US President: Aircraft carrier Lincoln to leave Middle East soon, will be replaced by another

Washington, Aug 14 (KUNA) – U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will soon depart the Middle East region in a routine move, while another carrier is being readied to replace it. In remarks to reporters, Trump said, “The Lincoln will be leaving the region soon and will be replaced by another ship very similar to it.” U.S. media reports indicated that the USS George Washington is preparing to head to the Middle East to take the place of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

President Trump dismissed claims that families of military personnel aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are concerned about living conditions on the vessel, which has been deployed to support operations in the Middle East for nearly nine months. He stated, “Those claims are not true; the time the carrier has spent in the region has not actually been long.”

These comments come as Democratic lawmakers are demanding clarification from the U.S. administration regarding the conditions of the carrier’s crew, following concerns raised by families of sailors aboard about deteriorating living conditions and declining mental health during the deployment, which has set a record for the duration of support for military operations against Iran. (End) A.M.M. / H.M.F.