DOHA,
Qatar (CNN) -- A coalition team of Australian and British
navy divers aided by specially-trained dolphins have completed
work to clear mines from sea lanes around the Iraqi port
of Umm Qasr, opening the way for humanitarian aid shipments,
military officials say.
The
first shipment of much-needed food and medical aid is
expected to dock in the port as early as Thursday.
The
two dolphins aiding the mine-clearing effort came from
a U.S. Navy facility in San Diego, California and were
flown into Umm Qasr by helicopter earlier this week.
Their
handlers say they have been trained using their natural
sonar abilities to locate and mark submerged mines.
The
dolphins, Atlantic bottle-noses named Makai and Tacoma,
carry fin-mounted sensors which record their response
to underwater targets enabling their handlers to pinpoint
the location of suspected mines.
Officials
say the dolphins are taught to keep a safe distance from
the mines and face little risk in carrying out their duties.
Umm
Qasr is Iraq's only deepwater seaport and, until it was
closed by the threat of war, was the main entry point
for food and other aid under the United Nation's "Oil
For Food" program.
An
estimated two-thirds of Iraqis relied on the food delivered
under the U.N. deal for their daily needs.
Amid
warnings of a looming humanitarian crisis, coalition forces
are under pressure to deliver on promises from U.S. President
George W. Bush to provide "massive amounts"
of aid to the Iraqi people. (Aid shipments)
On
Wednesday seven aid trucks arrived in Umm Qasr bringing
with them about 12 tons of food, medical supplies and
other goods.
The
trucks, which had been held up at the Kuwaiti border,
were finally allowed to cross into Iraq Wednesday after
coalition forces confirmed they had secured the city.
They
are expected to be followed as early as Thursday by the
arrival of Britain's H.M.S. Sir Galahad, carrying tons
of items such as food, blankets, clean water, medicine
and plastic sheeting.
The
shipment will be the first crucial step toward transforming
what has become a battlefield back into a working port.
However,
aid agencies say that with war likely to drag on for several
weeks if not months, coalition forces will have to work
extremely quickly to open aid routes or face a humanitarian
crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
©
2003 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
Reprinted from http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/26/sprj.irq.ummqasr/index.html
