US Marines plan force in Honduras for hurricane season [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

US Marines plan force in Honduras for hurricane season
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2015

The United States wants to deploy a force of about 250 Marines to Honduras to provide humanitarian help during the region's hurricane season, officials said Friday.

Honduran officials are weighing the proposed task force, which would operate out of Palmerola air base from June to November.The contingent also would assist Central American forces on efforts to counter narcotics trafficking.

"We have requested that the Marines be present in Honduras from June through November 2015, during hurricane season, to support Honduras and other countries in the region in the event of a hurricane or other major disaster," the US embassy in Tegucigalpa said in a statement.

Pentagon officials insisted the proposal would not involve the permanent deployment of US troops, a sensitive political issue in a region where American forces historically sided with authoritarian regimes. "It's only on a temporary basis," said Captain Armando Daviu, public affairs officer for US Marine Forces South. "It's set up to be a quick response emergency force."

More:
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/US_Marines_plan_force_in_Honduras_for_hurricane_season_999.html