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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel flotilla action criticized by friends and foes |
| 2010-06-01 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Israel's storming of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla set off a diplomatic furor, drawing criticism from friends and foes alike and straining ties with regional ally Turkey, which called off planned joint military exercises. The United Nations Security Council called an emergency session for later on Monday following the killing of 10 of the mostly international activists aboard a six-ship convoy that tried to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Washington said it deeply regretted the loss of life and was examining the circumstances that led to the bloodshed while Turkey, Israel's strongest Muslim friend in the region, summoned the Jewish state's ambassador and said it would recall its own. "This attack is another sign of the reckless levels that the Israeli government's violent policies have reached," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in a televised speech. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled plans to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday, an Israeli statement said, in the wake of the raid. "Netanyahu decided to cut short his visit to Canada and return to Israel early," the statement said. Netanyahu has been in Canada since Friday for talks with government leaders. Israeli commandos intercepted the flotilla carrying 700 people and 10,000 tons of supplies for Gaza before dawn on Monday. Officials said they were met with knives when they boarded the ships, including a ferry flying the Turkish flag. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the killings as a massacre, and the United Nations and European Union both demanded an inquiry. Rights group Amnesty International said Israeli forces appeared to have used excessive force. Turkey, which had urged Israel to allow the ships safe passage, cancelled three planned joint military exercises with Israel, and Ankara said Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan would cut short an official visit to Latin America to return home. "Israel will have to endure the consequences of this behaviour," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Television images from Ankara, whose ties with Israel had already soured somewhat since last year following Turkish criticism of Israel, showed dozens of people gathered outside Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy's residence in Turkey's capital. France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the violence could not be justified. "I am profoundly shocked by the tragic consequences of the Israeli military operation against the Peace Flotilla for Gaza," he said in a statement. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: "It is vital that there is a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took place. I believe Israel must urgently provide a full explanation." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 The thing that looks like a metal rod with a knife style handle is called a "Butchers Steel" it's a very hard grooved metal rod used to sharpen the cook's knives as he works. Knives that hit a bone dull instantly, it's similar to a whetstone, but instead of removing the knive's metal instead smooths it back into a razor's edge. no butcher worth his salt would be without one. While it's properly not a weapon, it would naturaly be with the Knives, you could stab with it, I think someone didn't know what it was and put it with the weapons to be photographed. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-06-01 22:14 |
| #12 Ok, the new entry link to the IDF has a better picture, and there are some similar looking knives like in a set - also lot of pocket and/or concealable. That engraving, I cannot make it out, but it looks to me like someone found a metal rod and designed it meaning not something just grabbed in the heat of the moment. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-06-01 20:59 |
| #11 Knives maybe, Dagger possibly, Baseball bats Never. The ship's captain could say they had played nine innings of baseball on the main deck every Sunday night and the Arabs will believe it because they want to in this case. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-06-01 15:05 |
| #10 Question for Rantburg's sailors: could a legitimate argument be made that the weapons seen in the video are the kind of thing normally found on a ship of that size? If yes, would they normally be found in that quantity? Knives maybe, Dagger possibly, Baseball bats Never. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-06-01 14:59 |
| #9 Didn't realize slingshot had overcome shuffleboard for boating activities. The knives, except for the 2 black handles in foreground, are all different designs. Usually a production kitchen has all the same type/manufacturer of knife et al utinsils. Quite a few axe handles. Nevermind the banner, can anyone make out the engraving at 0:35 black pipe? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-06-01 12:36 |
| #8 With regard to the weapons that Turkey didn't find, I imagine AK-47s, morters, small nuclear devices... that kind of thing. I imagine Turkey meant they didn't find AK-47s, mortars... I'm sorry -- the original doesn't make much sense. PIMF!! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-06-01 11:43 |
| #7 It would seem to me that with a passeger ship capable of holding 600 or so passengers that this would be normal, but I am just guessing. People need to cook and fix things. What are bothersome to me are that scimitar knife and the muslim terrorist banner looking thingy. Who knows, since I don't read arabic it could just be a blood drive sign, but I doubt it. I'd like to know what the excuse is for all the wooden dowels. They don't look like closet rods to me. Now if all those items were found up on the main deck at the same time, I'd call foul. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-06-01 11:21 |
| #6 With regard to the weapons that Turkey didn't find, I imagine AK-47s, morters, small nuclear devices... that kind of thing. Question for Rantburg's sailors: could a legitimate argument be made that the weapons seen in the video are the kind of thing normally found on a ship of that size? If yes, would they normally be found in that quantity? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-06-01 10:53 |
| #5 that would make Turkey...f*cking liars |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-06-01 08:35 |
| #4 weapons found aboard the Mavi Marmara: |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-06-01 08:34 |
| #3 The crazy Turks cited that they searches the vessel before it left Turkey and it did not contain weapons: 1) I double it was searched 2) clubs and small arms are not hard to hide 3) Gee, aren't there several hundred miles between Israel and Turkey where weapons could have made it on? |
| Posted by: HammerHead 2010-06-01 08:27 |
| #2 Don't forget the baseball bats. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-06-01 03:18 |
| #1 A peace flotilla, with guns, knives and clubs. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-06-01 00:27 |