranean not on Libya mission: Pentagon
The Pioneer ^ | Friday, September 14, 2012 | PTI

Posted on 09/14/2012 11:26:56 AM PDT by Jyotishi

None of the US Navy's warships deployed in the Mediterranean have been assigned any specific mission to Libya in the aftermath of the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi that killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens, the Pentagon has said.

However, a Pentagon spokesman asserted yesterday that its naval assets in the region are prepared for any contingencies.

"On the issue of assets being moved towards Libya, I want to be very clear that we do have ships in the Mediterranean. We have had ships in the Mediterranean for some time.

"None of our naval vessels in that region have been assigned to any specific mission with respect to Libya," the Pentagon Press Secretary, George Little, told reporters at a news conference yesterday.

Little was responding to questions of deployment of two US naval war ships off the coast of Libya in the aftermath of the Benghazi attack.

"And our assets in the region are prepared to respond to any contingency. That's what the US military does. But, again, they haven't been assigned a specific mission," he said.

The Department of Defence, he said, has been working closely with the White House and State Department to provide resources to support the security of US personnel and facilities in Libya.

On Wednesday the Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, authorised the movement of a Marine Corps fleet anti-terrorism security team, a FAST platoon, into Libya to protect US citizens and secure its embassy in Tripoli.

"The Department also provided support to evacuate American personnel and casualties out of Libya and is supporting the return of the remains of our fallen colleagues to the United States.

"Over the past 48 hours, the leadership of this department have worked closely with combatant commanders to review our force posture in the region and to ensure that we have the flexibility to respond to requests for assistance or orders as directed by the president of the United States," he said.

There are US Marine security contingents that provide security to US embassies around the world, which includes Yemen and Tunisia.

"This department also continues to work closely with the State Department and our partners throughout the region, including Yemen, Egypt and Afghanistan, to ensure all missions have any necessary resources from this department, given the potential for further protests in the coming days," he said.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: egypt; libya; navy; pentagon

1 posted on 09/14/2012 11:27:01 AM PDT by Jyotishi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Jyotishi
Interesting that there are no Carriers in the Med. One could be real useful about now. Several are in the Indian ocean off the Persian Gulf, but to get to the Med they would have to transit the Suez, not a real survivable move right about now.

Enterprise - North Arabian Sea
Eisenhower - Persian Gulf
Truman - carrier qualifications off East Coast
The rest are in the Pacific or dry dock.

It has long been joked that in any crisis the first question from the president is "Where are the Carriers?". Well Mr Obama they aren't anyplace where they can help you. Don't you wish we still had 14 instead of the 11 we have now?
2 posted on 09/14/2012 11:37:43 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jyotishi

No birdfarms in the Med?

Holy cow, Mr. Obama better not get re-elected, then we’ll be going down to 5 or 6 carriers.

No good.


3 posted on 09/14/2012 11:42:00 AM PDT by RexBeach (Mr. Obama Can't Count.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jyotishi

What BS! He should send in whatever military assets are necessary to remove any Americans who wish to leave, including all diplomats, then cut off all aid and trade.

Empty the Islamic world of targets. Then when they come boiling out of their Islamic hellholes to attack us elsewhere we have a perfectly good reason to turn their government centers and military bases to smoking, glassed over ruins.

He won’t do it, of course; he’s on their side.


4 posted on 09/14/2012 11:54:35 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed &water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW & FOREVER!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jyotishi

The suits at the Pentagon are getting their orders from Obama. They have lost all credability and hopefully on Nov. 8 they’ be looking for a new job.


5 posted on 09/14/2012 12:38:11 PM PDT by kenmcg (t)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jyotishi

The suits at the Pentagon are getting their orders from Obama. They have lost all credability and hopefully on Nov. 8 they’ be looking for a new job.


6 posted on 09/14/2012 12:38:28 PM PDT by kenmcg (t)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jyotishi

John Bolton was saying this morning that the only reason for this deployment is because we have to maybe massively abondon many embassies in all these countries.

Think about it it. The protests are all over the ME and Africa. Who and where do we fight?

The most telling statement about this whole thing came from Hillary when she stated something to the effect “how could they do this to us when we helped liberate them”.

After hearing that, anything else is spin and BS. That says it all.


7 posted on 09/14/2012 12:43:35 PM PDT by dforest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson