Posted on 05/31/2010 5:54:00 AM PDT by markomalley
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Israeli police and security forces have raised a state of alert across the country after the attack on a group of ships off the coast of Gaza, leading to at least 19 dead and dozens injured (see Israel attacks ships carrying aid to Gaza. At least 10 dead). An Israeli policeman tells AsiaNews that "We are on the brink of war or a new Intifada." Here and there in Israel, particularly in Nazareth, there are demonstrations against the attack on the ships carrying humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, forcing the Israeli blockade on the Strip. Arab organizations have declared a general strike. Security forces have decided to close the Gaza crossings, some roads that communicate with the West Bank and the Temple Mount mosques. The seized vessels (all six) were conducted in the port of Ashdod. There are fears about the fate of a Palestinian leaders from northern Israel, Raed Salah, who was on the attacked ships. At first the news spread that he had been killed in the raid. Palestinian sources now say that he is seriously hurt. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority has declared three days of mourning throughout the West Bank and called the Israeli operation a "massacre". Israel is also battling the media. MPs and ministers continue to assert that the activists were not at all "peaceful" but waited for the arrival of soldiers carrying weapons (long knives, bats, other instruments of offense). At least six soldiers were wounded, one of whom seriously.
For Israel, ships and humanitarian aid were "a provocation". The deputy foreign minister, Daniel Ayalon said that before attacking, the Israeli military command ordered the ships to stop several times and agree to land the aid under Israeli control. He also said that the activists on the ship are linked to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. According to some Israeli analysts, the incident of the Gaza flotilla is likely to further exacerbate the relationship between Palestinians and Israelis, on the brink of a new, third intifada. An Israeli policeman, speaking to AsiaNews, confirmed the risk of a third intifada, but also added: "We are on the brink of war. There is a fear that Hezbollah front in Lebanon could be sparked again and that anti-Israel demonstrations spread throughout the world. " Currently there are demonstrations in Turkey, especially Istanbul. The Foreign Ministry urged all Israelis leaving for Turkey to cancel their departure and said he will hold the Ankara government responsible for anything that could happen to Israelis on soil Turkish. Today Ankara has recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv. |
ping
What a cluster goat screw by the IDF. I expexted better operational tactics from them.
The IDF should have fabricated a ship-disabling mini-homing torpedo for these contingencies. It would go for the propellers, and instead of expolosives it would unspool clouds of thin kevlar and wire lines to foul the props and stop the ships.
The IDF pioneered UAVs with mini missiles that only destroy one car without breaking windows across the street. You would think they would have had a technical answer for these ships, short of the FUBAR spectacle of boarding them with commandos, on film.
There are already mini-torpedos used as decoys and for other special purposes. These can be used as the existing chassis. Only the homing method and payload would have to be changed.
We never hear about it now that W is resting.
But when a Palestinian blows him/herself up killing dozens of Israelis...*crickets*
I guess this journalist for AsiaNews, whatever that is, couldn't find a taxi driver.
Are you assuming a full and unbiased reporting of all the relevant facts?
This sounds like a staged event and a PR spin from beginning to end.
Now, I’m not saying you’re wrong. But knowing how the state-run mediots spin stories like these, it has all the makings of a fabricated incident to further isolate Israel and demonize her national defense.
Boarding these ships with commandos was a guaranteed cluster foxtrot, with children used as shields and international film crews sympathetic to the PLO and Hamas.
THere was no way it could work (seizing the bridges AND “after steering”) on all of the ships, with the element of surprise.
It had a ZERO % chance of working, and a 99% chance of total FUBAR.
Which is stupid, when covert technical means could have been used to quietly and invisibly disable the ships far out at sea.
These so-called “activists” got exactly what they wanted: fresh dead bodies and all of them martyrs.
Now they have a new cause to get the “Arab street” all fired up, and with any luck Premier Hussein will be joining them shortly.
Anyone care to wager when the US will bring this to the UN Security Counsel and sponsor a resolution condemning Israel for it??
I would have preferred if those ships quietly went “boom” in the night and sank with all hands.
We live in a PR world, and PR must be accounted for.
Ships drifting far out at sea become a farcical spectacle, instead of the tragedy and outrage the PLO was hoping for, and the IDF served them, on a platter.
Exactly. That is why it was a set up. Israel can’t allow ships to deliver goods to PA...just because they claim they are carrying “humanitarian aid.” What a load of crap. The anti-Israelis consider anything that can kill Jews as “humanitarian aid,” because they are aiding anti-Israelis by enabling them to kill Jews.
Once the PA destroys Israel’s ability to check the flow of supplies to the PA, those ships will be carrying weapons.
*ping*
The IDF did not screw up. Look at how the articles about the “attack” are worded.
The IDF boarded the ship and were fired upon. It was not “attacked”.
Too bad they were not already available. How much better if the story today was the farcical spectacle of the ships adrift at sea, begging for a tow?
Look, anybody with experience at ship boardings could tell you this was a guaranteed FUBAR cluster-foxtrot to board the ships with commandos. 100% guaranteed FUBAR, on film.
Totally stupid, when covert technical means could have been used to disable the ships’ propellers.
I think it is too soon to judge. We have to sort out all the spin in the news first. Israel is not stupid. They did what they had to.
It would still be spun against Israel.
They are damned if they do and dead if they don’t.
Because they are too much like America for Saudi and Islamofascist taste.
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