What's going on with the US Navy and the Black Sea????

[Junkdrawer]

There are reports that the Russian Navy is blockading the Georgian port of Poti:



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121866388366238327.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

And yet the US Navy is planning to bring "humanitarian aid" though to said port:

....

In a brief address Wednesday, President Bush called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Georgia. He also said in the days ahead, the United States will use its aircraft and naval forces to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies to the Georgian people.

Analysts - such as Robert Legvold from Columbia University - say in order to reach Georgia, U.S. ships must pass through the strait of the Dardannelles and the Bosphorus strait before entering the Black Sea.

"The Russians have a naval force, the Black Sea force that is based in Sevastopol and that they've used as part of the blockade of the Abkhazian coastline - or the Georgian coastline," said Robert Legvold. "But of course it means that we're in the same body of water. And I assume there's no implied threat that we would try to interdict naval movements on the part of the Russian Black Sea fleet."

...

http://voanews.com/english/2008-08-13-voa59.cfm

I've been Googling around and reports are spotty at best....

:shrug:

[HeresyLives]

1. Nothing, apparently.

On Wednesday, President Bush said the U.S. would use its Navy resources to get aid to Georgia but so far, U.S. Navy officials said they still have no orders to deploy their hospital ship, the USS Comfort, or any destroyers.


An aircraft carrier would be too big for the Black Sea's shallow waters. In addition, under the Montreux Convention the U.S. would essentially need Turkish approval to send any ship over 10,000 tons into the Black Sea.



http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/48242.html

[Junkdrawer]

4. Thanks for the info. That still leaves a whole lot of ships that could be used...

Who knows what, if anything, is on route?

:shrug:

I read an old article earlier at work about an old Russian Black Sea aircraft carrier that the Chinese bought and sailed out through the Bosporus with tugs. Claimed they were going to make a luxury cruise ship out of it.

[MnFats]

2. thanks. ... the possibilities are endless...and most are dreadful.

wonder what bush would see if he could look into putin's eyes now?

[Bobbieo]

3. How about OIL!!!!!!