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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bela_ghoulashi who wrote (193892)	10/19/2001 9:15:03 PM
From: DOUG H	Respond to of 769667

U.S. Ground Troops Fight in Afghanistan WASHINGTON — A group of about 100 U.S. commandos engaged in a ground battle in southern Afghanistan, Fox News has learned. An anonymous defense official confirmed the fighting but would not disclose size or location of the troops. A senior White House official refused to comment on the operation or on whether the President would make a statement in the near future. Earlier on Friday, U.S. military officials said that a handful of special forces were in Afghanistan searching for Taliban targets to strike and that action there could increase significantly in the coming days. For the first time, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the U.S. military is coordinating with anti-Taliban forces on the ground, providing food, ammunition and money. "There is good coordination from the air with the ground in some places, particularly in the north," Rumsfeld told reporters traveling with him to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. "There is not that kind of coordination as of yet in the south." A U.S. official said separately that U.S. special forces were supporting intelligence efforts to undermine the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said military action could increase markedly in coming days. A Pakistani official, also not wanting to be identified, said Pakistan was told by the Americans that special forces were dropped into Taliban territory on Thursday. "Their basic purpose will not be to seize anything, but to conduct hit-and-run operations, pinpoint installations, smoke out terrorists," said the Pakistani military official. The official said U.S. forces have also been in anti-Taliban northern alliance territory of Afghanistan for more than one week. Rumsfeld would not confirm that special operations forces were in Afghanistan. "Any ground forces are in harm's way," he told reporters on the way to talk with B-2 bomber crews at the Missouri Air Force base. The Pentagon chief didn't provide details of U.S. support for the northern alliance rebels and other anti-Taliban groups. Gaining the support of anti-Taliban fighters across Afghanistan will help the U.S. meet its goal of rooting out Al Qaeda and toppling the Taliban, Rumsfeld said. "It is going to be a lot easier, in my view, to try to persuade a number of them to oppose the Taliban and oppose Al Qaeda and to help defeat them, than it is, in fact, to defeat" the terrorists, he said. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said three teams are on the ground — two teams working with indigenous forces in southern Afghanistan and a third "search and destroy" team south of Kabul. The teams usually consist of about 12 soldiers. Defense officials said some special forces are on the USS Kitty Hawk, which is being used as a secure, floating base. A Taliban official said his side wasn't afraid. "Fifteen or 20 troops will be able to do nothing," embassy spokesman Sohail Shaheen said. "If they want to send in soldiers, they should send in 100,000. Then it can be a fight between our soldiers and theirs." At the Pentagon, Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem, deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference he would not comment on any aspect of ground operations. "If or when they are on the ground, being there would make them the most vulnerable individuals engaged in this campaign," he said. Reviewing Thursday's bombing, Stufflebeem said more than 90 strike aircraft went after 18 planned targets, including an array of airfields, air defense facilities, ammunition depots and military training sites. Three Air Force C-17 cargo planes dropped humanitarian rations inside Afghanistan, he said. Rumsfeld hinted at the new phase Thursday, when he said ground forces would be needed to rid Afghanistan of Usama bin Laden, the terrorist group Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, Rumsfeld said "there are things you can find from the air," including clusters of enemy troops and weaponry. "But you cannot really do sufficient damage" with air power alone, Rumsfeld said. Warplanes "can't crawl around on the ground and find people," he told reporters in an apparent reference to U.S. special operations forces trained to conduct clandestine warfare. President Bush refused to confirm the report of ground forces, but said, "We will use whatever means are necessary to achieve our objective." Vice President Cheney said Thursday night that the airstrikes against terrorist camps and military targets since Oct. 7 have made possible this new phase of the war. "The success of our air campaign has cleared the way for further action which the Taliban and terrorists can neither predict nor escape," he said in New York. "It is important to realize that the military aspect will not always be so visible," Cheney said. "There will be times when we can watch a videotape of guided munitions finding their targets. Other successes will come from covert operations that are not seen or heard beyond a very small circle." Signs that special forces were ready to go or might already be inside Afghanistan have been building all week. The USS Kitty Hawk was loaded with special forces last weekend. And an Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship began attacking in southern Afghanistan on Monday. The high-firepower AC-130s typically give close air cover to forces already on the ground or going in for small-unit operations. Rumsfeld planned to fly to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., on Friday to honor B-2 stealth bomber crews and support teams operating over Afghanistan. The $1.3 billion bombers have flown the longest sorties in history: 44-hour missions from Whiteman to Afghanistan and then to a recovery base in the Indian Ocean. "We're grateful for their courage, their sacrifice, and I look forward to having a chance to thank some of them," Rumsfeld said. Fox News' Jim Angle and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

To: bela_ghoulashi who wrote (193892)	10/19/2001 9:21:55 PM
From: rich4eagle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Well Actually the F-18 Program was started when Ford/Carter was President and the Nimitz class carriers were started before that. But mind you they all still work after eight years of Clinton despite what your stupid rhetoric portrays

To: bela_ghoulashi who wrote (193892)	10/19/2001 11:48:01 PM
From: D.Austin	Respond to of 769667

The ship was commissioned May 3, 1975, at Pier 12, Naval Station Norfolk, Va. by the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States. navy.mil navy.mil USS Nimitz has answered its country's call many times in response to regional and international crises. In doing so, the aircraft carrier has secured a prominent place in history, just like her namesake, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. The keel of USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was laid on June 22, 1968 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. It was destined to become the largest warship ever. The ship was commissioned May 3, 1975, at Pier 12, Naval Station Norfolk, Va. by the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States. Principal guests included: the Honorable James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense; the Honorable J. William Middendorf, II, Secretary of the Navy; Admiral James L. Holloway, III, Chief of Naval Operations and Mrs. James T. Nimitz-Lay, Ship's Sponsor. Speaking to a crowd of over 20,000, the President said in his remarks: "Wherever the United States Ship Nimitz shows her flag, she will be seen as we see her now - a solid symbol of United States strength; United States resolve. Made in America and manned by Americans. Whether its mission is one of defense, diplomacy or humanity, Nimitz will command awe and admiration from some, caution and circumspection from others and respect from all." Today's crew stands ready, as did the commissioning crew, to answer their nation's call and take their place in America's maritime heritage. Nimitz' first deployment began on July 7, 1976 when it departed Norfolk for the Mediterranean. Included in the task force were the nuclear-powered cruisers USS South Carolina and USS California. The deployment marked the first time in 10 years that nuclear-powered ships had deployed to the Mediterranean. In November 1976, Nimitz was awarded the coveted Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet, for being the most efficient and foremost aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. The ship returned to Norfolk Feb. 7, 1977 after a seven-month deployment. Nimitz again sailed toward the Mediterranean Sea Dec. 1, 1977. Following a peaceful deployment, the ship returned home to Norfolk July 20, 1978. During Nimitz' third cruise to the Mediterranean beginning Sept. 10, 1979, it was dispatched to strengthen the U.S. Naval presence in the crucial Indian Ocean area as tensions heightened over Iran's taking of 52 American hostages. Four months later, Operation "Evening Light" was launched from Nimitz in an attempt to rescue the hostages. The rescue was aborted in the Iranian Desert when the number of operational helicopters fell below the minimum needed to transport the attack force and hostages out of Iran. During its deployment, the ship operated 144 continuous days at sea. Nimitz' homecoming on May 26, 1980 was, at the time, the largest given to any carrier battle group returning to the United States since the end of World War II. The ship's crew was greeted by President and Mrs. Carter, members of Congress, military leaders and thousands of families and friends. On May 15, 1981, Nimitz departed Norfolk for the final phases of her workup schedule for an upcoming Mediterranean Cruise. On the night of May 25, an EA-6B Prowler crash-landed on the flight deck, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. The carrier returned to port to repair damaged catapults and returned to sea less than 48 hours later to complete its training schedule. On August 18 and 19, 1981 during its fourth deployment, Nimitz and USS Forrestal conducted an open ocean missile exercise in the Gulf of Sidra near what Libyan leader Khadafi called the "Line of Death." On the morning of August 19, two Nimitz aircraft from VF-41 were fired upon by Libyan pilots. The Nimitz pilots returned fire and shot both Libyan aircraft from the sky. Newspapers across the country rallied around the incident against terrorist-backing Libya with front-page headlines reading "U.S. 2 - Libya 0." On June 14, 1985, two Lebanese Shiite Muslim gunmen hijacked TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers and crew, including many Americans. In response, Nimitz was ordered to steam at flank speed to the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Lebanon, where it remained until August. After another extended deployment, Nimitz left the Mediterranean on May 21, 1987. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean, rounded the rough waters of Cape Horn, South America, and sailed for the first time in the waters of the Pacific Ocean enroute to its new homeport, Bremerton, Wash. Nimitz arrived there July 2, 1987. In September, 1988, the ship operated off the South Korean coast to provide security for the Olympic Games in Seoul. On Oct. 29, 1988 Nimitz began operating in the North Arabian Sea where it participated in Operation "Earnest Will." This operation called for U.S. Navy ships to protect shipping lanes and escort U.S. registered (re-flagged) Kuwaiti tankers. On Feb. 25, 1991, Nimitz departed Bremerton for the Western Pacific and eventually the Arabian Gulf, where it relieved USS Ranger, during Operation Desert Storm. The ship returned to Bremerton Aug. 24, 1991. Nimitz again deployed Feb. 1, 1993 to the Arabian Gulf, relieving USS Kitty Hawk to take its place as part of Operation Southern Watch. The ship returned after a mishap-free deployment in August, 1993. In November, 1995, Nimitz commenced her deployment to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, and to the waters off Taiwan, where once again the presence of carrier forces at sea positively influenced events ashore, calming a volatile standoff between mainland China and Taiwan. On September 1, 1997, Nimitz set out on her latest deployment, an around-the-world cruise that would see the great carrier return to her East Coast roots and begin a multi-year overhaul in the Newport News shipyard where she was built. The around-the-world deployment promised to be an exciting experience with scheduled port visits ranging from the Far East to the Mediterranean Sea; however, Nimitz was ordered into the Arabian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch and various United Nation initiatives. Answering each challenge, Nimitz served on station in the Arabian Gulf throughout the holidays and returned to a celebrated and long anticipated homecoming on March 1, 1998. On May 26, 1998, Nimitz began a mid-life refueling overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. After 37 months in the shipyard, Nimitz is now preparing to transit to its new Pacific coast homeport San Diego, Calif. The ship is conducting an interfleet transit to its homeport in San Diego, Calif. Mobility, flexibility and combat readiness are the primary characteristics which highlight Nimitz and her crew. As the lead ship of the world's most powerful and capable class of warships, Nimitz will long be remembered as our nation's finest instrument of peace, power projection and platform for diplomacy.