Exclusive: USS Nimitz carrier group rerouted for possible help with Syria

[The Straight Story]

(Reuters) - The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited U.S. strike on Syria, if needed, defense officials said on Sunday.

The Nimitz carrier strike group, which includes four destroyers and a cruiser, has no specific orders to move to the eastern Mediterranean at this point, but is moving west in the Arabian Sea so it can do so if asked. It was not immediately clear when the ships would enter the Red Sea, but they had not arrived by Sunday evening, said one official.

"It's about leveraging the assets to have them in place should the capabilities of the carrier strike group and the presence be needed," said the official.

President Barack Obama on Saturday delayed imminent cruise missile strikes by five destroyers off the coast of Syria, and sought approval from Congress, a move that effectively put any strike on hold for at least nine days.

The delay gives military planners more time to reassess which ships and other weapons will be kept in the region - and which may be swapped out - before the U.S. military launches what defense officials say is still intended to be a limited and narrowly targeted attack on Syria.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/01/us-syria-crisis-carrier-idUSBRE9800IT20130901?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=992637

[bluestate10]

1. I have been thinking that an aircraft carrier group was going to get involved in this

situation. Syria will be attacked by aircraft, but my sense is that the attack will be highly unconventional and will herald in new form of warfare. The world will likely see the true advent of Drone warfare as a new unmanned attack planes will take down Syrian air defenses and it's manned Air Force. This warfare encounter will be a perfect situation for the Navy and US Air force to prove in planes that have been in development for some time and which have shown advanced capability. I for one hope that war doesn't happen, but with a Syrian dictator bragging and a US President with his back against a wall, I think warfare is the most likely outcome at this time.