Posted on 06/30/2011 2:01:31 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Israeli saboteurs have carried out underwater "terrorist" attacks on two ships bound for Gaza in an attempt to break the blockade, activists have claimed.
Organisers said Israeli divers cut a piece out of the propeller shaft of the Irish ship MV Saoirse, endangering the lives of 20 activists who planned to be on board. The vessel, which was docked in Turkey, will not now be able to participate.
They said the damage appeared identical to that inflicted on Tuesday on another vessel in the convoy, the Greek-Swedish ship Juliano, docked in Greece.
"It was pure luck that the damage to the Irish boat was discovered," said Ann Wright, a spokesman from "The Audacity of Hope", an American activists' boat also docked near Athens.
"The damage to the propeller could have caused the ship to sink and those on board to drown. Quite simply it was act of terrorism." The damage is a repeat of that sustained by ships which took part in last year's attempt to break the blockade. That ended in the storming of the lead ship, the MV Mavi Marmara, by the Israeli navy, killing nine Turkish activists.
A renewed attempt to reach Gaza by sea, the "Freedom Flotilla 2" of eleven ships with more than 300 activists from 22 countries on board, is due to launch in the next few days. Israel has pledged it will again stop them breaking through.
It is offering to allow the flotilla to dock at the Israeli port of Ashdod and to escort the aid on board to Gaza by land.
The damage to the two ships is not the first snag for the flotilla's organisers, an umbrella group of pro-Palestinian groups from the Middle East, Europe, America and elsewhere.
The Turkish Mavi Marmara, which was due to be the flagship
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Good.
May they be equally sucessful with all of them.
endangered the lives of those who were not aboard? Darned termites.
I guess these flotilla people need better security around their ships. I hear that Israelis are the best at providing security...
Not too sharp on engineering are they.
I predicted it!..........course it wasnt difficult knowing the IDF......
Good
Sink them...........
GOOD FOR THEM!
This might put my nautical ignorance on display, but how does a damaged propeller shaft sink a ship? I can’t imagine it causing the vessel to be anything but immobilized. Its radio wouldn’t be affected; and if it’s part of a flotilla anyway... ?
How does cutting the propeller shaft endanger lives? The ship won’t move. This is exactly the type of hysterical thing I would expect these people to say.
My BIG question to the IDF - Why only TWO ships?
I guess they have no lifeboats or life jackets on board with all that ‘ humanitarian’ supplies......
This comment made by a person on a boat named to honor 0, talking about an Irish boat, which was involved in a 'freedom flotilla' to support the Palestinians in Gaza.
This is so wonderfully rich in irony, the mind boggles.
Sh*t, this pack of losers, swindlers, and eurotrash could SWIM to Gaza faster than their "flotilla" is making the trip.
What are the ships? French?
Just guessing here...
I’d say if the prop shaft were damaged, the prop shaft seals might allow water into the engine room.
how do they know it was the israelis.... i could have done it....
or maybe it was the JOOOOOOOOs, no wait...sorry. wrong script.
i’ve lost my place. sorry. can i start over.
Funny stuff, since the Israelis have never done that to any other ship breaking the blockade. Bet they got some useful tools from a US campus to do the damage.
Obama just put Israel on the Terrorist State list because there are Palestinians in Israel, therefore, Israel is harboring known terrorists.
Funny stuff, since the Israelis have never done that to any other ship breaking the blockade. Bet they got some useful tools from a US campus to do the damage.
Obama just put Israel on the Terrorist State list because there are Palestinians in Israel, therefore, Israel is harboring known terrorists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.