U.S. boosts naval presence near Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has positioned its advanced communications flagship off the coast of Lebanon ahead of a larger mission, an intelligence report says.

U.S. Navy spokesman Lt. Patrick Foughty said the the USS Mount Whitney, a 620-foot command and control flagship for the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet, is in the region "to support additional communications requirements for our ships already underway," Israel's military intelligence reporting service DEBKAfile said Sunday.

The naval destroyer USS Cole and the Nimitz class supercarrier USS Harry Truman patrolled the waters of the Mediterranean near Lebanon last week.

DEBKAfile sites unnamed military observers saying the naval buildup is part of a short, specific U.S. naval operation. Foughty said there are no plans to keep the Mount Whitney near Lebanon for very long.

Lebanon has experienced an outbreak of violence pitting Hezbollah against the western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

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