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Bill's air force
The U.S. military sent 10 CH-53 helicopters to India and Pakistan to support President Clinton's ongoing road trip. The large helicopters flew from the Marine Corps base at Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii, to ferry Mr. Clinton, daughter Chelsea and other friends of Bill.
The helos arrived via giant U.S. Air Force C-5 transport aircraft. In addition, the Marines dispatched about 100 troops for aircrews and support.
Pentagon officials could not provide us with the exact cost of the helicopter support. They said the total would be available after the president gets back from the weeklong excursion to South Asia.
While the White House defended the trip as needed to cool tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, the visit has all the trappings of a junket by a lame duck president. And the Pentagon, amid reports that thousands of troops are turning to food stamps to feed their families, is forced to foot the bill.
The helicopters include the white-topped CH-53 known as HMX-1, the aircraft used to fly the president. The others ferry the press corps and staff as well as local "dignitaries' who join the commander in chief.
A White House spokesman said the visit to South Asia is a "complex trip' and that the requirements for transportation were sent to the military. The spokesman said he had no cost figures.
Another reason for 10 choppers, the spokesman said, is that the president refuses to ride on any of India's helicopters, mainly the rickety Soviet-made Mi-8 Hip and other Russian helicopters that make up the main rotary-wing aircraft of the Indian military.
Slow response
The State Department and White House National Security Council have settled a squabble over what type of jet to buy for an anti-terrorism, crisis-response team.
The State side won, convincing the administration to buy a new Boeing 757 instead of the NSC-coveted wide-body transport.
For the interagency anti-terrorism experts who make up the team, that's the good news.
The bad news is the $73 million needed to buy the customized 757 is tucked inside (cont)
worldnetdaily.com |
