Weapons Haul Folo « Liveshots

Iran

66

comments

Weapons Haul Folo

November 5, 2009 - 10:25 AM | by: Michael Tobin

Day 2 after the Israeli military put on a display of a massive weapons seizure from the container ship Francop off their shore in the Mediterranean Sea and the big haul has kicked over to politics and PR.

Syria was quick to deny that the weapons were bound for their port in Latakia. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said “This ship does not carry Iranian weapons to Syria and does not contain military material to manufacture weapons in Syria .”

Yigal Palmor a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign ministry said that Syria ’s denial was “Funny…when the Syrian Foreign Minister denies the fact, even as they are taken out of the crates right before our eyes.”

Hizbollah faxed a statement to the Associated Press in Beirut saying, “Hizbollah categorically denies it has any connection with the weapons which the Zionist enemy claims it seized aboard the Francop ship.”

Israel never presented hard evidence that the weapons were destined for Hizbollah. Rear Adm. Roni Ben-Yehuda of the Israeli Navy just connected the two in his statement then pointed to consistency between the type of weapons seized (medium range Kytusha rockets in particular) and the type of weapons Hizbollah fired at Israel in the 2006 Hizbollah war. (4000 Kytushas were fired at Israeli cities.)

Without producing the documents, Israel said the cargo certificates prove the load originated in Bandar Abbas , Iran . I could see with my own eyes the printing on the side of the containers which read: Iran Shipping Lines Group. State run Iran TV said that the “Israeli propaganda” was aimed at diverting attention away from the Goldstone report. (That report condemns the actions of Israel ’s military in last winter’s offensive in Gaza as war crimes and was presented to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.)

Without blinking, Israel presses on with the effort of making the seizure as public as possible. The Foreign Ministry has been offering tours of Port of Ashdodwhere the ship was offloaded and the weapons showroom soldiers laid out on the docks. Palmor says they are showing the massive weapons haul to all diplomats posted in Israel and their military attaches. “We think this is very significant.” He tells me. “This is hard core, hard fact; proof of what Iran is doing to destabilize the region. This is not an intelligence report. This is proof.”

Tags

Israeli Weapons Seizure

66 Comments

«12 3 »

Pink

The first vessel carrying containers from Iran was the Visea (ex Iran Zanian) shipping under Iranian Pavillon. you can see Vessels route history under the links of my blog. And all story http://web.me.com/marmelademac/GEOPINK/TEXTES/Entr%C3%A9es/2009/11/5_L%E2%80%99odyss%C3%A9e_d%E2%80%99un_convoi_d%E2%80%99armes.html Use google for translation and you'll see !

November 7, 2009 at 1:43 PM

Leo

I hate how people always think that Israel only gets weapons from the US. Do you have any idea how highly advance and technological the Israeli's are and that actual is Israel also supplies and shares alot of there technology with us as well. Israel has designed many missiles and guidance systems and supply the our military with alot more than people realize. Thank God we have a partner and a friend like Israel in the middle east. Probably in the whole world Israel is probably America's best friend. Unfortunatley our government Barack Obama is treating Israel like crap and trying to sell Israel out for a nation that burns our flags, wants to kill our innocent civilians, think we are a bunch of infidel's, and treats it's people like crap and talk about violating peoples' rights countries like Iran do it to there own people, if they treat there own people like they do, how do you expect them to treat Israel. And people say its' the Israeli's that don't want peace. Look how the Palestinians act. They kill one another all the time. In America we have different parties like the Republicans and the Dems, in Israel it's the same thing, but the Palestinians who have Fatah and Hamas if your on the opposite side you get murdered. How do you expect a people that kills its own countrymen for hasving a slightly differing opnion to make peace with Israel. It just blows me away that people blame Israel for not making peace with the Palestinians. ANd do you guys want to kow when the Palestinians where really abused it was when those areas belonged to Jordan and Eygpt, they treated them and abused them like dogs. The Israeli's were actually evry good to the Palestinian people and for a long while when there was a little peace they were working in Israel and profiting and things were actually going well until the Palestinians decided to start blowing themselves up. If the Palestinians said to the Israeli's hey enough is enough lets just live in peace be happy, no more blowing ourselves up, no more launching rockets into Israel town and trying to hit schools so we can kill little Israeli school children believe me, do's anybody think Israel would say no keep doing that we want war. Of course not it and then there would no reason for Israel to go and protect itself and do the raids and launch the operations they do to try and stop mad men intent on killing innocent civilians just because they are Jewish. I mean look what muslim does to muslim, because one is a Sunni and the other Shite. They kill one another because they believe in slightly different version of Islam. Again how could anyone blame Israel. Of course they would not hesitate to kill Israeli's which basically menas Jews or Christians. Because Jews and Christians are worthless people to them since they don't believe in Mohammed. -wrote this fast, please excuse spelling errors-

November 5, 2009 at 4:38 PM

Bob Zwarick

I think its time thhat the westbank and other rerritories last during the wars be formalized and the issues ended. Its going nowhere and we should stay the heck out of it. How many years can this drag on?

November 5, 2009 at 4:26 PM

Hummm

Whether you want to believe it or not, the world in the middle of a Holy war that has been raging for thousands of years. It's never going to end, why? Because extremists on either side will NEVER accept defeat. They will fight to the death over reasons that are not of this earth. This world is a chess board, and as long as there are extremist opponents the battle will continue to wage. It's no longer about countries and borders like years ago… it's a belief.... and you can't fight a belief, you can’t reason with it, and most of the time you can’t change it. Sorry to reign on everybody’s parade but you better get used to it.

November 5, 2009 at 4:22 PM

Lefty01

Israel should give the siezed weapons back to Iran... special delivery. Israel must wipe out Iran's facilities soon. Don't count on the US or anyone else for help, it's not going to happen- but better to defend your nation than wait for others to retaliate for you after you've been attacked.

November 5, 2009 at 3:38 PM

Micah

DAve- You really should know whats going on and has gone on before you shoot your mouth off like that. This shows you'r ignorance more than anything.

November 5, 2009 at 3:36 PM

thom morin

If my comment does not get posted, it will be because Dave and his friends didn't like it.

November 5, 2009 at 3:35 PM

leo

I'm sorry Tracy and whoever there just doesn't understand the middle east. I know you think your an expert while drinking you Mocha latte at Starbucks on how the Israeli's treat the palestinians. Here is a simple truth if you take all the weapons away from every Arab country and only leave Israel with all the weapons including a nuclear arsenal, which they do have do you know what would happen to the Arab countries around Israel**Nothing**Now take every weapon away from Israel and give the Arabs every weapon, do you know what would happen -Israel would be destroyed in one minute- And that just shows the mentality difference between the Arab countries and Israel. Don't tell me the ARabs want peace cause if they did they would have it. Maybe go hand out in Israel for a few weeks and you'll see how Israeli's are. Then go hang out in Iran "Tracy" and I hope they lock you up in jail for five years for saying you don;t agree with the government or maybe a terrorist group will kidnap you a chop your head off because you just look like that digusting westernized woman they so hate. Sorry Tracy but you need a reality check and right now your comments are ridiculous. If that weapons ship made it to Lebanon, you know what would happen Hezbollah would start another war with Israel at the expense of the people of Lebanon. Again if you had to land in a plane anywhere in the middleeast where would you want to land. I think Israel cause you know in Arab country you would be slaughtered. Israeli's are very reasonable and inteligent people, what do you think they want to live in a state of war. of course they want peace with there neighbors. Tell me this how come Israel allows Arab citizens. And Arabs in Government show me one Arab country that would do that for a jew. STupid and brainless talk. Comparing Somali pirates to Israel stoping a ship loaded with weapons. That no country is taking responsability for. ANd do you know why because thankfully Israel stopped an illegal arms ship, with weapons headed for some terrorist group. Why do you think no one wants to accept responsability for it.

November 5, 2009 at 3:33 PM

jomondo

If you want to lay blame, look to the Brits. The British didn't want a Jewish majority in the region. This led in later years to a policy of systematically reduced immigration quotas, and indirectly to the death of millions of Jewish refugees in Europe twenty some years later. The British would illegally partition the region into

November 5, 2009 at 3:28 PM

GreggM

Spoken like a true Muslim Extremist. Ain't free speech great?

November 5, 2009 at 3:26 PM

thommorin

Iran has fermented terrorist activity since the formation of the Islamic State. Islam is the dirtiest religion on earth and the only one that considers non believers as infidels and are maimed, murdured and mutilated in the name of alla. They have the audasity to ask for tolerance and understanding. Tell that to the millions of innocent victims of their murderous campains. This shipment is only the tip of the iceburg to the continuation of the distruction of innocent people around the world. Iran and Syria have all the blood of the untold millions of innocent women and children on their hands. As barbaric as they are, they don't give a damn.

November 5, 2009 at 3:26 PM

GreggM

Israel is our only true friend in the Middle East. We can't show it as long as we need their oil. Israel has everything it needs to defend itself and it will when the time is right...Iran is on borrowed time.

November 5, 2009 at 3:22 PM

Texan

Iran has been a threat for many years. Bush never took any action, so why bash Obama? Bush called Iran "the axis of evil", and had years to do something. Obama has been in office less than one year and people call him a "coward". This site is 90% haters that just don't like our president no matter what. Always remember that ignorance, prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.

November 5, 2009 at 3:21 PM

LeoB

Yeah thats right the US went to war with Iraq cause the primer minister of Isael called President Bush and said hey Mr. Bush guess what the Iraqi have weapons of mass destruction. -How Lame and brainless- And Israel does fight it's own wars and has been doing so for many years. And if they need to take care of Iran they will do it on there own. Any anyone who thinks Israel gets all there weapons from The United States and would not be strong without them, the you need to check you facts.

November 5, 2009 at 3:18 PM

common_sense

Iran does not need to be nuked. Israel just needs to flatten the capital of Iran and the leaders. The people generally want to be free of them. But like American democrats, the leaders in Iran are ruthless and violent, not willing to cede power. Get rid of the leaders and the people will follow what you start Israel.

November 5, 2009 at 3:12 PM

Smokey

But Iran is out friend. How can people blame Obama and Islam for this? Are we only hearing one side of the (slanted) story?

November 5, 2009 at 3:03 PM

roger

Dave. If the U S didnt hold Israel back from fighting (their own Battles) Iran would be free of the Mullahs now. And free of most living things to boot. You had better hope that the Mean old U S A continues to keep that dog on its leash.

November 5, 2009 at 3:00 PM

Sharpenurswords

I say give the Iranians their wish... America is screwed anyway... start Armageddon and Nuke Iran til it glows... Then they get their wish... bringing in the destruction of mankind!!! THEM FIRST!!!

November 5, 2009 at 2:56 PM

Jay Lehman

If statement that "Israel is treating the Palestinians like the Nazis treated them!" were true, all Palestinians would now be dead. Israel has had ample time to gas them all by now. Instead, their population continues to grow, and they enjoy more freedom than do most arabs living in arab countries.

November 5, 2009 at 2:34 PM

Bryan

Hey DAve, Read Isaiah Chapter 55, unfortunately you are on the wrong side of God here.

November 5, 2009 at 2:30 PM

«12 3 »