Fleet Week is upon us, but it's smaller (that's what she said!) than past year's events because nuclear-powered craft is not allowed in the harbor. Therefore, many of the Navy's newer aircraft carriers aren't here.
Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said, "I would love to have big ships and I personally don't see any risk," and suggested the 1990 policy of barring nuclear-powered of nuclear-armed ships should be reconsidered, "I think the understanding of nuclear technology and the safety of it is a lot different than it was during the Dinkins days."
Bloomberg also suggested the reason why Fleet Week was smaller this year was because more naval vessels were needed in the Middle East for the Iraq war, though the Navy has denied it.
Some City Council members were wary about that idea, but former Mayor Ed Koch told the Sun, "When I was mayor, I announced New York would be the homeport for any U.S. ships — nuclear or otherwise — and with pride. It's an outrage that there are New Yorkers who believe that the rest of America should defend New York City with our nuclear-powered Navy and should say no."
