Article

2010-07-14 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Libya ship with Gaza aid stalled, hobbles at sea

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by gorb 2010-07-14 03:33|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 "Hello, AAA Mediterranean?"

Posted by Raj 2010-07-14 08:34|| 2010-07-14 08:34|| Front Page Top

#2 Hi! Instapundit linked to you and I like the blog. I added you to my favorites so now you're stuck with MY ranting in the comments. :)

Posted by Phomoper Trotsky3760 2010-07-14 09:02|| 2010-07-14 09:02|| Front Page Top

#3 I take it Allan isn't that willing....

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-07-14 09:43|| 2010-07-14 09:43|| Front Page Top

#4 Why don't the Libyans put up a "Line of Death" around it, like back in the 80's?
You remember how that turned out, don't ya, Mo?

Posted by tu3031 2010-07-14 09:44|| 2010-07-14 09:44|| Front Page Top

#5 as of a few hours ago, the Amalthea was underway again per an American radio station

Captain says el Arish but heading was more ambiguous

Posted by lord garth 2010-07-14 10:35|| 2010-07-14 10:35|| Front Page Top

#6 Defiant Libya ship resumes course, 'destination Gaza'

JERUSALEM (AFP) A Libyan aid ship resumed its voyage on Wednesday after stalling overnight, with the organisers insisting it was on course for Gaza and defying calls by the Israeli navy to dock in Egypt.

But it was not clear if the freighter was actually heading for the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, or whether it was instead going to El-Arish, an Egyptian port some 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the west. "It's moving and getting closer to El-Arish," a military spokesman told AFP, without specifying exactly where it was. "We are preparing for a scenario in which it tries to redirect and go to Gaza."

Maritime tracking websites showed the Amalthea cargo ship moving very slowly just off the Egyptian coast, about 15 nautical miles from El-Arish. And a senior Egypt official said that the Amalthea had requested permission to dock there. "Egypt has agreed to a request from the Libyan aid boat to drop anchor at the port of El-Arish instead of at the port in Gaza," he told the official MENA news agency, without saying when the request was made.

But the Libyan charity which chartered the Amalthea insisted the boat was still heading for Gaza. "The ship has resumed its journey but the going is difficult," Yussef Sawan, head of the Kadhafi Foundation, told AFP. "Israeli naval boats are trying to block its course and divert it from the Gaza coast," he said, adding that the boat was "about three hours from Gaza."

Sawan said the Israelis had given the boat the choice of either turning back or heading to El-Arish. "If not, they have threatened to resort to force."

The foundation said four warships were on either side of the vessel, "trying to force it to change destination."

Shortly after the vessel began moving, Israeli public radio, which is monitoring the exchanges between the navy and the crew, reported that the ship's Cuban captain was ignoring repeated calls in English and Spanish to state his destination.

The Amalthea developed engine trouble overnight and stalled at a spot in international waters 60 nautical miles from El-Arish and 80 from Gaza, the military said.

Public radio said the Israeli boats were within sight of the vessel, and were contacting the captain with questions every time there was suspicious movement on deck.

The ship, which is carrying a cargo of 2,000 tonnes of foodstuffs and medicine, has been charted by a charity run by Seif al-Islam, son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

Speaking to the Maariv daily, a senior military official said naval forces were not expecting any problems from those on board but they were prepared to respond if it became necessary. "We do not expect any resistance," he said. "But if our soldiers do encounter problems, they will not hesitate to use force."

Posted by tu3031 2010-07-14 11:34|| 2010-07-14 11:34|| Front Page Top

#7 Moldovia? Is that even a real country?

Posted by mojo 2010-07-14 11:43|| 2010-07-14 11:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Sounds like they ran out of blinker fluid.

Posted by swksvolFF 2010-07-14 11:47|| 2010-07-14 11:47|| Front Page Top

#9 Or relative bearing grease...

Posted by Grenter, Protector of the Geats 2010-07-14 13:56|| 2010-07-14 13:56|| Front Page Top

#10 as of about 30 minutes ago, the ship seems to be headed for el Arish and will arrive in the harbor in an hour or two

Posted by lord garth 2010-07-14 14:29|| 2010-07-14 14:29|| Front Page Top

#11 Geez, that's not very "defiant" of them. I hope AFP isn't too disappointed.

Posted by tu3031 2010-07-14 15:15|| 2010-07-14 15:15|| Front Page Top

#12 And it's official...

EL-ARISH, Egypt (AFP) A Libyan ship, initially bent on breaking Israel's Gaza blockade, docked in Egypt on Wednesday after agreeing to deliver its cargo of aid through Egyptian territory, an AFP correspondent reported.

The news ended fears of a new confrontation between activists and the Israeli navy, which had threatened to use force if the ship did not either turn back or head for Egypt.

The Libyan charity which chartered the vessel, the Kadhafi Foundation, said it had obtained guarantees from Cairo and from a "European mediator" that Israel would allow the ship's cargo of 2,000 tonnes of food and medicine into Gaza.

Libya has also received the green light to "spend 50 million dollars towards housing construction in the Gaza Strip by winter," the charity's executive director, Yusef Sawan, said, adding that the foundation would also provide 500 prefabricated houses.

And free stuff for everybody! As usual...

Posted by tu3031 2010-07-14 16:05|| 2010-07-14 16:05|| Front Page Top

#13 The Libyan charity which chartered the vessel, the Kadhafi Foundation, said it had obtained guarantees from Cairo and from a "European mediator" that Israel would allow the ship's cargo of 2,000 tonnes of food and medicine into Gaza.

I guess the Libyans don't get the same news as ~~most of~~ the rest of the world.

Posted by gorb 2010-07-14 16:10|| 2010-07-14 16:10|| Front Page Top

00:07 JosephMendiola
00:01 Skidmark
23:58 Skidmark
23:57 Skidmark
23:52 Cloud Banks
23:49 JosephMendiola
23:47 Old Patriot
23:47 rammer
23:45 KBK
23:39 JosephMendiola
23:31 JosephMendiola
23:26 gorb
23:24 Asymmetrical Triangulation
23:23 gorb
23:15 gorb
23:12 gorb
23:10 gorb
23:08 OldSpook
23:04 OldSpook
23:04 gorb
23:03 Asymmetrical Triangulation
23:03 anon1
23:01 gorb
22:53 gorb