Does anyone
actually understand that a successful penetration of Israeli defenses by Hamas with
a long range effective rocket will trigger a full and massive Israeli assault
on Gaza with the purpose of immediate absorption of Gaza itself into Israel and
the outright containment of the population in such a way as to preclude any
such nonsense? Israel can do this and
the pretext allows it to get away with it.
The bulk of the Gazan population can be released into the West Bank while the militants languish in prison.
Such unilateral
action will secure the Egyptian Israeli border completely and be quite
satisfactory to the Egyptians. The
options for bilateral development rise exponentially as well.
Such action also
would send a powerful warning to other extremists in the West Bank and also
Southern Lebanon.
Israel
says naval raid seizes Iranian shipment of advanced rockets bound for Gaza
militants
By Aron Heller
JERUSALEM - Israeli naval forces raided a ship in the Red Sea early
Wednesday, capturing a shipment of dozens of advanced rockets from Iran
destined to Palestinian militants in Gaza that would have given them greater
reach to strike much of Israel, the military said.
The M-302 rockets
were on route in an elaborate smuggling operation orchestrated by Iran, the
military said. Manufactured in Syria, the rockets were flown to Iran, then
shipped from its Bandar Abbas port to Iraq to cover their tracks and loaded
onto the civilian cargo ship destined for Sudan. From there, they were to be
smuggled overland through Egypt to the Gaza Strip, military spokesman Lt. Col.
Peter Lerner told reporters.
Israel forces
intercepted the ship, the KLOS C, in international waters off the shores of
Sudan and Eritrea, 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) from Eilat, Israel's
southernmost point and only Red Sea port, Lerner said.
The M-302 rockets
have a range of up to 100 miles (160 kilometres) and would have significantly
improved the capabilities of Gaza militants, putting nearly all of Israel in
their range, he said. Previously, Gaza militants have only been able to reach
about 50 miles (80 kilometres) into Israel with their homegrown M-75 missiles.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah used M-302s in a 2006 war against Israel,
the military said.
Iran's
semi-official Fars news agency, close to the country's elite Revolutionary
Guard force, denied the Israeli claim, calling it "mere lies." There
was no immediate comment from Hamas, the militant group that ruled Gaza.
Abu Attaya, a
spokesman for the smaller Popular Resistance Committees, said the Israel raid
was a pretext "to prepare the public opinion for new wave of aggression
planned against Gaza."
Israel says Iran
and militants have used a similar route in the past. It was not clear how
militants would have smuggled the weapons into Gaza, given the naval blockade
imposed on it and the current Egyptian leadership's hostility toward Hamas and
its blocking of major smuggling tunnels. Lerner insisted however that Gaza was
the destination, saying the operation — codenamed "Full Disclosure"
came after months of intelligence gathering.
The 17-member crew
of the Panamanian-flagged vessel co-operated with the Israeli forces, Lerner
said, adding they were not suspects and were probably unaware of the content of
their cargo. The vessel was being brought to Eilat.
Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the U.S. this week, held a series
of talks with Israeli defence officials ahead of the ship's takeover. He took
the opportunity Wednesday to warn world powers about the consequences of a
nuclear Iran. Netanyahu has been a harsh critic of world powers' negotiations
with Tehran, saying the international community has given it too much relief
from sanctions while getting few concessions in return. Netanyahu believes Iran
is trying to build a nuclear bomb — a charge Tehran denies.
"At a time
when it talks with the world powers, at a time when Iran is smiling and saying
all sorts of pleasantries, that same Iran is sending lethal weapons to terror
organizations and it is doing it with an elaborate network of covert global
operations with the aim of streaming rockets, missiles and other lethal weapons
to harm innocent civilians. This is the real Iran and that country must not be
able to have a nuclear weapon," he said.
Video released by
the military showed Israeli soldiers on the ship inspecting the rockets,
shipped in large crates. The video also showed beige bags containing cement
with the words "Made in I.R. Iran," in English, written on them.
Israeli Defence
Minister Moshe Yaalon said the weapons headed for Gaza were "strategically
important."
"Iran trains,
funds and arms terror groups in the region and around the world and its failed
attempts to transfer the arms that were discovered this morning is more proof
of that," he said.
Gaza is ruled by
Hamas, an Islamic militant group that already possesses thousands of rockets. A
number of smaller groups, including the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, and al-Qaida-inspired
groups also possess rockets. All have engaged in frequent rocket fire toward
communities in southern Israel. The military did not specify to which group the
latest shipment was believed to be destined.
Israel accuses
Iran of supplying rockets and other arms to its foes — militants in Gaza and
Lebanon's Hezbollah — and it has moved to intercept weapons shipments in the
past.
Three years ago,
Israel seized the cargo ship Victoria loaded with weapons allegedly sent by
Iran to Gaza militants, including land-to-sea missiles.
In November 2009,
Israel took over the Iranian Francop vessel off the coast of Cyprus and
captured hundreds of tons of rockets, missiles, mortars, grenades and anti-tank
weapons on board that it said were headed to Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Israel is also
suspected of carrying out airstrikes in Sudan on arms shipments believed to be
bound for Gaza. Israel has never confirmed carrying out the strikes.
In January 2002,
Israeli forces stormed the Karine A freighter on the Red Sea, and confiscated
what the military said was 50 tons of missiles, mortars, rifles and ammunition
headed for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
In May 2001,
Israel captured the vessel Santorini off its coastline, packed with explosives
Israel said were being sent from Hezbollah to Palestinian militant groups.
Israel's Foreign
Ministry said Israeli troops boarded the ship in accordance with international
law and with the consent of the crew and the relevant authorities. It said the
ship was operated by a company registered in the Marshall Islands.
It added that
Israel will lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations' Security Council
and with a sanctions committee established under Security Council resolution
1737.
1 comment:
Anyone believing ANYTHING Israel purports as truth is an IDIOT! Israel is nothing but a blood-thirsty, lying bunch of filthy scumbags!
Post a Comment