The U.S. Navy has begun to vacate its facilities in Bahrain, diplomatic sources said. However a statement by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command denied that an evacuation was underway.
Bahrain has been the headquarters of US naval activity in the Gulf since 1948, with the fifth fleet's area of responsibility covering the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, parts of the Indian Ocean and several important shipping lanes. During the 1991 Gulf war US and Bahraini aircraft flew thousands of sorties against Iraq. At the start of the Afghanistan war Bahrain provided extensive basing and overflight clearances for US aircraft, and the Bahrain monetary agency moved quickly to restrict funds controlled by suspected terrorists.
