Singapore Help for Hurricane Harvey Relief Ops

By Massita Ahmad SINGAPORE, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Singapore is to deploy up to four Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) CH-47 Chinook helicopters from its Peace Prairie detachment in Grand Prairie, Texas, to assist the United States in its relief operations in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The offer was conveyed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong when he spoke to US President Donald J. Trump while the latter was en route to Texas, according to a statement from the republic’s Ministry of Defence (Mindef) late Tuesday. “Prime Minister Lee said this is a small gesture to express our appreciation and gratitude to the U.S. and in particular the State of Texas, which have been good hosts for our Peace Prairie detachment,” said the ministry. It added that President Trump thanked Lee and accepted his offer of help. Mindef said the RSAF helicopters will be able to airlift troops and evacuees, as well as transport supplies to where they are needed the most. The Peace Prairie Detachment provided similar assistance after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The first Chinooks are expected to commence relief operations Wednesday, Mindef said. “Spoke to President Donald J. Trump on the phone while he was on Air Force One en route to Texas. I expressed my concern and sympathy over the loss of life and damage caused by Hurricane Harvey,” said Lee earlier in a Facebook post. It was reported that Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is turning out to be one of the worst storms to ever hit the United States, and it is swiftly becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters in US history. Lee noted that both of them also discussed North Korea’s continued and deliberate provocations, including its latest missile launched Tuesday morning which flew over Japan. “We strongly urge North Korea to cease all provocations immediately, and reiterate our long-standing call for North Korea to abide by its international obligations and commitments,” he wrote. Lee looked forward to calling on President Trump in the United States in October. Earlier Tuesday, Singapore had issued a statement condemning the ballistic missile test. “This reckless provocation is in blatant defiance of the international community and severely jeopardises the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. “This test, along with the preceding tests since the start of 2017, is a serious breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions,” said a statement by the republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. -- BERNAMA