Posted on 06/01/2010 1:16:45 PM PDT by Nachum
Much of the equipment and supplies aboard the “humanitarian” ships for Gaza has been checked and found to be worthless.
The cargo was taken off the boats at the Ashdod port and checked there, in accordance with the Israeli embargo on Gaza. The embargo is an acceptable measure taken between entities that are in a state of armed conflict, as are Israel and Hamas-run Gaza.
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
Israel’s actions in boarding the ship are in full compliance with International law as set down in paragraphs 5.2.1 and 5.2.10 of the Helsinki Principles on the Law of Maritime Neutrality:
5.2.1 Visit and search
As an exception to Principle 5.1.2. paragraph 1 and in accordance with Principle 1.3 (2nd sentence), belligerent warships have a right to visit and search vis-à-vis neutral commercial ships in order to ascertain the character and destination of their cargo. If a ship tries to evade this control or offers resistance, measures of coercion necessary to exercise this right are permissible. This includes the right to divert a ship where visit and search at the place where the ship is encountered are not practical.
5.2.10 Blockade
Blockade, i.e. the interdiction of all or certain maritime traffic coming from or going to a port or coast of a belligerent, is a legitimate method of naval warfare. In order to be valid, the blockade must be declared, notified to belligerent and neutral States, effective and applied impartially to ships of all States. A blockade may not bar access to neutral ports or coasts. Neutral vessels believed on reasonable and probable grounds to be breaching a blockade may be stopped and captured. If they, after prior warning, clearly resist capture, they may be attacked.
It was probably all the recent medications pulled of the shelves of US drugstore
Will post article later tonite. Also found cement (homes or bunkers?), flak jackets (protection from Hamas?)N and night vision equipment (nightime at the Gaza zoo?)
Thanks. I’m on Israel’s side on this, I just wanted to make sure they weren’t breaking any law or had no just cause to make the stop. I’m satisfied with it— they were in the right.
Most expiration dates are arbitrary. Companies do not test their drugs until they find a date when they are no longer effective, they merely test their effectiveness until an arbitrary date they pick, and then state they are effective until that date.
The Federal Government did a large study on the efficacy of warehouses of drugs they had left over from WWII. They found that most of the drugs, particularly antibiotics, were still effective for 20 years or more past their expiration date.
How far into international waters was it? Has there been an official statement to that effect, or is it the rabel that is making that claim? I haven’t been able to read everything about this yet.
A maritine blockade is pefectly legal to do so.
“Expired meds are better than no meds”
Thanks for the link. Honestly I found it unconvincing.
“The principle is that if they allow uninspected ships to unload in Gaza, arms will be shipped to Gaza. The actual presence of arms in this shipment is immaterial to the principle.”
I do not object to the arms embargo or inspection of ships. I object to the use of lame rationale to justify it (like saying the meds were expired). Tell it like it is, “we reserve the right to inspect all ships suspected of bringing arms to the bloodthirsty terrorist scum. If they resist they will be fired upon. This is for the protection of our people”. Dont sugarcoat it by pretending to protect the scum from expired meds.
The fig leaf of “it wasn't really useful stuff anyway” is exactly that, immaterial to the principle of a military blockade.
One statement, one principle. No more rockets imported into Gaza. ALL ships, whatever their cargo, get inspected.
Yes. After an act of war, the victimized country has a right to impose a blockade, and it can be enforced before the ships enter territorial waters.
Example is Kennedy’s blackade of Cuba, which the State Department determined was a legal blockade.
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