In The Gulf, Trial Seems Small

The sailors aboard this U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf say the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton are a distant -- and not very distracting -- event.

Crew members of the USS Carl Vinson said Thursday that they were focused on their jobs supporting the U.S. jets flying patrols over southern Iraq.

Lt. Scott Galow, 37, of San Diego, was following the news.

"We are certainly bothered about the leader being impeached," said Galow, who maintains ship-board equipment for the aircraft. "But we are here on a mission, and we are going to follow through with it."

Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Shand said "most of us are focused on our jobs," which can require up to 14 hours of work a day.

That means "we don't have time to follow the impeachment," said Shand, 38, of Port Orchard, Wash., who is in charge of assembling and storing weapons.

Petty Officer 3rd class Shannen Case of Merritt Island, Fla., agreed.

"I am here to do a job that pays my bill, so I have to make sure I do it well," said the aviation electrician, one of some 500 women who live and work on the 5,000-crew carrier.

Tensions remain high in the region.

On Thursday, a U.S. Air Force fighter jet attacked an air-defense radar installation in northern Iraq after the pilot determined he was about to be fired on, U.S. officials said.

Two days earlier, pilots off the Carl Vinson were involved in an encounter with about a dozen Iraqi jets over southern Iraq, the first confrontation in six years.

Dozens of fighter jets roared off the deck Thursday for a variety of chores, including patrolling the "no-fly" zone over southern Iraq. The zone was set up in 1992 to protect Shiite Muslims after a failed uprising against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Up to 100 sorties are flown by F-14 and F-18 jets each day.

Rear Admiral Alfred Harms, commanding officer of the nine-ship Carl Vision battle group, said: "There is an obvious threat out there. . .and we have to maintain our focus on the mission here, so we don't have much time to think of what's going on back home."

He described the impeachment proceedings as having "zero impact on the battle group."

Written By Adnan Malik