|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group moved into the Caribbean this week for two months of training and joint military exercises, in what the military hopes will be a show of its commitment to the region.
The military has dismissed as ridiculous allegations by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez that it is planning an invasion of his country. Still, analysts say the show of force sends a strong signal to Chavez and other Latin American leaders - as well as to China, which has a growing presence in the region - about U.S. commitment there.
The deployment is part of Operation Partnership of the Americas and will also focus on threats such as drug and human trafficking, according to the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military activities in Latin America.
The training is standard, but the United States could have picked several areas to conduct the exercises.
Brig. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., the Southern Command's chief of staff, called the tour "a good opportunity for us to touch base with our partner countries," adding, "there's no other symbol of American power like the carrier that conveys our commitment to the region."
Members of the strike group, led by the nearly 1, 100-foot long Nimitz-class carrier, made their first port stops Monday and Tuesday. The USS Stout, a destroyer, stopped in Curacao, while the USS Underwood, a frigate, docked in Cartagena, Colombia.
Although the group has no plans to dock in Venezuela, the U.S. ambassador in Caracas met Sunday with the head of Southern Command, Gen. Bantz Craddock, aboard the George Washington. The meeting of Southern Command leaders was a routine quarterly meeting, but the high interest from Venezuela in the deployment prompted the diplomatic participation, according to Southern Command Spokesman Jose Ruiz.
The carrier will arrive at its first stop in St. Maarten on Friday. Other countries on the tour include Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Trinidad Tobago, Curacao, Aruba, and St. Kitts.
Daniel Erikson, a Caribbean analyst for the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute said the selection of the Caribbean is important for several reasons.
Since 2002, countries that do not sign an agreement with the United States guaranteeing that its citizens won't be handed over to the International Criminal Court, risk losing millions of dollars in U.S. military support.
In the Caribbean, where a number of the countries have not signed the waiver, many are concerned about future U.S. military support, Erikson said.
"Washington has been trying to figure out ways, without backing down, to show the U.S. is still willing to engage with allies in the region," he said.
The deployment also sends a signal to China that the United States is fully aware of its incursion into the region, Erikson said.
Last March, Craddock testified before Congress that China's increased presence in Latin America "must not be ignored." Craddock cited Chinese government statistics showing that in 2004 nearly half of the communist country's overseas investment was in Latin America.
"A lot of Caribbean countries have been puzzled by what they see as Washington's passivity on the growing role of China in the region," Erikson said.
Already the carrier has struck a chord with several Latin American military officials. Colonels from Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina and Ecuador, who are temporarily based at the Southern Command, toured the carrier Saturday as F-18 Hornet fighter jets thundered across its deck.
"It's truly impressive to see the coordination that exists, and the high level of professionalism and synchronization - the security measures," said Col. Cesar Ramos of Ecuador as he watched flight control handlers simultaneously chart the fueling and crew status of each plane in real-time on a computer and a table-sized model of the flight deck.
Col. Alejandro Varella of Uruguay agreed.
"They are so rigid in the administration-side but still flexible and quick with the operations," he said.
The Norfolk-based strike group also includes the USS Monterey, a cruiser, and a 60-plane air wing. The George Washington last deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2004.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
