US denies ‘foreknowledge’ of Asian tsunami 08-01-2005
Staff Report
Washington: The State Department denied on Friday that it had “foreknowledge” of the tsunami, but withheld it from South Asian countries, while warning the US base at Diego Garcia, thereby preventing damage to it.
It also denied that the tsunami was caused by underground nuclear tests, saying these allegations were utterly false and fell in the category of “misinformation.”
The State Department official explained that as far as the allegation that the US base at Diego Garcia escaped damage because it was forewarned was concerned, the facts are that the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Detachment on Diego Garcia received the bulletin sent by the PTWC because, as part of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet command structure, the Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia routinely receives these warnings, even though it is located in the Indian Ocean. There was no significant damage to the facilities at Diego Garcia, not because of the PTWC bulletin, but because of favourable ocean topography and the location of military facilities on the atoll.
He pointed out that Diego Garcia is located west of the Chagos Trench, which plunges to depths of more than 5,000 metres – one of the deepest areas of the Indian Ocean. The depth of the trench and the grade to the shores of the atoll does not allow tsunamis to build up to great height in that area. As a result, the tsunami manifest itself on Diego Garcia as a tidal surge estimated at less than two metres. Most US military facilities are situated on the northwest portion of the horseshoe-shaped atoll. The tsunami, approaching from the east, hit the uninhabited eastern arm of the horseshoe, causing some beach erosion and minor debris build-up, but no significant damage to military facilities.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_8-1-2005_pg7_49
Oh dear, these Americans are always upto no good… always brining misery to the world. Why?
