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U.S. denies minesweepers are part of Gulf buildup

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, January 25, 2007

ABU DHABI — The U.S. Navy has deployed two minesweepers in the Gulf to prevent Iranian attempts to block the Straits of Hormuz.

Officials said the Navy reshuffled its minesweeper fleet to help protect commercial shipping in the Gulf, Middle East Newsline reported.

"The presence of the minesweeper was a long-scheduled event that is not part of any military build-up in the Arabian Gulf," U.S. Fifth Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Charles Brown said.

Brown said the two latest vessels were replacing two recently decommissioned coastal mine hunters. He said the deployment was not aimed against Iran.

One of the vessels was identified as the USS Gladiator.

So far, the U.S. Navy has deployed four mine hunters in the Gulf. The 1,300-ton Gladiator arrived in Bahrain on Jan. 23 and joined the USS Dextrous and USS Ardent.

The navy also plans to deploy an additional aircraft carrier strike group in the Gulf. The John C. Stennis, a Nimitz-class carrier supported by four vessels, was meant to arrive in the region in February.

Officials said this would be the first time since 2003 that the U.S. Navy deployed two aircraft carrier groups in the Gulf. They said the naval build-up was meant to bolster deterrence toward Iran.

U.S. allies in the Gulf have been reassured that the build-up would not lead to war against Iran. On Jan. 23, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England held talks in Bahrain and met U.S. commanders at the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet.

"This is a very important place for America here in Bahrain," England said. "It's important to have our Fifth Fleet stationed here because it gives us access to this part of the world. It's terrific to have a homeport with an ally." "We work closely with regional partners to provide security from mines in international waters so all commercial shipping can operate safely while transiting the region," Brown said.


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