F you, Jack. I didn't learn these tricks and a thousand more in video games.
Posted on 05/31/2010 5:54:00 AM PDT by markomalley
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Israeli police and security forces have raised a state of alert across the country after the attack on a group of ships off the coast of Gaza, leading to at least 19 dead and dozens injured (see Israel attacks ships carrying aid to Gaza. At least 10 dead). An Israeli policeman tells AsiaNews that "We are on the brink of war or a new Intifada." Here and there in Israel, particularly in Nazareth, there are demonstrations against the attack on the ships carrying humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, forcing the Israeli blockade on the Strip. Arab organizations have declared a general strike. Security forces have decided to close the Gaza crossings, some roads that communicate with the West Bank and the Temple Mount mosques. The seized vessels (all six) were conducted in the port of Ashdod. There are fears about the fate of a Palestinian leaders from northern Israel, Raed Salah, who was on the attacked ships. At first the news spread that he had been killed in the raid. Palestinian sources now say that he is seriously hurt. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority has declared three days of mourning throughout the West Bank and called the Israeli operation a "massacre". Israel is also battling the media. MPs and ministers continue to assert that the activists were not at all "peaceful" but waited for the arrival of soldiers carrying weapons (long knives, bats, other instruments of offense). At least six soldiers were wounded, one of whom seriously.
For Israel, ships and humanitarian aid were "a provocation". The deputy foreign minister, Daniel Ayalon said that before attacking, the Israeli military command ordered the ships to stop several times and agree to land the aid under Israeli control. He also said that the activists on the ship are linked to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. According to some Israeli analysts, the incident of the Gaza flotilla is likely to further exacerbate the relationship between Palestinians and Israelis, on the brink of a new, third intifada. An Israeli policeman, speaking to AsiaNews, confirmed the risk of a third intifada, but also added: "We are on the brink of war. There is a fear that Hezbollah front in Lebanon could be sparked again and that anti-Israel demonstrations spread throughout the world. " Currently there are demonstrations in Turkey, especially Istanbul. The Foreign Ministry urged all Israelis leaving for Turkey to cancel their departure and said he will hold the Ankara government responsible for anything that could happen to Israelis on soil Turkish. Today Ankara has recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv. |
This happened far out at sea, a key element (they thought) in the commandos’ achieving tactical surprise.
When you must use a hammer, use a hammer. But there was no reason to hand Hamas an international PR victory on a platter, which this botched mission did.
If ever a case called for a covert operation, this was it.
Balls. The “worse case” was this ham-handed fiasco.
Disabling some of the ships would leave the others to tow and support them, but NOT continue on to Gaza.
F you, Jack. I didn't learn these tricks and a thousand more in video games.
sorry, we had bad info due to the video being in Hebrew. not confirmed
Firing what? A modified mini torpedo programmed to approach at 5 knots greater than the targets speed, to unspool line and foul the prop, or to simply drive through the prop and unbalance it?
As opposed to a totally cocked-up commando raid, on ships full of camera crews and children-shields?
And don’t tell me “it wasn’t planned to be cocked up.” Custer said the same damn thing. So did the Brits at Gallipoli. They were just GREAT operations.
Until they hit REALITY.
not confirmed, what we saw was a video from a seizure on the 16th.
Two things.
First, the Vice Admiral in charge of this op was a freaking pinhead and he should be dismissed a week ago. NEVER trust a muslim making promises. We have had our own fill of that crap in Afghanistan...and so has Israel.
Two:
Disabling the ships and letting them drift would be fine and dandy if there had been no suspicion that they were carrying weapons AND terrorists into gaza.
Allowing the ships to be “rescued” with their cargoes intact, if there WERE weapons aboard, only gives them impetus to try this again with even worse results.
The whole purpose was to break the Israeli blockade for just that reason. You don’t let them keep the weapons.
It would not surprise me if there were no weapons on board so they could feign innocence, but the next “humanitarian” flotilla definitely would and you can take that to the bank.
I think the odds are 99% that these ships were 100% “clean.” Their mission was propaganda. Get towed into port, search shows nothing but flowers and doves and rainbows.
After that, perhaps following ships carry contraband, but not this time.
So the botched commando raid, with a 1% chance of success in any terms, should not have been attempted.
I am laying the botch at the feet of the commander. If this had been done correctly, there would have been no casualties. He put his troops in danger unnecessarily. HE is guilty of malfeasance here.
There was NO WAY (NONE!! ZERO!! IMPOSSIBLE!!) to fast rope onto a ship full of Palistineans and Turks while keeping the element of surprise. You have seen the film. They were lucky not to lose the helicopter.
This mission plan was doomed to be an abortion from the word go.
CUSTER had a better, more realistic plan at Big Horn.
People here remind me of folks defending Custer. “Well, if he had retained the element of surprise, etc etc blablahblah.”
CUSTER’s plan SUCKED.
THIS plan SUCKED.
I'm quite sure that the ships being searched will be found to be "squeaky clean" of arms and ordnance, because that is part of the script too.
The whole thing was a PR event from the get go. And they have won what they wanted; global condemnation of Israel.
And now we wait for our Community Organizer to "never waste a good crisis", as his good buddy Rahm likes to say.
Travis, I agree with you about that a thousand %. That is why I say this officer should be gone before another day dawns. What he did was insane. It should never have happened. To send these troops on to that ship from directly above, one by one down on a rope, with no weapons except sidearms and paint-freaking-ball guns was literally criminal and if I was HIS boss, I would charge him.
I don’t like Barak either and he should be on the receiving end of a “no confidence” and removed as well. I don’t like the left in Israel period.
I am furious at what has happened to the Israeli military, and it is happening to ours as well. Political correctness gets soldiers killed. You do not go to war to keep up appearances, make nicey nice movies of soldiers handing out candy, and make friendly “gestures” towards the enemy...until AFTER you have kicked their a$$ three ways from Sunday.
ping
The IDF better start working on those modified mini decoy torps NOW.
Too bad they were not already available. How much better if the story today was the farcical spectacle of the ships adrift at sea, begging for a tow?
Yeah, and how good would the media headlines looks saying Israeli’s torpedoed the “peace flotilla”, just like N. Korea torpedoed S. Korea’s ship. That would make a great headline, don’t you think? Not.
“These countries argue that the NPT creates a club of “nuclear haves” and a larger group of “nuclear have-nots” by restricting the legal possession of nuclear weapons to those states that tested them before 1967, but the treaty never explains on what ethical grounds such a distinction is valid.”
The ethical grounds of survival of the world from whacko’s who might acquire nukes. The best ethical grounds there are, to increase the possibilities of staying alive.
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