Suspected Syria munitions boat to leave Cyprus

[Ruby the Liberal]

Reuters: (Reuters) - A ship reportedly carrying ammunition to Syria will be allowed to leave Cyprus after giving authorities assurances it will change its destination, a government official said Wednesday.

Media reports said the cargo ship was carrying up to 60 tonnes of ammunition and was heading to the Syrian port city of Latakia. It docked off Cyprus Tuesday amid rough seas.

"It has been decided the vessel will be released after the ship decided to change its destination and will not go to Syria," Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told state radio.

He declined to comment on the cargo of the ship, which one newspaper said sailed from St. Petersburg about a month ago. He did not specify the reasons for the vessel switching course or its new destination.

Authorities would be in a position to issue more information later Wednesday, he said

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/11/us-cyprus-syria-cargo-idUSTRE80A0C320120111

AP: NICOSIA, Cyprus — A Russian ship that made an unscheduled stop in Cyprus while carrying tons of arms to Syria was technically violating an EU embargo on such shipments, say Cypriot officials.

The vessel, however, was allowed to continue its journey Wednesday after changing its destination.

The cargo ship, owned by St. Petersburg-based Westberg Ltd., left the Russian port on Dec. 9 for Turkey and Syria, which is 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Cyprus, the officials said.

Russia and Turkey are not members of the European Union, so such a route would not have violated the embargo the bloc imposed to protest Syria’s crackdown on the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s rule.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/cyprus-allows-ship-carrying-munitions-to-syria-to-depart-after-it-changes-its-destination/2012/01/11/gIQA7jqZqP_story.html

[tabatha]

1. It may be going to Turkey.

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. Turkey has a lot on their plate with this right now

Coupled with land vehicles to their east, they have this to the west and sprinkled on top is the political pressure from Lebanon, even if Syria is persona non-grata right now.

[David__77]

3. Hopefully destined for a sovereign state for non-interventionist purposes.

It is wrong for states to arm guerrillas attacking neighboring states. State-to-state exchanges of arms are within international law typically.

[David__77]

4. Although of course a world without weapons would be best...

Until such time as that is possible, adhering to basic international norms like sovereignty, independence, non-interference in others' internal affairs is the best course. In India, it is called Panshesheel:

Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty,
Mutual non-aggression,
Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs,
Equality and mutual benefit, and
Peaceful co-existence.

The Bandung conference in the 50s was pathbreaking in the regard of developing these bases for international relations. How far we have fallen since then...