Nimitz to leave Indian waters at 10 am Thursday

July 4th, 2007

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, which anchored in waters off this city on July 2, will depart tomorrow.

The USS Pinckney, which also anchored off Chennai port, will leave along with the Nimitz at 10 am tomorrow, said sources in the US consulate here.

The ships are headed back to the Gulf.

The arrival of Nimitz in Indian waters sparked protests by the Left and other political parties and environmentalists, who claimed the warship posed a radiation hazard.

The Left called the Central government “spineless” for allowing the warship “stained with the blood of thousands of innocent people” to anchor in Indian waters.

The Left also staged a protest outside Chennai port on July 2 during which demonstrators burnt a model of the ship with the American flag on it.

Yesterday, hundreds of Muslims, including women in burqas, protested outside the port and demanded that the ship should leave Indian waters immediately.

Members of Nimitz’s crew visited the city and spent time doing community work at various places.