Posted on 07/19/2011 8:11:24 AM PDT by Evil Slayer
(Reuters) - The Israeli navy Tuesday seized a French yacht carrying pro-Palestinian activists heading for the blockaded Gaza Strip and forced it to go to Israel's Ashdod port, a military spokeswoman said.
"I can confirm that the yacht has been boarded and that everything went smoothly, there were no casualties," the spokeswoman said after marines boarded the "Dignite-Al-Karama" yacht in the eastern Mediterranean.
Chief military spokesman Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai said the passengers were transferred from the yacht to one of the warships sent to intercept it and were en route to Ashdod.
The 17-passenger yacht had declared an Egyptian port as its destination when it left Greek waters Sunday, but sailed toward the Palestinian enclave, aiming to arrive Tuesday.
It had planned to sail to Islamist Hamas-ruled Gaza as part of a flotilla
carrying activists and aid, but other vessels were prevented from sailing after docking in Greece. Activists accused the Greek government of intervening on Israel's side.
"In accordance with government directives, after all diplomatic channels had been exhausted and continuous calls to the vessel had been ignored, IDF (marines) boarded the Al-Karama in an effort to stop it from breaking the maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip," a military statement said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Just like in this country where LEO can take anything you own involved in a crime without proving that crime in criminal court, so should Israel just take the ship & sell it.
Personally, I would like to see film of it being blown up & sunk but thats just me.
Make it a bit harder on the perps who get away scot free with all of these childlike antics...
Thanks Evil Slayer.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2750120/posts
“we are not carrying any aid”
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