Israel attacks Gaza flotilla - Many dead

[EdgeofDawn]

Has anyone heard about this yet?

Rep. Sherman: prosecute U.S. citizens involved with Gaza flotilla
_http://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/rep-sherman-prosecute-u-s-citizens-involved-with-gaza-flotilla.html

 

[judyanderson12]

John, I read the article posted above regarding Rep. Sherman and was pretty thoroughly disgusted (what's new?) and also thinking it seems to be more of a demonstration of what is planned for this country -- cyberwar, or shall we say, control of our most important tool at present for getting real news and intelligent input. I watched a few short videos today at the corbettreport website on that topic.

And, to the discussion of how others can be so blind, I can easily remember when I was in more of the normal workaday world how preoccupied I was with just going to work every day and keeping the homefires burning, and because I spent the day sitting in front of a computer inputting documents I wasn't much interested in looking at a computer.

AND, having come from the fundamentalist background with family still very entrenched in the "Israel, Children of God" sermon being pounded into them, I know how if you have been programmed to be in church every time the doors are open and take that current minister's version of the Bible as truth because he's studied it so carefully, you just DON'T question. Everyone is seeing the world through their eyes, their perception, and probably in the way that at the time feels "safest" to them.

The good news is that we are all evolving and BEING (is that good news?). Note, that I continue to look for good news.

Jazper

 

[Buddy]

Speaking of the apologists for Israel, I guess they've all been activated to speak up.

American Enterprise Institute's Michael Rubin (former Pentagon adviser on Iran and Iraq during George W. Bush’s first term as president and Former Fellow of Washington Institute for Near East Policy) writing in “The Corner” in the National Review Online regarding the Flotilla “Incident”, leaves little doubt as to his core worldview. The post speaks for itself: (my bold)

[Pro-Israel stuff, yada yada]

"If Obama decides it is in America’s interest to make an example of Israel after the Gaza flotilla incident in order to win goodwill in Cairo, Beirut, Tehran, and Ankara, then he must also recognize that the leadership in Jerusalem is going to conclude that it cannot trust the United States to safeguard its security, and that therefore it must take matters into its own hands on any number of issues, not the least of which is Iran’s nuclear program. In effect, if the White House decides to come down hard on Israel now, it is the same as giving a green light for Israel to strike Iran. That is not advocacy; it is just the realism about which President Obama is so fond."
_http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Rubin_Michael

...and then we see this so that we can "know' Israel's actions toward Iran in the Gulf are "justified"?:

Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran - Times Online, 05/30/10
(excerpts) Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline…Some of the cruise missiles are equipped with the most advanced nuclear warheads in the Israeli arsenal…
..The submarines could be used if Iran continues its programme to produce a nuclear bomb. “The 1,500km range of the submarines’ cruise missiles can reach any target in Iran,” said a navy officer…
ENTIRE ARTICLE – _http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7140282.ece

(Remember, it was Rubin’s mentor, Richard Perle, who did as much as anyone to cement strategic ties between Turkey and Israel over many years. It must be a difficult moment for these guys.)

Overall source:
_http://www.lobelog.com/aeis-rubin-calls-for-unconditional-support-for-israel-or-else/

 

[EdgeofDawn]

Well, it appears that the Rachael Corrie as been boarded and the people arrested.

 

[NormaRegula]

Breaking - about 1 hour ago: Aid Ship 'Intercepted' by Israeli Troops: Gaza Committee

Says in the article communication with the Rachel Corrie has been cut off - An Israeli spokeswoman denies the boat has been taken over.

_http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100605/twl-aid-ship-intercepted-by-israeli-troo-0a24677.html

 

[Saman]

I couldn't find these two links with a quick search on the Cassiopaea Forum so here they are just in case someone else wants to watch them. They relate to this thread:

ריאיון עם פרופסור נועם חומסקי Noam Chomsky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCtYecGbQz8&feature=youtube_gdata

'Israel is a Lunatic State' - Finkelstein on Gaza Flotilla Attack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB_CKL5h2_8&feature=youtube_gdata


Mod's note: The youtube's links have been activated for the benefit of the members of this forum.

 

[aragorn]

I've been following the fate of Rachel Corrie on Twitter. So far the messages have been a little confusing. Dunno what exactly is happening, but have a look:

_http://mobile.twitter.com/freegazaorg

 

[Saman]

I've been following the fate of Rachel Corrie on Twitter. So far the messages have been a little confusing. Dunno what exactly is happening, but have a look:

_http://mobile.twitter.com/freegazaorg

I found some more info on what is going on this site, of all places...the video by CNN seems to be uncharacteristically sympathetic to the people of Gaza.

_http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/06/05/gaza.flotilla/?hpt=T3

 

[GRiM]

I don't know what to think about this, a threat to someone? There is surely a triple-reverse psychology game-theory thing going on here, but at face-value this is just so incredible stupid. The two different versions are both at IDF's official youtube-channel.


IDF Releases Apparently Doctored Flotilla Audio; Press Reports As Fact

The IDF’s propaganda is getting stupider and stupider, and the media is enthusiastically playing along. This audio, which purports to show flotilla passengers telling the IDF to “go back to Auschwitz,” appears to have been doctored by the rosh katan at the IDF General Press Office.

The clip originally released by the IDF on May 31 of its exchange with the Mavi Marmara, which is featured below, shows the IDF warning the ship’s crew, “Mavi Marmara, you are appproaching an area of hostility which is under a naval blockade. The Gaza area coastal region and Gaza harbor are closed to all maritime traffic…” The Mavi Marmara responded to the IDF’s warning: “Negative, negative. Our destination is Gaza. Our destination is Gaza.” There was no reference to Auschwitz in the video the IDF released on May 31.

On June 4, the IDF released apparently doctored audio of its exchange with the Mavi Marmara. The clip the IDF released featured the same imagery from its previous clip, but the voice of the Israeli Navy dispatcher was dramatically different. And the reply from the Mavi Marmara sounded like an impersonation of an Arab by a mentally challenged pre-adolescent (both videos are still on the IDF’s YouTube channel even though they completely contradict each other).

Further, the IDF is claiming its “Aushwitz” audio is from the Mavi Marmara. Yet it includes a recording of Huwaida Arraf saying “we have permission from the Gaza port authority to enter.” Huwaida has confirmed to the Institute For Middle East Understanding that her voice appeared in the apparently doctored clip. Unfortunately for the IDF, Huwaida was on the Challenger One, not the Mavi Marmara. How can the IDF account for this inconvenient discrepancy?

The Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronot, which means “latest news,” are in fact the latest idiots. They’ve reported the apparently doctored audio clip as fact. And so has Haaretz. Haaretz has quietly changed its headline but the article remains completely credulous. Neither outlet made any effort to investigate the veracity of the IDF’s claims.

Either the mayor of Chelm is in charge of the IDF Press Office, or the Israeli military has something very ugly to hide.

Update: Ali Abunimah has also confirmed with Huwaida that her voice appeared in the apparently doctored IDF audio clip, but that she was not on the Mavi Marmara.

"Original" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKOmLP4yHb4 / (reply) "Negative negative, our destination is Gaza."
Fake video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ / (reply) "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz" "We're helping Arabs go against the US, don't forget 9/11 guys"



edit:

Iran-US naval incident of January 2008

Main article: 2008 US-Iranian naval dispute

On January 7, 2008, the government of the United States of America reported that the day before a number of Iranian IRGC Navy speedboats had harassed and threatened US warships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. In a video clip [4] released by the administration, a crew member on a warship issues this radio message:

"This is coalition warship. I am engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law. I maintain no harm. Over!"

This is followed by footage of smaller speedboats traveling at high speed around US warships. The crew member is heard on the radio warning five unidentified craft that they are approaching coalition warships and asking them to identify themselves and report their intentions. Later, the crew member is heard warning the crafts to stay away. Then a heavily accented voice is heard replying:

"I am coming to you... You will explode after few minutes."

The incident occurred three days before President Bush was due to travel to Israel and Arab states of the Persian Gulf for talks on the Israeli-Palestinian relations, US arms sales to the Persian Gulf Arab states, and US's claim that Iran was a dangerous nation with intentions of producing nuclear weapons (see Nuclear program of Iran). The White House said the incident was an example of irresponsible, provocative, and aggressive behavior by the Iranian government [5], with President Bush warning that "all options are on the table to secure" US military assets[6]

Iranian government played down the incident as nothing but a routine encounter[7] occurring between naval vessels for the purpose of identifying each other and later released its own video clip of the incident[8], recorded on one of the Iranian speedboats[9]. This clip begins with moving images of a number of warships and an Iranian voice is heard, in Persian, attempting to read the side number of one of the warships ("73"). Later an Iranian IRGC naval personnel is shown speaking into a radio transmitter, at some distance from a number of warships.

"Navy warship 73; This is Iranian navy patrol boat on channel 16. Come in! Over!"

An American voice is heard replying:

"This is coalition warship 7 3. Roger! Over!"

After a repeat of the conversation the Iranian personnel is heard asking the coalition warship to switch to channel 11 with the American voice replying that they were shifting to channel 11. The Iranians are heard shifting to channel 11 and continuing their conversation with the warship personnel. The clip ends, showing no confrontation or threatening language used by either side.

 

[Gonzo]

Regarding Puck's post that referenced IDF photos of confiscated weapons:

---snip---
Israel has posted pictures of weapons and war material that they 'confiscated' from the freedom flotilla, unfortunately anyone with two-firing neurons and a computer can see that the pictures were taken in 2003 and 2006.
---snip---

Although the image metadata clearly shows two dates from 2003 and 2006, Israeli spokes have said it must be because they never set the date and time on the camera. This actually provides a degree of credibility requiring further analysis from someone more knowledgeable than I.

I would really love the world to see evidence of Israeli's manipulations.
Is this a possible explanation for the date discrepancy?

I guess the focus on the "weapons" is quite a distraction considering how ineffective they would be against such heavily armed and trained commandos.

Gonzo

 

[transdimensional]

Israel Defense Force Fabricates Anti-Semitic Remarks in Aid Flotilla Tape

Israel Defense Force Fabricates Anti-Semitic Remarks in Aid Flotilla Tape

Public Intelligence
5 June 2010


The Israel Defense Force released a video yesterday that it claimed contained audio of a conversation between Israeli naval vessels and the Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara. The conversation is supposed to have occurred prior to the Israeli assault that killed at least 9 passengers and injured dozens more in the early hours of May 31 in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean. This audio clip, which has been given the title “Radio Transmission from Mavi Marmara to Israeli Navy”, appears to be an almost comical fabrication, utilizing separate pieces of audio spliced together to imitate a continuous interaction. Unlike other clips which contain moving images, this clip features only a still photo. It was released a day after Israel’s forced retraction of the claim that members of the aid flotilla were connected to Al-Qaeda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ

ISRAELI SHIP “This is the Israeli Navy, you are approaching an area which is under a naval blockade”

MAN’S VOICE 1 “Shut up, go back to Auschwitz.”

WOMAN’S VOICE “We have permission from the Gaza Port Authority to enter.”

MAN’S VOICE 2 “We’re helping Arabs go against the US, don’t forget 9/11 guy”

According to Ali Abunimah, Adam Shapiro, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, has identified the woman’s voice as that of his wife Huwaida Arraf, chair of the Free Gaza Movement. However, Arraf was not aboard the Mavi Marmara. She was aboard one of the small passenger vessels in the six-boat flotilla, called Challenger 1. In fact, Arraf appeared on Russia Today describing her experiences aboard that vessel.

To make matters worse, the IDF released a video depicting what seems to be the very same conversation some days prior. However, there is no mention of Auschwitz or 9/11 in this video, only a reply of “Negative, negative, our destination is Gaza.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKOmLP4yHb4

********************

source: Public Intelligence

 

[Joe]

Re: Israel Defense Force Fabricates Anti-Semitic Remarks in Aid Flotilla Tape

Good find, thanks. This is one for SOTT.

 

[Saman]

Regarding Puck's post that referenced IDF photos of confiscated weapons:

---snip---
Israel has posted pictures of weapons and war material that they 'confiscated' from the freedom flotilla, unfortunately anyone with two-firing neurons and a computer can see that the pictures were taken in 2003 and 2006.
---snip---

Although the image metadata clearly shows two dates from 2003 and 2006, Israeli spokes have said it must be because they never set the date and time on the camera. This actually provides a degree of credibility requiring further analysis from someone more knowledgeable than I.

I would really love the world to see evidence of Israeli's manipulations.
Is this a possible explanation for the date discrepancy?

I guess the focus on the "weapons" is quite a distraction considering how ineffective they would be against such heavily armed and trained commandos.

Gonzo

I don't see the point in this case in looking further for this time discrepancy. I mean as you say, what "weapons" in the first place??? For reals man all these items can be found on any ship! Or am I mistaken???

Edit: Well correction, I guess depending on the type of ship and its duration on the sea, destination, weather, etc, these types of items are common. So not just "any ship".

 

[Saman]

"Original" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKOmLP4yHb4 / (reply) "Negative negative, our destination is Gaza."
Fake video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ / (reply) "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz" "We're helping Arabs go against the US, don't forget 9/11 guys"

OH pleaaazzeee, it's sounds so fake I can't believe they are using it! Unless of course the 'higher ups' want to intentionally start a war this time so they use such obvious fakes? Your mention of triple-reverse psychology game-theory made me wonder...hmm I don't know for sure.

 

[Keit]

Sweden to launch weeklong boycott on Israeli ships
_http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3899301,00.html

Swedish Port Workers Union says won't handle Israeli ships in protest of Monday's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla

Associated Press
Published: 06.05.10, 16:52 / Israel News

Swedish dockworkers are set to launch a weeklong boycott of Israeli ships and goods to protest Monday's raid on a Gaza-destined aid flotilla, a union spokesman said Saturday

Nine activists died after Israeli troops intercepted the convoy. Nearly 700 activists had joined that operation, most of them aboard the lead boat from Turkey that was the scene of the violence.

Peter Annerback, a spokesman for the Swedish Port Workers Union which has around 1,500 members, said workers are urged to refuse handling of Israeli goods and ships during the June 15-24 boycott.

"If an Israeli ship would come we would just leave it be and not work on it," Annerback said of the measures.

The union supports the organization "Ship to Gaza," which took part in the flotilla headed for Gaza.

In a statement, the union said the reason for the boycott "is the unprecedented criminal attack on the peaceful ship convoy In Gaza. Several peace activists were killed by Israeli commandos and other participants were detained without any reason."

It also urged other unions and organizations to join them through similar initiatives and called for Israel to be brought to justice for the attack and that it respects international law "and that the blockade of Gaza immediately lifted."

Annerback said it was still unclear how much the boycott is expected to affect trade between the Sweden and Israel since the union still needs to identify cargos with Israeli origin.

"Right now it's not that easy to spot where it comes from so we still have a lot of detective work to do in that area," Federal Chairman Bjorn Borg said.