Report: USS Nimitz re-routed for possible Syria action; Relatives of those on board ask for prayers

misstripleem | 10:02 PM on September 01, 2013

https://twitter.com/kzabethski/status/372936359851220992

Exclusive: USS Nimitz carrier group rerouted for possible help with Syria http://t.co/gWVeBm4TLN

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) September 2, 2013

Reuters has the scoop:

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited U.S. strike on Syria, if needed, defense officials said on Sunday.

The Nimitz carrier strike group, which includes four destroyers and a cruiser, has no specific orders to move to the eastern Mediterranean at this point, but is moving west in the Arabian Sea so it can do so if asked.

“It’s about leveraging the assets to have them in place should the capabilities of the carrier strike group and the presence be needed,” said the official.

“We try to reduce the physics of time and space so we can be as ready as possible should we be needed,” said a second official, cautioning that decisions about ship positioning in the Mediterranean were still being finalized.

Whelp, Syria and Assad have another heads-up.

Pentagon throwing more resource at #Syria. Now aircraft carrier USS Nimitz & associated strike group re-routed. http://t.co/yozqTkUPGQ

— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) September 2, 2013