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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
US warship confronts Russian military in Poti
2008-09-06
A US Navy flagship carrying humanitarian aid yesterday steamed into a Georgian port where Russian troops are still stationed, stoking tensions once again in the tinderbox Caucasus region. A previous trip by US warships was cancelled at the last minute a week ago amid fears that an armed stand-off could intensify in the Black Sea port of Poti.

The arrival of the USS Mount Whitney, flagship of the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, came as Moscow accused Dick Cheney, the hawkish US Vice-President, of stoking tensions during a visit to Tbilisi this week. After meeting President Saakashvili, Mr Cheney vowed to bring Georgia into the Nato alliance. Russia sees such moves as Western encroachment on its traditional sphere of influence.

Russia’s leaders have accused previous US warships that docked at the port of Batumi, to the south, of delivering weapons to re-arm the smashed Georgian military — charges that Washington denied.

While Russia again questioned the deployment of what it described as “the number one ship of its type in the US Navy” in the Black Sea, it said that it planned no military action in response. The Russian Army has kept a small component of soldiers in Poti, where Georgian officials accuse them of looting port authority buildings.

“Naval ships of that class can hardly deliver a large amount of aid,” said Andrei Nesterenko, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman. “Such ships have a hold for keeping provisions for the crew and items needed for sailing. How many tonnes of aid can a ship of that type deliver?”

He said that the presence of US warships could contravene international conventions governing shipping in the Black Sea, and in particular restrictions on the entry of naval ships from countries that do not share a Black Sea coastline. The small Russian garrison in Poti would pose no military threat to a vessel like the Mount Whitney, but the proximity of two hostile forces in such a fraught environment set the political temperature rising again in the Caucasus a month after RussiaÂ’s five-day war with Georgia.
Posted by:Steve White

#27  So, how's the weather in Russia this time of year, #25 Chuting? Are y'all wearing coats in the daytime yet? How much is Pooty paying you for your trolldom?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-09-06 19:44  

#26  I thought the whole Typhone in INdonesia proved that American warships are the best way to deliver aid to a region.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-09-06 19:17  

#25  What are we confronting? A map on the government of Georgia's website, shows that there are 40 Russian check posts in the entire country. The Russians claim that only 500 activ e troops remain in the country. (Technically true if you don't count between shift troops)

Search "Georgia" "protests" on Youtube and you will find that Georgians are free to protest at the checkpoints. What if Georgians were polled on the issue of close ties with Russia?
Posted by: Chuting Dingle8374   2008-09-06 16:47  

#24  USMC is to Special Operations as UPS is to NASCAR.
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-09-06 16:38  

#23  Ya don't suppose all those intel berths might be hot bunked this trip? Seeing that the Whitney is what it is?
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2008-09-06 16:28  

#22  Now they're MEUSOCs.
Posted by: Pappy   2008-09-06 13:09  

#21  MAU is the result of me being old shcool. MAU(SOC) [Special Operations Capable] was one of the things batted around a few years go.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 12:51  

#20  And may the marines cause a PSUB reaction:

Putin Screams, Upchucks, Bolts.

Thank you for all the explanations.
Posted by: mom    2008-09-06 12:04  

#19  MAU

As a military-acronym challenged, the first thing I thought was, "Marine Ass-kicking Unit".

'Cause, god bless every damned one of them, that's what they do everyday, everywhere, everywho.
Posted by: Hyper   2008-09-06 11:56  

#18  Halliburton...I think it not only tightened screws, but puckered a few sphincters!
Posted by: Sgt. D.T.   2008-09-06 10:16  

#17  He said that the presence of US warships could contravene international conventions governing shipping in the Black Sea

Heh. Look who's fretting about the rules all of a sudden.
Posted by: gorb   2008-09-06 06:37  

#16  "Russia sees such moves as Western encroachment on its traditional sphere of influence."

Russian use of that phrase reminds me of a 'sphere of influence' I created some years ago around a tent when, suffering from a busy nightime case of gastroenteritis, little enthusiasm to walk further than absolutely necessary, and no torch.
Posted by: Bulldog   2008-09-06 04:37  

#15  The ol' joke, never confirmed (paraphrased):
The big tsunami:
"Why is President Bush sending a carrier task
for? Whats he want to do, attack to tsunami?"

Engineer stands and says, "A nuclear carrier has x amount of auxillerary power, can desanilize x gallons of water, etc."

I'm here to tell ya, all help is appreciated. Our governor didn't know where Greensburg was until 2 days later
Posted by: swksvolFF   2008-09-06 03:36  

#14  Mega Atomic Up-smasher?
Long-range Hammer of Doom?

I hereby nominate mom to head up the next official Pentagon Future Weapons System Naming Commission!
Posted by: AzCat   2008-09-06 01:52  

#13  "We're from the government, and we are Here to Help™."
Posted by: Seafarious   2008-09-06 01:30  

#12  The LHD is what we deployed to help the "Christmas Tsunami" victims. Its hospital and transport capacity from the sea to inland is quite good.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 01:23  

#11  Goodness I wonder what the Russian forces reaction was as they saw this vessel haul into view. They must have been tracking it, but still, to have been near the port when this pulled in must have tightened a few screws.
Posted by: Halliburton - Asymmetrical Reply Division   2008-09-06 01:23  

#10  C4ISR

Command Control (C2) Communications (C3) Computers (C4) Intelligence (I) Surveillance (S) Recon (R)

MAU - Marine Amphibious Unit (More precise term is MEU, Marine Expeditionary Unit, which includes its own air support)

LHD US Navy Ship, Landing ship, Helicopter Dock, see below (picture)



And not it doesn't really qualify as an "Aircraft carrier", mainly helos, and a few Harriers possibly depending on mission. It carries landing craft (usually LCAC - amphib landing hovercraft) in the "well", which allows them to sail into the ship, and launch amphib assaults from the ship, it can also hold up to 61 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (21 in the deck above, 40 in the well).

Biggest weapons are the nearly 2000 Marines it hauls around.

Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 01:21  

#9  Hey mom -- I'm sure OldSpook has a better answer to that MAU -- I'm thinking he meant MEU (and the only reason I know what I know is neighbor Marine is in a MEU. When his Dad told me that, I had to do some "research.")

Here's the Wikipedia "short" description:
A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU, pronounced M-YOO), formerly called Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU), is the smallest Marine Air-Ground Task Force in the United States Marine Corps. Each MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and ready for immediate response to any crisis.

The Marine Expeditionary Unit is normally built around the building blocks of a MAGTF: a reinforced Marine infantry battalion is the ground combat element, the aviation combat element is a composite helicopter squadron, a battalion-sized logistics combat element, and a command element. Troop strength is about 2,200, commanded by a colonel, and is deployed from an amphibious assault ship

And -- LHD, their boat.....
LHD 8 will be a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship designed to transport and land a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a force of almost 2,000 Marines, ashore by helicopter, landing craft and amphibious assault vehicle. LHD 8 will also have secondary missions of sea control and power projection by helicopter and fixed-wing vertical short take-off and landing (VSTOL) aircraft; command and control, and mission support, including a hospital with six operating rooms.

As Seafarious said, ""Do you feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?"
Posted by: Sherry   2008-09-06 01:14  

#8  NEWSMAX > DE BORCHGRAVE - RUSSIA JOCKEYS FOR SUPERPOWER STATUS [return to] + US BROKE ITS PROMISE TO RUSSIA.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-09-06 00:50  

#7  More space for offices and officers than cargo. Tho I expect it can hear lot's of stuff.
Posted by: .5MT   2008-09-06 00:42  

#6  mw

It's a people ship.
Posted by: .5MT   2008-09-06 00:40  

#5  I figured the general context was "go ahead; make my day." But what's an MAU and an LHD?

Mega Atomic Up-smasher?
Long-range Hammer of Doom?
Posted by: mom    2008-09-06 00:35  

#4  It looks likea flat deck but it's not.
Posted by: .5MT   2008-09-06 00:33  

#3  A translation for Mom:

"Do you feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?"
Posted by: Seafarious   2008-09-06 00:28  

#2  Oldspook: For the benefit of us civilian landlubbers, would you please explain the alphabet soup? Thanks.
Posted by: mom    2008-09-06 00:23  

#1  "Naval ships of that class can hardly deliver a large amount of aid"

Dumbass - flat decks and helos, and huge cargo capacity, as well as the C4ISR capabilities are quite good.

We ought to being in an MAU to help "secure" the port. On an LHD. With a couple of Aegis cruisers.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 00:16  

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