Hamas leader is 'brain' behind Dutch flotillaHamas, always the voice of sweet reason, leader from Holland Amin Abu Rashid has been seen in recent days training with a Gazoo-bound flotilla crew in Greece, according to a report by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf on Thursday.
Rashid, described as the "brain" behind the flotilla, helped arrange the purchasing of the Dutch boat expected to be used in the expedition, De Telegraaf reported.
Rashid also allegedly organized the majority of the funding for the flotilla, the report said.
Israel Law Center sues firm for flotilla communications
UK, US based global satellite company Inmarsat is allegedly aiding, abetting terrorism by providing satellite services to Gazoo-bound ships.
In an effort to add to the logistical difficulties of the Free Gazoo Flotilla and to try and prevent it from sailing, the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin) and New York attorney Isaac Jaroslawicz filed a civil action in the Florida State Court in Miami on Monday against the UK and US based global satellite company Inmarsat, alleging that it is providing essential communications services to ships used by suspected terror organizations in the Gazoo flotilla, scheduled to set sail in the coming days.
The suit was filed on behalf of Michelle Fendel, a resident of Sderot, who asserts in her complaint that under US law, Inmarsat and its officers have aided and abetted terrorism by providing satellite services to the Gazoo-bound ships and asks that the company cease from providing the services.
According to the lawsuit, Inmarsat and its corporate officers were in violation of US criminal statutes prohibiting the provision of material support for acts of violence and terrorism and the provision of material support for naval expeditions against US allies, and would also be held civilly liable for any damages or harm caused by participants in the flotilla.
"Provision of communications services constitutes 'material support or resources' within the meaning of 18 USC (article 2339A). Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, is a 'foreign terrorist organization' as defined in 18 USC (article 2339B). Therefore the provision of satellite communications services by Inmarsat to the Flotilla Ships constitutes a violation of articles 2339A and 2339B," read the statement of claims.
Before filing the lawsuit, Fendel's attorneys sent Inmarsat a warning letter demanding that it discontinue all satellite services to the boats being utilized to engage in hostile operations against Israel.
Inmarsat could not be reached for comment.
Shurat Hadin has been spearheading the legal battle against the upcoming flotilla, filing lawsuits in several countries, targeting the flotilla's organizers and sponsors as well as essential service providers.
Last week one of the ships that was scheduled to participate in the flotilla was informed that it would not be insured by its maritime insurance company, after the group sent out a warning letter, effectively making it impossible for the ship to leave its port in Marseille.
Irish ship will not sail to Gaza after 'sabotage'
AN IRISH ship, the MV Saoirse , will not take part in the planned freedom flotilla which is preparing to sail to Gazoo because it has been sabotaged, according to one of the ship's intended passengers.
Speaking last night from the Turkish port of Göcek, Fintan Lane, the national co-ordinator of Irish Ship to Gazoo organization, said that the ship would not be able to sail as it had been "dangerously sabotaged", according to the organising campaign.
He said that the damage to the ship was discovered on Monday night when the captain noticed that there was something wrong. Divers found that a piece was missing from one of the propeller shafts.
"This was the type of sabotage that endangered human life," Mr Lane said last night. "They put divers under the boat who cut a piece out of the propeller shaft. That means that the damage would have happened gradually and what would have happened eventually is that the propeller would have come up through the bottom of the boat, caused a flood in the engine room and would have caused the boat to sink."
He said the attack was "unnerving" for the crew, classifying it as a "violent attack" on the lives of those aboard. He said pictures detailing the damage to the ship would be published by the campaign today during a presser in Dublin.
Mr Lane said that, due to the extent of the damage, the MV Saoirse would not be in a position to sail, adding that just six of the 20-plus crew who had been due to set sail would be able to take part in the flotilla by joining an Italian-based vessel today.
Those passengers who intend to board the Italian vessel include Mr Lane, former Munster and Ireland rugby player Trevor Hogan, Socialist Party MEP Paul Murphy, Libyan-born Irish citizen Hussein Hamed, Derry-based Sinn Féin councillor Gerry MacLochlainn, and Zoe Lawlor, who teaches at the University of Limerick and is a member of the national committee of the Ireland Paleostine Solidarity Campaign.
Mr Lane said the damage to the ship was similar to that caused to the Swedish ship the Juliano , which organisers claim was sabotaged in the Greek port of Piraeus by "hostile divers".
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