Report: Israel attacks flotilla, 10 die

[VonHesse]

HAIFA, Israel - Israeli Navy commandos attacked at least one of the six ships carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid for blockaded Gaza, killing 10 and wounding several dozen on board, according to an Israeli TV network and a lawyer for the activists' group. Channel 10 said the final death toll could be higher as Navy commandos who boarded the convoy were still conducting searches and encountering often violent resistance from pro-Palestinian activists.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37423584...deastn_africa/

Had a feeling it was going to end this way. It's always the way it ends when people without guns try to stand up against people with guns.

Just sad really.

Oh, and the contraband worth killing over...?

The boats are carrying items that Israel bars from reaching Gaza, like cement and other building materials. The activists said they also were carrying hundreds of electric-powered wheelchairs, prefabricated homes and water purifiers.

Conflicting info on the number of deceased, a sad case nevertheless. Doesn't make Israel look particularly nice.

[GoldenRivet]

Unfortunate that people died.

But a blockade is a blockade, even if you plan on smuggling something as benign as childrens party hats into an active blockade zone you had best be aware of the very real possibility of getting your ass shot at.

Not taking sides... I'm just sayin'

these types of people would run head long into a mine field and then act surprised when they get their legs blown off.

Besides... Palestenians aren't so concerned about world stage appearances when they suicide bomb a bus station or something.

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Unfortunate that people died.

But a blockade is a blockade, even if you plan on smuggling something as benign as childrens party hats into an active blockade zone you had best be aware of the very real possibility of getting your ass shot at.

Not taking sides... I'm just sayin'

these types of people would run head long into a mine field and then act surprised when they get their legs blown off.

Besides... Palestenians aren't so concerned about world stage appearances when they suicide bomb a bus station or something.

You probably didn't care anything about the USS Liberty - incident either. I mean, it's Israel and you guys have 'special ties'. US military members and citizens come second, Israel comes first, right?

[GoldenRivet]

Like I said... I'M NOT TAKING SIDES (all caps so OTH might catch it this time as he failed to do so last time around)

go into a warzone or blockade zone... Be you American, Canadian, French, German, Martian, teletubby -whatever- Be ready to get shot at if you choose to do so.

I'm not justifying these events or any past or future activities.

Just pointing out that if you go outside during a monsoon, expect to get wet.

[VonHesse]

Early reports suggest that they were in international waters when the Israeli Navy boarded the ships.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/wo...1flotilla.html

The warships first intercepted the aid flotilla shortly before midnight on Sunday, surprising the boats in international waters, according to activists on one vessel.

Awfuly ballsy to be boarding a Turkish flagged ship in international waters. Intended blockade runners or no, untill they actually enter Israeli waters and/or the blockade zone, forcibly boarding a foriegn flagged ship would seem to be a big no-no.

The reports are still rolling in, and it's late here. Be interested to see if things get clarified by the morning. Might be an international brouhaha
in the making.

Oh, and I'm not taking sides either. Not till the facts are clearer and then only on the facts of this incident. 2000 year arguments are not my cup of tea.

[Merchant Raider]

Sad to see alright, a great army with a proud past reduced to this and killing women and kids in Gaza, are we seeing the begining of a new rogue state, or more unrest in this region

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by VonHesse

Early reports suggest that they were in international waters when the Israeli Navy boarded the ships.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/wo...1flotilla.html

They were 70 miles off the coast, that is not international waters that is within Israel's EEZ (Economic Exclusion Zone) in which they have the right to conduct fishing, mining etc. So the ship was in the EEZ with the intention of entering the Contiguous Zone, running the blockade and thus did not have the right of innocent passage.


Any see the video of one of these "Peaceful Activists" stabbing an IDF trooper in the back?

http://www.informationdissemination....reporting.html

[Skybird]

A blockade that does not get enforced when being challenged, is no blockade (and an untlimatum that does not see the threatened consequences when reaching the end, is no ultimatum).

60+ wounded or dead, 10 Israeli so far wounded, one serious. Storming a ship on high seas is a high risk operation. I assume the commandos acted with according - and needed! - determination, beacause: as I just said, storming ships on high seas are high risk operations. Compromises you make easily result in own troops dead.

Many civilian goods get used for passive and active resistence in Gaza, their intended purpose gets "retargeted". When I first heared about that flotilla getting assembled, I immediately thought that this also was a PR stunt to bring Israel into a position where it would look bad, necessarily.

A week ago or so I wrote that all media awereness and all cameras should be withdrawn from the Israeli-Palestine area. There, almost every picture you see, is arranged. Every spontaneity is organised. Every spontanous demonstration - was announced one day earlier so that the foreign correspondents have enough time to organise their things and get there and set up their cameras. Every "random chance" event was designed for its purpose. You taking note of such things is the purpose why they are kept running on. As CCIP typed above while I was typing mine: it'S about propaganda. There are no innocent sides in this.

Regarding the activists, they asked for trouble, it seems they found it. Could happen when one is denying reality. An embargo is an embargo (even supported ans assisted by Egypt in this case), not a free trade zone.

[tater]

Originally Posted by VonHesse

Had a feeling it was going to end this way. It's always the way it ends when people without guns try to stand up against people with guns.

The commandos were armed with paintball guns and side arms.

After being attacked, they opened fire with their sidearms.

Originally Posted by tater

The commandos were armed with paintball guns and side arms.

After being attacked, they opened fire with their sidearms.

How about a link?

[Dowly]

Would like a link too. Tho, I'm pretty sure a sort of an paintball gun with special ammo is used in law enforcement all around the world.

Originally Posted by Dowly

Would like a link too. Tho, I'm pretty sure a sort of an paintball gun with special ammo is used in law enforcement all around the world.

Well it was in Wikipedia so it might be true. Would make sense for them to use non-lethal stuff like pepper shots (?) or something to stun etc. But ~19 dead? It's still a massacre.

[tater]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

How about a link?

Look at 52 seconds, it's clearly a paintball gun.

A few seconds later you can see they all are armed the same way.

They were attacked from the moment they landed, too, and returned fire with paintball guns, apparently until one was stabbed.

[Bilge_Rat]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

How about a link?

here you go.

An Israeli military spokesman said some of the commandos were equipped with paintball guns but the non-lethal weapons were not enough against activists who charged in with batons.
"They had pistols with live ammunition as back-up, to defend themselves," he said. The IDF said it had confiscated two pistols from the boat.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomac...ch-us-1.293089