21 April 2006
Naval Officers on board the visiting United States Naval War Ship USS Carr said there "is no threat to the Liberian territorial waters." The American naval ship was here in the Liberia's territorial waters for what crew members called "normal security operations" in the Sub-Region.
Executive Officer, George Bailey told reporters on the board the ship that its primary objective is to guide American submarines, and that the second objective is to provide "close-in-protection" for ships that have no protection capacity in both territorial and international waters.
This is the second American War Ship to have come in Liberia's territorial waters in less than three months.
USS Wellman, a commanding control ship which authorities said has the ability to provide information communication pathways was in the Liberian territorial waters late last year.
Officer Bailey said the ship was here with the consent of the Ministry of Defense of Liberia to help provide some information on things that are taking place "in the territorial sea around Liberia" and some other things being noticed.
He named some of the things as "fishing and other things that are taken away from the Liberian economy." "So we are just patrolling off the West Coast and visiting a number of countries around the region and monitoring in the high sea who is actually in the economic exclusive zones," he said.
"It does not mean that anything bad is happening but maybe some one wants to take something that should not be off," said Executive Officer George Bailey.
According to Officer Bailey, they came down to look at the different things in the water as they go through, adding "We help provide security and break whatever economic threats there may be." He was tightlipped when asked whether they noticed any security threat to the country since their arrival in the territorial domains, but noted "We have seen a dawn in the political arrangement, and we have not seen anything that is bad or threatening." He was also tightlipped when asked whether they have plans to assist the Liberian security forces.
"Unfortunately, this is something that I cannot commit on because it has be worked out with the Liberian Ministry of Defense with our Defense Department." He said they are looking at possibilities to engage in community development projects such as schools or hospital construction.
The visit of the USS Carr is the beginning of more USS Navy ships coming to Liberia, and the horn of Africa, he said.
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