[click image].
Israeli forces have attacked—in international waters—the international aid flotilla approaching Gaza. At least ten dead so far. Many wounded.
Thousands of Turkish protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul soon after the news of the operation broke. The protesters shouted "Damn Israel" as police blocked them.It was bad enough earlier, and now I'm listening to al Jazeera reporting on this attack. They dropped commandos down onto the boats from helicopters. Maybe fifteen civilian aid activists are dead and about thirty wounded.
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Those MISERABLE mother fuckers did this spectacularly aggressive thing to hold off the latest Palestinian Peace Offensive. The walls of my house are being blown down by my ire. Women. Children. Old people. Public officials. Unarmed civilians are on those boats!
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PRESSTV is reporting TWENTY killed.
I'm dreaming of our troops in Iraq hopping on helicopters and landing in Israel right now. Oh, you should see the kind of swift justice swirling around in my head.
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1am — some lying fuck in Israel is announcing that there were WEAPONS on that flotilla!
Give me a nuke.
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2:30am — Turkish government calling the Israeli liar official a liar, stating unequivocally that all the ships in the flotilla were thoroughly searched before being allowed to depart Istanbul. He's said the word now in all it's facets: liar, lying, lie... not true... LYING LIAR... which, if you think about it, has to be precisely the case. There were people of every nationality and age aboard, plus journalists, famous people, Nobel laureates... no WAY they were carrying weapons to Gaza.
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Footage from the very beginning of the attack:
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2pm, Thursday, 3 June: The above video is completely blank on my page. The audio is playing when you click in the black box, but no images. I DO NOT LIKE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS.
[A few minutes later: The images are back. So maybe just a cyber-glitch, but... I don't trust them.]
[If you are only getting a black box, try hitting the title to this post, see if it comes up in that view. Blogger has been doing all kinds of things, without anyone's permission, to speed up page loading, and this might be that.]
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Most reports say somewhere between fifteen and twenty dead and at least thirty wounded. Communication was cut off right after this video was transmitted, and NO word as to who is in what condition has come through as of almost 6am, Pacific Time.
The main ship, a Turkish ship, the one carrying most of the people, was the one attacked. Turkey is being VERY stern about this. Recalled their ambassador, expelled Israel's, warned Israeli tourists not to leave their hotel rooms, more.
Washington says it is struggling to understand what happened. Yeah, that's the ticket, "understand", yeah.
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Turkey is a member of NATO. From the text of the North Atlantic Treaty:
ReplyDeleteArticle 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security .
Article 6 (1)
For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:
* on the territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America, on the Algerian Departments of France (2), on the territory of or on the Islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer;
* on the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties, when in or over these territories or any other area in Europe in which occupation forces of any of the Parties were stationed on the date when the Treaty entered into force or the Mediterranean Sea or the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer."
If the NATO treaty means anything, US & NATO forces should immediately attack Israel.
Israeli allies freeze military ties over deadly Gaza ship raid
ReplyDeleteUN chief calls for investigation of Gaza aid flotilla raid
"Netanyahu says Israel wanted to check the cargo to ensure it contained no weapons.
ReplyDeleteHe says this was done successfully with five ships, but the sixth did not cooperate.
He says hundreds of people on board that ship beat, clubbed and stabbed soldiers, and there was a report of gunfire. He says that forced soldiers to attack." Link
Good grief - I saw no indication of that in the video. The only gunfire seems to have been from the Israelis.
The ship was in international waters, flying the white flag when commandos came down ropes from helicopters.
They claim 5 commandos were injured. Do not the people on the ship have a right to self defense?
But then true to form The Israelis imposed a censorship on the coverage and only a limited footage of the incident was broadcast which showed a number of people injured with bandages. Link
Protest Letter
ReplyDeleteYep and as usual the US govt. and it congress critters have nothing to say. WTF Thanks OUD for the NATO info.
ReplyDeletejo6pac
http://www.ianwelsh.net/holy-sweet-lord-turkey-has-announced-they-will-send-another-flotilla-to-gaza%e2%80%94escorted-by-the-turkish-navy/
ReplyDeleteThis just in
jo6pac
Thanks for the link jo
ReplyDeleteInteresting diagnosis.
Yes, thank you, OUD and jo and BB2.... I stayed awake, switching between al Jazeera and PRESSTV, until six... I'm sorta fried.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.juancole.com/
ReplyDeleteIf your still there check the links, I've been in the garden. There is a lot from Russia.
jo6pac
Oh, PERFECT timing, jo. I have been going to look for the Russian stuff about eight times, kept getting sidetracked, and was JUST googling for it. I wouldn't have gone to Juan Cole because I'm still pissed, seething, about what a jackass he's been about Iran. THANK YOU.
ReplyDelete