News

September 7, 2008

U.S. unloads Georgian aid as Russians watch

STEVE GUTTERMAN Associated Press Writer

ABOARD THE USS MOUNT WHITNEY — As nearby Russian forces watched intently, a U.S. Navy ship unloaded 17 tons of humanitarian aid to a strategic Georgian port that was devastated in last month’s war between Russia and Georgia.

A massive Georgian floating crane lifted about 40 pallets stacked with toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers, blankets and other aid off the deck of the USS Mount Whitney, the first Navy ship to travel to Poti since the war.

A tugboat then guided the crane to shore, where trucks waited to take the aid to the central city of Kutaisi, which is still sheltering thousands of displaced people from the fighting in August. Kutaisi is about 56 miles (90 kilometers) from Poti.

Saturday’s delivery completes a series of aid shipments that have demonstrated U.S. support for Georgia and angered Russia.

Russian troops were obviously determined to keep an eye on the American aid delivery.

A Russian warship trailed the Mount Whitney — — the flagship of the U.S. Navy’s Mediterranean fleet — across the Black Sea, U.S. officials said, and Russian military forces onshore — just 3 miles from the ship’s anchorage — kept watch Saturday.

The Kremlin has watched the arrival of the U.S. warships carrying aid to Georgia with deep suspicion. Russian officials say previous U.S. military assistance encouraged Georgia to launch the Aug. 7 offensive against its separatist province of South Ossetia, and allege the U.S. aid shipments could be a cover for weapons deliveries.

U.S. officials have dismissed those accusations.

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