US Navy in Portland - Beware!!

[Guest]

I found a little article among the front pages of the latest edition of MBY about the presence of the US Navy in Portland Harbour at some point this summer, which I found disticntly worrying; I wonder how many others share my concern?

A number of heavy transport ships were anchored there for some time and it was said they were very twitchy about the presence of small boats around the area and were issuing warnings over the radio to stay at least 400 yards away. Twitchy about small boats -- what do they expect at the height of the season on a very popular stretch of coast??!!

The article goes on further to say that, as the US found the location such a good potential base for their ships, they were exploring the possibility of establishing a more permanent presence there. However, they did not like the idea of small private craft sailing around the area -- (perhaps they thought they might be enjoying themselves!!) -- particularly motor boats. Such is their obvious paranoia about security it is said they might seek a very wide exclusion zone for their protection and "peace of mind".

Concern about security I can sympathise with after 9/11, but their attitude now goes way beyond that. Any moves to restrict the navigation of craft around the Weymouth Bay area or any other, beyond what might be reasonably expected in the vicinity of a naval base, must be very strongly contested. Apparently they have already imposed such restrictions in their own waters, with severe penalties for those who stray into closed areas. If they want to behave in such a bullying and intimidating manner, let them confine it to the other side of the Pond and not try and impose their own problems on the rest of us. If Portland is too busy for them, they should go find somewhere else more remote.

If the US is so keen on upholding the principles of "freedom and democracy", they need to remember that they are but only visitors to our shores and have no right to impose their own rules and regulations in our own territorial waters -- that can only be done by an Act of our own elected Parliament. So leave us alone Uncle Sam, stay out of our hair and sort your own problems out in your own back yard!

................ am I alone in this and worrying needlessly - or is there a silent majority out there?!


JR

 

[Joe_Cole]

How many Brits died on 9/11?

It's just an American problem for them to sort out in their own backyard?

I'll welcome them in Portland and happily put up with a bit of inconvenience.

Joe

 

[chippie]

The 'Champions of democracy' are bullying others yet again.

 

[mtb]

Re: very true

What about the uproar when HMP moved in , Portland has to move with the times as it has through the ages.
Cheers
Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler or tug v, cheap or swap for tug

 

[Guest]

We must not be like the Gibs !

I seem to remember not too long ago when they kicked up a big fuss about allowing one of our nuclear warships into their harbour. They want to be British - but only when it suits them !

I can understand your concerns but many of us Brits trust the yanks before most of Europe and the old Commonwealth ( do the ozbods now allow our nuclear warships ?).

I think 400 yards is reasonable providing they are far enough out. We have to make sacrifices to enjoy freedom. It is very common in the Med to see these supply vessels anchored just offshore. There seems to be very little trouble.

 

[LadyInBed]

I hope they paid their Harbour Dues to Portland Ports Ltd. as the harbour has been a private concern for a few years now.

 

[byron]

Now! If you were them would you want boats (unknown boat = unknown threat - unknown motorboat = even bigger threat) coming close to your ships?
Paranoia? Not at all, these are sensible security measures.
You have the whole of Weymouth Bay, what's wrong with even a two mile exclusion zone around theirs (and our) vessels? As far as your myopic "Yanks go home" stance and your final remark about sorting their own problems out attitude is concerned... this is beneath my contempt.


<font color=red> ô¿ô</font color=red>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.freeware.mcmail.com/435.htm>http://www.freeware.mcmail.com/435.htm</A>

 

[Guest]

Sorry if our ships are being an inconvenience....seriously.

And yes, the restrictions are imposed here in the US and very much enforced. Rather serious penalties for violations.

Their concern is for an attack similar to the one on the USS Cole while in Yemen.

I can tell you that if your government has ok'd or endorsed the "security zones"...please don't test the theory. Even here in the states there are reports of people not abiding by the zones and finding themselves looking down the barrels of twin 50's and a Coast Guard Cutter bearing down on them quickly with deck guns manned. Thus far no-one has been fired upon, and hopefully no-one will be......

Hopefully these ships and the security zone will not be too much of an inconvenience to you and your comings and goings. Unfortunately the happenings on 9/11, the attack on the USS Cole and the continued threats against the US and other western nations....including Great Britain have our people as well as many Englishmen on "edge".

I pray that the situation will be swiftly resolved so that none of us has to spend time worrying about what may or may not happen in the future, near or far.

Reality is the cause of all stress!!

 

[graham]

The US has to protect its ships and crew from attack for reasons all to obvious.

I would have thought a floating barrier of some sort could be rigged around the ships to prevent a suicide motorboat attack.

Or is that too simple a solution?

 

[aztec]

in addition... we understood and accepted the need to "ground" all aircraft following 9/11. although this may have infringed on the "human rights" of the microlight owner operator. no one tested that (i wonder why???)

it is quite obvious that any military site or vehicle is a potential "target" take the

 

[aztec]

in addition... we understood and accepted the need to "ground" all aircraft following 9/11. although this may have infringed on the "human rights" of the microlight owner operator. no one tested that (i wonder why???)

it is quite obvious that any military site or vehicle is a potential "target" take the

 

[aztec]

in addition... we understood and accepted the need to "ground" all aircraft following 9/11. although this may have infringed on the "human rights" of the microlight owner/operator. no one tested that (i wonder why???)

it is quite obvious that any military site or vehicle is a potential "target" take the what if senario?

how would we feel? how could it possibly happen? sometimes we get US SEAL teams visit... go moor alongside them.. see what happens? and as my mum used to say "don't come running to me!"

PS could we have some cheaper petrol please?

 

[Iota]

If they come and only if then it will have been agreed by the two governments. Security in Portland Harbour will be fronted by MoD police and assisted by any other forces they feel necessary to call up on. It is likely that US Navy will only be allowed to open fire in UK Territorial Waters as a last resort when one of their vessels is directly threatened and the threat is not being handled by UK personel, so what is bad about that, would you like to close Lakenheath and the restricted air space. Restriction zones are likely to be agreed with what is reasonable for the conditions they are in. Portsmouth Harbour regularly hosts US warships and other than more visible security the impact on leisure craft is negilible.



Courtesy is an iota but makes the world go round

 

[hillyarder]

Royal Navy

Don't we already have a navy?

 

[bob_tyler]

Re: Royal Navy

Not really since Blair & Brown cut it back!!

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't rely on it. Like other US forces in the UK, they would not be subject to UK law, so if pananoia got the better of them - no recourse.

Dont see why we need them here anyway. Surely our biggest security risk is the large Muslim population we have. After all, Sept 11th, like the current Bali bomb, was the work of Muslim extremists withan anti Western anti Christian agenda.

Germ warfare and even an atomic bomb are much more likely to be delivered to the UK in a container, and used by some suicide fanatic. We cant keep out either asylum keepers or drug and cigarette smugglers so what price border security against a terrorist threat.

As ever, the MoD equips to fight the last war not the next!

 

[numenius]

Mmm - you can hardly blame them about being nervous - a VERY easy way for a terrorist group to attack them. However, it seems U.S concern about terrorism only works one way - Noraid and similar IRA funding bodies are STILL allowed to raise funds in the U.S (this seems to be conveniently forgotten by our press/MPs) - they were proscribed some time ago, but where then removed form the proscribed list! I find it very very odd - surely when this first kicked off it was the first thing Mr Blair should have pointed out - seems a one way partnership to me. So to demand this in OUR waters 9whilst entirely sensible) is breathtakinlgy hypocritical - still, after all, the IRA only threatens British and Irish lives- clearly of lesser value!

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[Guest]

Please take note that very very few Americans give money to the IRA or Sin Fein (sp). I like the vast majority of Americans consider the IRA to be nothing less than terrorists and we do not support them monetarily or philosophically. I was also raised as a Roman Catholic, but I do not support any group of terrorists.

I think the statement that British lives are less important is a bit self-diminishing and altogether erroneous.

There might be some irishmen here who support the IRA's terror.....but thats about as far as it does go. And since the irish here are very much a "minority" they hardly speak for the balance of us......... I can only add that it is a tragic shame that the killing has gone on so long in Northern Ireland...... It needs to be stopped and stopped permanently....and I do wish that I or someone else had the answer.

Reality is the cause of all stress!!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Morgan33OI on 13/10/2002 22:21 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[kgi]

Don't be suprised if the US navy takes the law into its own hands, the US marines did at upper Heyford in Oxfordshire, (its where they keep the F111s) they shut the main road and were doing car searches, all the while they were armed. It would be best if they want a nice secure base to goto Scapa Flow, then they can take potshots at seals that get to close........on the other hand it could be the start of a pre-emptive strike!!!!!!!!!

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: MOD Plod

No MOD Plod based in PH now since it was privateised.

Some years back, when I had my mooring in PH, I was heading for the SE exit and passed within about 500mtrs of a big grey jobby. He must have been doing some EMC checks or the like, as he wiped all the waypoints out of my Decca.
I was not best pleased, and now give them a V wide berth.