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Eisenhower Enters The Gulf
The United States has bolstered its naval presence near Iran as The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, entered the Gulf on Dec. 11.

The U.S. Navy has deployed the Eisenhower ostensibly to support the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Officials said the Navy has been moving warships from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean toward the Gulf. They said the redeployment was meant to bolster the Western presence in the region as Iran's military buildup continues.

Eisenhower, the flagship of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, was accompanied by the USS Anzio, a guided-missile cruiser. Eisenhower can support as many as 100 fighter-jets, Middle East Newsline reported.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet said the strike group departed Norfolk, Va. on Oct. 3. The navy said the group began operating alongside coalition maritime forces on Oct. 30.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and make a difference, whether it is flying in support of multinational troops operating in Iraq, or training alongside coalition and regional navies, or conducting maritime security operations in the Gulf," Rear Adm. Al Myers, commander of the Eisenhower Strike Group, said.
Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-12-14
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=175079