Pentagon, White House at odds over aid to Georgia

[sabra]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — The Bush White House and the Pentagon are at odds over whether to station a Navy ship in the Black Sea to demonstrate U.S. support for the embattled Georgian military and government, two defense officials told McClatchy Tuesday.

The White House thinks that deploying a vessel such as the hospital ship USNS Comfort would showcase the Bush administration's support for Georgia and signal U.S. concern that Russia has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Georgia.

The Pentagon officials, who both spoke only on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss internal policy deliberations, said the move is unnecessary. Last week, the U.S. military sent a 12-member assessment team to determine how much humanitarian aid Georgians need.

...

The Comfort, which is based in Baltimore, could be ready to leave as early as Friday but would take five weeks to arrive, and the two military officials said they believe that air support is sufficient.

"That is all they need right now," one senior defense official said.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/49307.html

[Supersedeas]

1. once again, Bush political hacks not listening to the military--time to give the Pentagon more

of the Shinseke treatment.

[Karenina]

2. I wonder what the people affected by Katrina

make of this news...

[LynnTheDem]

3. There's the word...

"SHOWCASE.