Over 60 tons of advanced arms and missiles found on vessel [Israel]

Jerusalem Post ^ | 11-4-09

[SJackson]

Special Navy forces discovered weapons and ammunition on a cargo ship overnight Tuesday, after boarding the Francop some 100 nautical miles west of Israel flying an Antiguan flag.

Defense officials said the 140-meter long Francop, captured near Cyprus, was carrying arms sent by Iran and destined for Syria and Hizbullah.

More than 60 tons of weaponry were on board, in dozens of containers. The Francop carried hundreds of containers.

A significant amount of 122 mm. Katyusha rockets, likely made in Iran, assault rifles, mortar shells and grenades were found on board.

Israel Radio reported that advanced anti-aircraft platforms not before found in the region were also on board.

Military intelligence had been following the ship's progress for several days. The vessel is German, and its captain of Polish nationality.

Arms seized on the Karine A in 2002. Photo: IDF [file]

The elite Navy Commando unit Shayetet 13 soldiers, who didn't encounter resistance on board, found the weapons and ammunition cache hidden behind what appeared to be a civilian cargo.

According to the officials, the vessel carried advanced weaponry including missiles, and the incident was apparently similar in scope to the seizing of the Karine A ship intercepted in January 2002 off the coast of Gaza. That boat carried some 50 tons of military equipment including Katyusha rockets, antitank missiles, and high explosives.

The Francop is currently docked in the Ashdod port, and being unloaded for further inspection.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak commended IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Eliezer Marom.

"This is another success in the incessant battle against the smuggling of arms and military buildup by terrorist organizations who threaten Israel's security," he said.

The takeover of the ship was planned well in advance of the operation based on intelligence reports, and the Navy has been following the ship's movements since it began its journey.

On Wednesday, the cabinet convened and the capture of the Francop was high on the agenda.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised the action of the Navy and said the weapons on the ship were meant to be used against Israeli cities.

A month ago, Der Spiegel reported that the US Navy had boarded a German cargo ship near the Suez Canal that was carrying ammunition from Iran to Syria or Hizbullah.

In the past year, the Navy intercepted several vessels suspected of illicitly carrying munitions intended for Israel's enemies.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[Rockiette]

Thanks, Germany and Poland, doing the bidding of the little dictator doesn’t seem terribly smart, however, the upside is that Israel can keep and use this weaponry to blow Iran to hell and gone. The saying “finders keepers” comes to mind.
When are the Europeans going to stop dealing with those mini-madmen? Will it take a 9-11 in Germany to make them wake up?

[HD1200]

I hope meritime law allows Israel to keep this ship, seel it on the open market, and keep the proceeds as a lesson to ship owners to know what the heck their ships are doing.

If they can’t do that, take it out to sea and sink it in an abyss.

[SJackson]

At least Israel will confiscate the arms. You’ll recall the US tracks the ships and lets them go.

[danamco]

Thanks, Germany and Poland, doing the bidding of the little dictator doesn’t seem terribly smart,

Where does Germany and Poland come into this picture???

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[mitchbert]

Isreal should take the entire cargo inventory and fire it into Gaza in one shot. Then plow the boat into the coast loaded with explosives.

[aegiscg47]

Does anyone here on FR know the maritime laws regarding this? If it was boarded in the Med, but the cargo is being unloaded at Cyprus, what happens to the cargo?

[TXnMA]

Detonate in place. Prior removal of crew optional.

[Tunehead54]

I’m not being facetious but what law allows Israel to confiscate the weapons? Iran (a state) sent them to Libya and Syria (both world states) even though they might have been used against Israel this seems like an act of war - just curious ... UN embargo? ICC? Any enlightenment would be appreciated.

[dervish]

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are terrorist orgs. And there is International Law about arming terror orgs.

But this is the legal basis here:

“This is the third time this year that Iran is disregarding international law and United Nations National Security resolutions that forbid it to transfer weaponry,” Ben-Yehuda said. He went on to say that the Navy regularly conducts operations hundreds of miles from Israel’s shores to inspect ships suspected of carrying illegal weapons from Iran being sent to terror proxies like Hizbullah and Hamas.”

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1256799087344

http://www.iags.org/n0124051.htm (general laws on maritime weapons shipping)

[Tunehead54]

Huh! So if you actually read the whole article you can find stuff out? What a concept but I think it violates a time-honored tradition of post without reading here at FR!

Honestly though thanks for digging that out! Does this mean we can nuke Iran now? ;-)

[Broker]

Hey, it is time to follow the money.. Hold the crew for ransom. Display and destroy these weapons!

[Cindy]

Thank you for the ping Jet Jaguar.

[thefactor]

did you read the article? german ship, polish captain.

[Cindy]

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/site/html/search.asp?isSearch=yes&isT8=yes&searchText=T90&pid=108&sid=13&preview=
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/iran/index

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/syria/index
http://www.thememriblog.org/content/?mode=search&g_search_start=0&query=syria
http://www.memri.org/syria.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hezbollah/index
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hizballah/index
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hizbullah/index

[Cindy]

More details...

Note: Video included with article.

Photos:

http://www.ynetnews.com/PicServer2/25102009/2252488/04112009005_wh.jpg

http://www.ynetnews.com/PicServer2/25102009/2252114/JER04_wh.jpg

http://www.ynetnews.com/PicServer2/25102009/2252485/04112009004_wa.jpg

http://www.ynetnews.com/PicServer2/25102009/2252279/JER124_wa.jpg

#

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3800306,00.html

“Navy: 10 times more arms on ship than on Karin-A”

SNIPPET: “(Video) Israel Navy chief says seized Francop vessel carried enough weapons and ammunition to supply Hezbollah for month or more of fighting against Israel. Navy chief: ‘Ship’s crew didn’t know anything about it. Neither did Egyptians.’ Barak: This will not be Iran’s last smuggling attempt”

Hanan Greenberg
Latest Update: 11.04.09, 17:48 / Israel News

SNIPPET: “According to Brig. Gen. Ben-Yehuda, the weapons were hidden in dozens of containers with a collective weight registering in at hundreds of tons. The weapons included enough ammunition and missiles to supply Hezbollah for a month or more of fighting against Israel, he said. Navy sources said the ship carried more than 3,000 shells and missiles.”

SNIPPET: “Ship, Francop, planned to make its way from Egypt to Syria via Cyprus and Lebanon.”

SNIPPET: “The goods were carried in containers from the Iranian merchant fleet. An examination of the containers revealed that they were carrying weapons”

SNIPPET: “The lift destined for Hezbollah was hidden among thousands of white polyethylene bags. The weight of each bag was about 25 kg (55 lbs). Boxes contained 106 mm shells, rockets 107 mm and 122 mm in diameter, hand grenades, mortar shells, anti-tank missiles, and ammunition for Kalashnikov rifles.”

SNIPPET: “The ship’s crew, including sailors from Poland, the Ukraine, and the Far East currently is remaining on the ship’s deck. The crew was shocked when they learned that massive quantities of weaponry were hidden in the polyethylene bags.”

Attila Somfalvi, Dudi Cohen and Roee Nahmias contributed to this report

First Published: 11.04.09, 17:42

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

If they are shipping that amount of weaponry just imagine if Iran creates an atomic bomb. Will they use a proxy(Hezbollah) to deliver an atomic weapon to an Israeli city?

[newnhdad]

Wait, this is just a lumber ship..