Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
CNN
May 6, 2008 CNN Newsroom, 2:00 PM
BRIANNA KEILAR: From Myanmar, the numbers are mind-numbing. State radio and opposition forces say more than 22,000 people were killed in Friday's cyclone. That has more than double yesterday's count. At least 41,000 may be missing. As many as a million people, if you can imagine that, homeless.
Now, we don't know for sure, since many villages are virtually cut off from the rest of the world. But food, shelter and safe drinking water are urgently needed, and many nations are offering it all. That includes the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our message is to the military rulers, let the United States come and help you, help the people. Our hearts go out to the people of Burma. We want to help them deal with this terrible disaster. At the same time, of course, we want them to live in a free society. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: President Bush mentioned the U.S. Navy was standing by ready to respond. So let's bring in now or senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
This is a really sensitive situation. What might the Navy's role be here realistically, Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE: Well, you know, the U.S. military really sees this as a chance to set aside political differences and show its ability to deliver humanitarian relief.
And the U.S. Navy is uniquely positioned to do that, already having ships in the area, including a couple of aircraft carriers, and the USS Essex strike group. That's an amphibious assault ship that has on board 1,800 Marines aboard several ships, along with 23 helicopters -- 19 of those are capable of lifting and transporting things. And also, three amphibious landing craft that could bring relief supplies ashore.
But the Pentagon says right now all they can do is plan, until they get some sort of formal invitation from the government of Myanmar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We're now working with the State Department and with U.S. Pacific Command to at least begin the planning for a possible humanitarian assistance. But that's all we can do at this point is to plan, because we have not received a request from the Burmese government. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: And it's not clear that that request is going to come, even though the military junta in Myanmar has indicated that it would be open to outside aid.
Right now, those U.S. ships are taking part in an exercise off the coast of Thailand, and they are not moving any closer to Myanmar, we are told by officials at the U.S. Pacific Command, but they would be ready to do that as soon as they get any indication at all that their help would be welcome. We're told it would take anywhere from a couple of days, perhaps as many as three or four days, for the ships to get there, but they do have a tremendous capacity.
That USS Essex, for instance, has hospital facilities on board, it has the ability to generate pure drinking water from ocean water, and of course those 1,800 Marines, if they were able to go ashore, could do all kinds of humanitarian tasks -- Brianna.
KEILAR: All right. Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent. Thanks for that.
May 6, 2008 CNN Newsroom, 2:00 PM
BRIANNA KEILAR: From Myanmar, the numbers are mind-numbing. State radio and opposition forces say more than 22,000 people were killed in Friday's cyclone. That has more than double yesterday's count. At least 41,000 may be missing. As many as a million people, if you can imagine that, homeless.
Now, we don't know for sure, since many villages are virtually cut off from the rest of the world. But food, shelter and safe drinking water are urgently needed, and many nations are offering it all. That includes the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our message is to the military rulers, let the United States come and help you, help the people. Our hearts go out to the people of Burma. We want to help them deal with this terrible disaster. At the same time, of course, we want them to live in a free society. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: President Bush mentioned the U.S. Navy was standing by ready to respond. So let's bring in now or senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
This is a really sensitive situation. What might the Navy's role be here realistically, Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE: Well, you know, the U.S. military really sees this as a chance to set aside political differences and show its ability to deliver humanitarian relief.
And the U.S. Navy is uniquely positioned to do that, already having ships in the area, including a couple of aircraft carriers, and the USS Essex strike group. That's an amphibious assault ship that has on board 1,800 Marines aboard several ships, along with 23 helicopters -- 19 of those are capable of lifting and transporting things. And also, three amphibious landing craft that could bring relief supplies ashore.
But the Pentagon says right now all they can do is plan, until they get some sort of formal invitation from the government of Myanmar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We're now working with the State Department and with U.S. Pacific Command to at least begin the planning for a possible humanitarian assistance. But that's all we can do at this point is to plan, because we have not received a request from the Burmese government. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: And it's not clear that that request is going to come, even though the military junta in Myanmar has indicated that it would be open to outside aid.
Right now, those U.S. ships are taking part in an exercise off the coast of Thailand, and they are not moving any closer to Myanmar, we are told by officials at the U.S. Pacific Command, but they would be ready to do that as soon as they get any indication at all that their help would be welcome. We're told it would take anywhere from a couple of days, perhaps as many as three or four days, for the ships to get there, but they do have a tremendous capacity.
That USS Essex, for instance, has hospital facilities on board, it has the ability to generate pure drinking water from ocean water, and of course those 1,800 Marines, if they were able to go ashore, could do all kinds of humanitarian tasks -- Brianna.
KEILAR: All right. Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent. Thanks for that.