US Navy ships move closer to Myanmar, ready to help if asked: commander
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Three U.S. Navy ships are sailing toward Myanmar, ready to deliver aid to cyclone victims if the country's military rulers allow it, a top American commander said Monday.
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AP - Tuesday, May 13
The vessels, which have helicopters on board, were currently in the Bay of Bengal, said Vice Admiral Doug Crowder.
"We have three of our amphibious ships that are part of the 7th fleet that are headed that way right now," Crowder told reporters in Jakarta. He said the ships "could provide quite a bit of relief if we are allowed to do so by the current government."
The May. 3 cyclone killed or left missing more than 60,000 people with up to 2 million others facing disease and starvation, but Myanmar's isolationist leaders are not fully cooperating with international relief agencies and governments that want to provide aid.
Helicopters from U.S. ships moored off the coast of Aceh following the 2004 Asian tsunami delivered tons of water and other assistance to isolated communities. The swift response there was credited with helping saving tens of thousands of lives.
Crowder, who commanded the tsunami relief effort, came to the Indonesian capital on board the USS Blue Ridge, the amphibious command ship of the U.S. 7th Fleet. The ship was on a port visit to the city.