Gates: Ships could soon leave Myanmar coast

[unhappycamper]

Gates: Ships could soon leave Myanmar coast
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jun 1, 2008 13:37:19 EDT

SINGAPORE — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday he will make a decision within “a matter of days” to withdraw Navy ships from the coast of Myanmar, because “it’s becoming pretty clear the regime is not going to let us help.”

As a result, he said many more people will die, particularly those in areas that can only be reached by helicopters, such as those sitting idle on the U.S. ships.

Asked if the military junta there is guilty of genocide, Gates said, “I tend to see genocide more as a purposeful elimination of people, this is more akin, in my view, to criminal neglect.”

Speaking to reporters at the close of an international security conference here, Gates said the Myanmar representative at the forum did not seem interested in speaking with him. But, he said “it was interesting to watch as minister after minister described their respective unhappiness at their inability to get assistance in to Burma.”

It was particularly pointed, he said, since Chinese officials thanked other countries for the help provided after the earthquake in China.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_myanmar_060108/