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Guest
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
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
