Posted on 12/30/2008 5:47:23 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Activists trying to bring aid to Gaza today claimed their boat had been rammed by Israeli gunboats in a "criminal attack" in international waters.
The Free Gaza Movement said its vessel, the Dignity, was intercepted by several Israeli vessels as it was heading to the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli aerial bombardment since Saturday.
One gunboat rammed the Dignity on the port bow side, causing heavy damage, although no one was hurt, the group said.
"[The Dignity] is taking on water and appears to have engine problems," the movement said on its website. "When attacked, the Dignity was clearly in international waters, 90 miles off the coast of Gaza.
"The gunboats also fired their machine guns into the water in an attempt to stop the mercy ship from getting to Gaza.
"Israel thumbs its nose in the face of maritime law by attacking a human rights boat in international waters and has put all of these human rights observers at risk.
"At no time was the Dignity ever close to Israeli waters. They clearly identified themselves and the Israeli attack was willful and criminal."
The group said the attack took place as the Dignity carried three tonnes of medical supplies at the request of doctors in Gaza.
The crew and passengers were hoping to treat some of those injured in four days of the Israeli air strikes, with hospitals in the territory overwhelmed.
The Dignity is still in international waters, 40 miles off Haifa, and is making its way slowly to Lebanon. The ship flies the flag of Gibraltar, is piloted by an English captain and its passenger list includes Cynthia McKinney, a former US congresswoman.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Remember then Prince Alaweed offered Rudy Guiliani $10 million dollars to help rebuild NY, but demanded Guiliani claim it was our own fault we were attacked? Guiliani to insert his check where the sun doesn't shine, then Cynthia McKinney turned around and wrote the prince a letter BEGGING for that $10 million "to help Black Americans" and as much as promised she'd blame whomever the prince wanted her to.
Please................don’t insult cows.
< snicker >
I love your tagline.
Perhaps the Dignity’s captain is auditioning for a show on reality tv. Paul Watson has made a career of harassing ships doing things of which he disapproves. Now he is on a tv show called “Whale Wars”.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/29/content_10573713.htm
New Zealand FM cautions whalers and protesters in Antarctic
WELLINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) — New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully on Monday reminded whalers and protesters in Antarctic waters they need to take responsibility for their own safety.
The anti-whaling group, Sea Shepherd, and the crew on a Japanese whaling ship are blaming each other for a collision on Friday night, off the coast of the Australian Antarctic territory.
McCully said it’s not easy to get help to such an inhospitable area if someone is hurt, Radio New Zealand reported on Monday.
He said people have to take responsibility for their safety, plus the safety of others, in the region.
McCully warned whalers and protesters last month it would be difficult to mount a quick rescue if anyone got lost or hurt.
Japanese whalers have fled into New Zealand waters after their boat was pelted with rotten butter and slime by anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
The whalers said the activists rammed their boat, Kaiko Maru, and have branded the group terrorist vigilantes, but captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin said the two ships simply brushed together as his crew were pelting the Kaiko Maru with 25 bottles of butyric acid, found in rotten butter.
Geezzz...it seems right now Israel is getting accused of almost anything and everything. I wonder how far these accusations will go next on their way up the "totally redundant and ridiculous scale"...
Must be this head cold I'm coming down with.
As much as we enjoy watching Israel take her RIGHTFUL and JUST stand....be sure they will be accused of something to turn the tide against them. As far as I’m concerned they can turn the middle east into a sheet of glass and they have my approval!!
The INF could do America a great service by drowning Cynthia.
The only relief one could get after looking at that face would be that of a blocked bowel.
.........someone actually has gotten naked with her.
Now that is downright funny! ROTFL
Euwwwwwwwww!
Can they let her in then reinforce the blockade?
Kudos to the restraint shown by the Japanese.
Hubby commercial fishes, and none of the fishermen we know would take what the hippies have dished out without at least ramming them.
aid = weapons, ammo and other contraband
Oz and Mutley! Two of my favorites!
Great pic, but who gets the shoes?! LOL
I think it is a sad commentary on world politics that Paul Watson is still able to sail oceans! He is just an egomaniac who is good at conning able-bodied, addle-brained fish-huggers into promoting his ‘non-profit’ society by volunteering to be crewmen on these harassment voyages.
Yeah—what you said! Don’t know any more of the “man” than what I’ve seen on tv but I told hubby the first time my eyes lit on that captain that I didn’t trust him. He sets my bs meter off big time!
Ships and planes aren’t the only things with radars! LOL
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