US War Ships Leave Port for Possible Deployment in Gulf

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 13, 2003

US War Ships Leave Port for Possible Deployment in Gulf

Two of the seven Virginia-based ships that have received deployment orders in the past week left port Sunday as part of a continued military buildup in the Gulf region, local television reports said.

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Two of the seven Virginia-based ships that have received deployment orders in the past week left port Sunday as part of a continued military buildup in the Gulf region, local television reports said.

The USS Ashland and USS Kearsarge pull away from a Navy pier inVirginia Beach, to be followed by the USS Bataan and USS Portland.Three other ships left port Friday. The seven ships can carry a landing force of more than 8,000 Marines, the reports said.

Meanwhile in Morehead City, North Carolina, the amphibious docklanding ship USS Gunston Hall also set sail.

US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has signed three major deployment orders since Dec. 24 to more than double the 60,000 troops already in the Gulf region by middle to late February.

US President George W. Bush has threatened to use force to oustIraqi President Saddam Hussein, accusing him of developing nuclear,chemical and biological weapons. Iraq denies having such arms.

Pentagon officials said the military buildup in the Gulf aims to provide Bush maximum flexibility to do what he wants to do, insisting that a war is still not inevitable.

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