| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| U.S. no longer confirms navy ships headed for Poti |
| 2008-08-26 |
| The U.S. embassy in Tbilisi on Tuesday retracted a statement saying a U.S. destroyer and another ship were headed for the Georgian port city of Poti, where Russian forces are deployed. "We cannot now confirm that U.S. ships will be travelling to Poti," embassy spokesman Stephen Guice said. Guice had earlier said the USS McFaul, a destroyer, and another U.S. ship, the Dallas coast guard cutter, were to arrive Wednesday in the strategic Black Sea port. Russian forces have carried out patrols in Poti after the bulk of Moscow's forces withdrew from Georgia last Friday. Moscow says it has the right under a French-brokered deal to maintain an "area of responsibility" far into the country's territory, including in and around Poti. The McFaul arrived at the port city of Batumi on Sunday as the first of three U.S. ships that are to carry thousands of blankets, hygiene kits, baby food and infant care supplies to Georgia. "At the request of the Georgian government, they will be delivering humanitarian aid to Poti," Guice had earlier said. Asked about the presence of Russian soldiers in Poti, Guice had said: "We are not trying to provoke anything, but we are willing to go wherever to deliver humanitarian aid." Russia has accused NATO countries of using humanitarian aid as cover for a build-up of naval forces in the Black Sea in the wake of the conflict. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #7 show the USS McFaul (DDG 74) with the Georgian Flag at the Bow ... this puzzles me can anyone explain? Thanks. Normally when not underway, the Union Jack (and now the First Navy Jack for the duration) is flown from the jack (bow) staff. The ensign (US Flag) is flown at the stern. The Georgian flag is being flown at the jackstaff as both a courtesy, and as a very pointed message. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-08-26 22:41 |
| #6 courtesy and decorum....some lack that virtue |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-08-26 21:51 |
| #5 http://flagspot.net/flags/xf-cour.html |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-26 21:19 |
| #4 Thanks for the answer, but still here in the US at a great lakes seaport for foreign vessels loading grain, they still usually wear their own flag.. again though, thanks for the answer. |
| Posted by: Linker 2008-08-26 21:00 |
| #3 Courtesy Flags When you visit foreign water, your boat should display a courtesy flag (the civil ensign of the country you are visiting) whenever your U.S. national ensign (the USPS ensign or the yacht ensign should not be displayed in foreign waters) is displayed. (The USPS ensign and U.S. yacht ensign should not be worn in foreign waters) If your vessel is mastless, it should wear this "courtesy flag" at the bow, in lieu of a squadron or club burgee, or on a starboard antenna strong enough to support it. It your vessel has one or more masts, display it single-hoisted at the outboard signal halyard of the main starboard spreader. Move any flag normally flown there to the inboard starboard halyard or, if your boat has only one halyard per side, to the port spreader halyard. The customs observed in various foreign waters differ from one another. Try to learn the correct procedure for the country you are entering. For example, is some countries it is customary to fly the courtesy flag only after the quarantine flag (the yellow 'Q' flag) and the vessel has been granted pratique by the appropriate authorities. Do not fly a foreign courtesy flag after you have returned to U.S. waters. It is not to be used as a badge of accomplishment for having cruised to another country. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-26 20:48 |
| #2 Hi I was wondering if anyone can answer this question regarding these photos linked above, I live in a major port with foreign vessels and we are used to local captains boarding the ships and bringing them in ... but they usually do not change their flag to the destination port flag. In the pictures mentioned frames .. 080824-6483G-N-004 and 080824-6483G-N-003 show the USS McFaul (DDG 74) with the Georgian Flag at the Bow ... this puzzles me can anyone explain? Thanks. |
| Posted by: Linker 2008-08-26 20:32 |
| #1 Pictures of the USS McFaul in the Georgian port of Batumi. From Chuck Simmins |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-08-26 16:13 |