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Two U.S. warships have entered Egypt's Suez Canal as they head to the Mediterranean Sea, closer to Libya.
The amphibious assault ships, USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, came from the Red Sea and entered the canal this morning, two Egyptian officials told The Associated Press.
The ships are being repositioned closer to the Libyan coast on orders from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. On Tuesday, Gates ordered the ships to the region and is dispatching 400 Marines to them to replace troops that recently departed for Afghanistan.
Libya is undergoing a rebellion against Col. Moammar Gadhafi's 41-year rule, and repositioning the ships is seen as a symbolic display of U.S. force. The ships are being moved ahead of possible humanitarian efforts, Reuters said. But the White House said it "was not taking any options off the table," the news agency said, meaning military action is still possible.
However, Gates on Tuesday played down the likelihood of U.S. military action to enforce a possible no-fly zone over Libya that would prevent Gadhafi's air force from bombing the rebels.
AOL
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