- er zijn de 22 Apache gevechtshelikopters die in juni dit jaar via Antwerpen aan Nederland - samen met Groot Brittannië het enige Europese land dat al heeft verklaard samen met de US ten oorlog te willen trekken - zijn geleverd. Dat noemt logistieke steun leveren aan het oorlogsvervoer naar een land dat in oorlog.
- er zijn de transporten in het Vrasenedok. 
- er zijn de militaire transporten die al langer - in voorbereiding van de Amerikaanse oorlogen - via Antwerpen gebeuren (zie het laden van de Dahl in februari 200).

Agalev en SP.A zijn hiervoor mee verantwoordelijk mijnheer "toetternietoe" (wat hard bewijs betreft kan Uw naam trouwens ook wel tellen). Ofwel omdat ze vioa het kernkabinet hun toelating hebben gegeven, ofwel omdat ze Navo-transporten en Navo-akkoorden via de regering vrijwillig aanvaarden en doen toepassen. Dat is in de pers geweest na onze bezetting van het Antwerps stadhuis. Maar het kan inderdaad nog meer in de pers, daar ben ik het volmondig mee eens.

Als Agalev en SP.A de regeringsleugen lang genoeg blijven herhalen, geloven ze vermoedelijk uiteindelijk zelf dat het waar is. Remember het feodale koningkrijk Nepal.

Peter Mertens,
voorziter PVDA-jongeren


US ARMY EUROPE NEWS RELEASE
March 1, 2000
   


U.S. Army, U.S. Navy load
combat equipment in Belgium

ANTWERP, Belgium - Elements of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy are working together to enhance U.S. military power projection capability. The massive cargo ship, USNS Dahl, roughly the size of an aircraft carrier, will be loaded this week with about 6,800 pieces of combat-ready equipment at the port of Antwerp. 

Capable of carrying an entire U.S. Army Task Force, the Dahl will take on cargo trucks, tractors, trailers, ambulances, utility and construction vehicles, generators, refueling equipment and water purification and storage sets. Once loaded, the ship will eventually be strategically prepositioned in the Indian Ocean.

Combat Equipment Group - Europe, the U.S. Army's Europe-based power projection platform, provided the equipment. Military Traffic Management Command's 838th Transportation Battalion will load the ship.

Dahl belongs to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command and members of its European area command are on-site to coordinate cargo operations.

Loading operations at Antwerp are the culmination of months of work. Early last year, CEG-E elements in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy started maintenance and preservation work to ensure that every last piece is ready to serve soldiers who may one day be called upon to take it into harm's way.

Once repaired and inspected, the items were delivered to the 838th Transportation Battalion, which controls port operations in Antwerp.

Together with members of Combat Equipment Groups - Afloat and Europe, Military Sealift Command - Europe, the 80th Area Support Group, Stanley Associates, and Noord Natie stevedores, they are organizing a safe, efficient staging and loading operation. During the staging and reconfiguration, all equipment will be documented using Worldwide Port System computer software system. This information will be used to develop a sophisticated Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) stow plan. This plan will show the location of each piece of equipment by type aboard the USNS Dahl.

The USNS Dahl and ships of MSC's strategic prepositioning program are a vital part of the U.S. military's ability to project power overseas. Last summer, just two of these Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off, or LMSR, ships moved most of the heavy combat equipment and supplies for U.S. forces in Kosovo. 

Dahl is over 950 ft. in length, displaces about 63,000 tons and can travel at speeds up to 24 knots. The ship has more than 390,000 sq.ft. of cargo space, specifically designed and built for bulky military hardware. There will be 19 of these ships in operation by next year. 

                                                             
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