By Gordon French
Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent
Email: gordon@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The US is preparing to deploy a naval vessel, the USS Carney in the Eastern Caribbean Sea for several weeks, US Embassy officials in Guyana said on Thursday. Embassy Spokesman, Niles Cole dispelled claims that the ship was part of an operation to stem the growing popularity of Venezuela in the Latin/Caribbean Region.

The USS Carney

According to the Embassy, the 505-foot vessel will be deployed to areas where the US Southern Command has responsibility to support commitments to engage with regional partners to support hemispheric stability, security and regional prosperity.

While in the region, the ship will make port calls at Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Martinique and Trinidad and Tobago.

The USS Carney will also conduct Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) events ashore which include military-to-military exchanges, multi-national exercises and training, diplomatic port visits, and community relations activities.

The US said the ship could be assigned a variety of missions during this deployment, which include routine patrolling of Caribbean waters, support to counter-narco trafficking operations, which remains a major concern to the Region.

The USS Carney is a destroyer with multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. It can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups.

“This mission to the Eastern Caribbean has been planned for sometime. In fact we have had US Navy ships visit the region routinely,” Cole said.

US President, George W. Bush faced sharp criticisms during his visit to five Latin American countries to sell his mission of free-trade, democracy and cooperation with Washington.