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US Navy teams authorized to respond to threats: navy chief
2008-03-25
The leader of a US Navy security team had authority to respond when small boats ignored warnings and approached a chartered merchant ship awaiting passage through the Suez Canal, the navy's chief said Tuesday. Admiral Gary Roughead, the chief of US Navy operations, said the incident was under investigation but he said the navy had no information to support Eyptian allegations that one person was killed and two others injured by shots fired. The US Navy security team aboard the vessel "went through the steps used to determine or attempt to determine intent," he told reporters. "In the judgement of the on scene commander, the responses were such that led to the warning shots. Warning shots were fired," he said. Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Global Patriot was approached by several boats late Monday as it was preparing to make a northbound passage through the canal. One of the boats failed to heed warnings not to come closer and continued to approach, prompting the security team to fire warning shots, he said. "My understanding from the reporting is that they believe the warning shots to be well in front of the vessel, and that this was precision-observed fire," Whitman said. He said no casualties were reported. Roughead said the navy commonly places security detachments aboard merchant vessels chartered by the US Military Sealift Command to move military cargo around the world. "We vest in them a great deal of authority, we trust their judgement. At the same time we provide some pretty extensive training, and simulation and scenarios to allow them to practice this. "But when something like this takes place it is the judgement of the individual on scene ... that makes the decision. We'll see how the facts shape out on this," he said.
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