US aircraft carrier Truman crosses Atlantic after threats to Syria
USS ‘Harry S. Truman’ is crossing the Atlantic after leaving the US east coast following last week’s drills. The movement of the carrier, used during the Middle East mission in April, comes in the wake of US threats to Damascus.
Data provided by the US Naval Institute (USNI) on Monday showed the ship in the Atlantic roughly over 1,000km west of Ireland’s southern coast.
The previous position of the ship reported by the USNI the week before was not far from the US east coast. The aircraft carrier group with 6,500 sailors left its base in Norfolk and took part in “sustainment operations and carrier qualifications in the Atlantic” just over a week ago.
The warship’s Atlantic exercise comes after the White House warned earlier this month that it would respond “swiftly and appropriately” if the Syrian government used chemical weapons in its fight to secure Idlib.
That warning echoed an earlier vow by US National Security Advisor John Bolton that the US would “respond very strongly” if Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons “again.” That comment came after the US and its allies accused Syria of being behind an alleged chemical weapons attack in the town of Douma in April. The US, UK, and France launched joint missile strikes on Syrian targets in response. Russia, however, insists the alleged attack was staged by the rebel-linked White Helmets.
The journey of USS ‘Harry S. Truman’ comes after a trip to the Middle East in April, shortly after the US first pointed the finger at Damascus for the alleged chemical attack in Douma.
The US Navy touts the USS ‘Harry S. Truman’ as the “finest aircraft carrier in the fleet,” stating that it has a wide range of mission capabilities, including maritime security operations, crisis response and counter-terrorism operations.
Like this story? Share it with a friend!
