CNN: Israel Rams Aid Boat, Cynthia McKinney On Board

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 03:01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uor1uRFEHbQ   Posted on YouTube: December 30, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: December 31, 2008 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 2076

 
CNN Correspondent Karl Penhaul was aboard the 60-foot, Gibraltar-registered pleasure boat Dignity when the contact occurred. When the boat later docked in the Lebanese port city of Tyre, severe damage was visible to the forward port side of the boat, and the front left window and part of the roof had collapsed.

The Dignity was carrying crew and 16 passengers -- physicians from Britain, Germany and Cyprus and human rights activists, including former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney -- who were trying to reach Gaza through an Israeli blockade of the territory.

The captain of the Dignity said the Israelis broadcast a radio message accusing the vessel of being involved in terrorist activity. But Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor denied that and said the radio message simply warned the vessel not to proceed to Gaza because it is a closed military area.

Palmor said there was no response to the radio message, and the vessel then tried to out-maneuver the Israeli patrol boat, leading to the collision.

Penhaul said at least two Israeli patrol boats had shadowed the Dignity for about half an hour before the collision, moving around the vessel on all sides. One of the patrol boats then shined its spotlight on the Dignity while the other, with its lights off, "very severely rammed" the boat.

The captain of the Dignity told Penhaul he received no prior warning. Only after the collision did the Israelis come on the radio to say they struck the boat because they believed it was involved in terrorist activities.

The captain and crew said their vessel was struck intentionally, Penhaul said, but Palmor called those allegations "absurd."

"There is no intention on the part of the Israeli navy to ram anybody," Palmor said.

"I would call it ramming. Let's just call it as it is," McKinney said. "Our boat was rammed three times, twice in the front and one on the side.

"Our mission was a peaceful mission to deliver medical supplies and our mission was thwarted by the Israelis -- the aggressiveness of the Israeli military," she said.

The incident occurred in international waters about 90 miles off Gaza. Israel controls the waters off Gaza's coast and routinely blocks ships from coming into the Palestinian territory as part of an ongoing blockade that also applies to the Israel-Gaza border. Human rights groups have expressed concern about the blockade on Gaza, which has restricted the delivery of emergency aid and fuel supplies.

The collision was so severe, Penhaul said, that the passengers were ordered to put on their life vests and be ready to get in lifeboats. The Dignity began taking on water, but the crew managed to pump it out of the hull long enough for the boat to reach shore.

Palmor said the vessel refused assistance after the incident.

The boat was carrying boxes of relief supplies, volunteers and journalists to Gaza, the Palestinian territory now subject to an intense Israeli bombing campaign.

Israel launched airstrikes against Gaza on Saturday in what Defense Minister Ehud Barak called an "all-out war" against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.

The Palestinian death toll has topped 375, most of them Hamas militants, Palestinian medical sources said Tuesday. At least 60 civilians have been killed in Gaza, U.N. officials said.
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Hamas has responded with volleys of rocket fire aimed at southern Israeli towns, which have left six Israelis dead -- five of them civilians.

Hamas has vowed to defend Gaza in the face of what it calls continued Israeli aggression. Each side blames the other for violating an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire, which formally expired December 19 but had been weakening for months.

[mod mom]

1. Wow, I'm shocked CNN covered this.

[AnOhioan]

2. International waters

Israel has no justification for ramming a boat in international waters. If the boat had been inside Israel's territorial waters I could almost understand. But that far out...I equate this with piracy.

[knitter4democracy]

3. For the love of Mike.

I really don't get this. Why kill innocents like this?

[indepat]

5. Anyone remember the USS Liberty being in the wrong place at the wrong time: where Israel did not

want it. :D

[knitter4democracy]

7. It sounds familiar. What was that story? nt.

[AnOhioan]

8. Link for USS Liberty attack

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident

[knitter4democracy]

11. Whoa. That sure didn't sound like an accident to me.

How could they confuse those two ships after looking at it that much? Why would they first on us, though? Why mess around like they did today?

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Not marked going into a declared warzone

if the ship's captain wants to pursue it, take this to the Admiralty Court in London

Good luck...

Serious

I wish this was as black and white as people think it is, but it is not.

But he has recourse, call the Admiralty Court...

As to humanitarian mission... I hate to point this out, but usually these are negotiated by all sides and the boats carrying them are properly marked, not just have lights on them.

Oh and international waters, these kinds of naval blockades are COMMON, and I AM POSITIVE the Navy filed with the usual suspects about dangers to navigation and all that. We have done this in international waters as well, for the most recent, see the recent war with Iraq, or the far less known launch areas for the USN right after 9.11.

Oy, and piracy it is not... but if the captain wants to pursue, go to the Admiralty Court... have IT hear this. Gibraltar Flagged, the London Court has the jurisdiction on this, clearly.

[pjt7]

6. Israel is out of F-ing

control.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. No this is SOP in a warzone

sorry to point this out

And I WANT that humanitarian aide to get through, this means everybody needs to be aware that this is comming through, and it is properly marked

As to out of fucking out of control... were we out of fucking control when we ALMOST went to war with the Pakis back after 9.11?

Oy the things that people don't know.

But there ARE PROTOCOLS to follow. They are there to keep everybody as safe as you can iin a warzone, and they include telling ALL COMBATANTS you are coming in

Sorry charlie, having been there, done that, I have a clue

[Xipe Totec]

10. They aren't saying they had the right to ram the ship, they're denying they did it

That will not go over well.

It's one thing to say, war zone blah, blah, we have every right.

It's quite another to say, who we? We didn't ram them. And then see the damage.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. That is why this needs to go to the admiralty court

there you have it, but this is pretty gray, actually

I should emphasize though why I doubt this will go there... the boat wasn't properly marked, so it enters into a slew of violations on everybody's side...

If the Navy rammed, well the captain violated a few rules of the sea... and usually Ship Captains that do this, even in a blockade, will have a few issues with advancement at the very least... so cover your ass mode is in full effect.

But the civilian ship wasn't properly marked, nor had it the authorization from all combatants to go in

Why I said, this is pretty gray... and the civilian ship captain can be fined as well.. .or even loose his license

So do you think anybody here wants to go to court?

Nobody has anybody to gain there...

[sce56]

16. This ship has been running the blockade and has been since August! Can you say Undergound Railroad?

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/22/free_gaza_boats_set_sail_from

August 22, 2008
“Free Gaza” Boats Set Sail from Cyprus to Break Israeli Blockade
Gazaweb

Two converted fishing boats set sail from Cyprus today carrying more than forty activists and humanitarian workers who are part of the Free Gaza movement that is trying to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli foreign ministry said in an open letter to the participants, “We assume that your intentions are good but, in fact, the result of your action is that you are supporting the regime of a terrorist organization in Gaza.” We speak with three of the activists at sea: Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement; Lauren Booth, a journalist and sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and Israeli anthropology professor Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Two converted fishing boats set sail from Cyprus today carrying forty-one activists and humanitarian workers who are part of the Free Gaza movement that is trying to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

The boats—the Liberty and Free Gaza—left the southern port of Larnaca this morning for the estimated thirty-hour trip. Israel has warned the activists to steer clear of Gaza, which it says is “the subject of an Israeli Navy advisory notice” that warns off foreign vessels from the “designated maritime zone.”

The Israeli foreign ministry said in an open letter to the participants, “We assume that your intentions are good but, in fact, the result of your action is that you are supporting the regime of a terrorist organization in Gaza.”

AMY GOODMAN: We are joined right now by one of the activists at sea on the boat Liberty. Huwaida Arraf is a human rights activist. She’s co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement. She teaches human rights law at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem.

We welcome you to Democracy Now!

HUWAIDA ARRAF: Thank you for having me.

AMY GOODMAN: Huwaida, tell us just where you are. And when did you set sail?

HUWAIDA ARRAF: We left the southern port of Larnaca at approximately 10:00 a.m. our time. We are headed straight for Gaza. We are two vessels, sailing without problems so far. The water is a little choppy, but everyone is in high spirits. If everything goes OK and we are not blocked by the Israeli navy, we expect to be there within the next twenty-four to twenty-six hours.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And what do you hope to accomplish? What kinds of medical supplies do you have?

HUWAIDA ARRAF: Well, we are carrying onboard approximately 200 hearing aids that were requested by a society in Gaza for the children, because it’s not very well known, but many of Gaza’s children are going deaf because of the Israeli—the sound—the sonic booms that they constantly let off over Gaza. They actually requested 9,000. We could not arrange it in this time. We’re also carrying some urgently needed medical supplies.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/29/headlines#5
“Free Gaza” Boats Begin Return from Historic Mission

In the Occupied Territories, two boats of international peace activists have started their return journey from the Gaza Strip. The boats defied Israel’s blockade of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. They are returning with seven Palestinians on board, including a ten-year-old boy who lost a leg in an Israeli army attack in 2005. The activists say the seven Palestinians’ departure marks the first time a Palestinian has ever been allowed to freely exit the Occupied Territories. Israel had initially threatened to stop the boats, but relented in an apparent effort to avoid international scrutiny. Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, said she fears Israel could interfere with the ships on their journey back to Cyprus.

Huwaida Arraf: "We plan to take them with us. We do not know what we will expect at sea. We have had indications that Israel might stop us. But we know full well that the Palestinians that are coming with us have the right papers, have the right visas, and they should be allowed to travel. There is no reason why Israel is holding them hostage, holding them prisoners in Gaza, and denying
them medical attention, denying them education, denying them family reunification.”

Passengers also include Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Jeff Halper, the lone Israeli Jew on board, was arrested after returning to Israel. Halper heads the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. He was charged with violating an Israeli law barring Israelis from visiting Gaza.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/9/1/headlines#13
Free Gaza Actvists Return to Cyprus

Foreign activists from the “Free Gaza” movement have returned to Cyprus after sailing to Gaza last week with humanitarian aid in defiance of the Israeli blockade. The activists said they plan to return to Gaza in a month. They were the first foreigners to go to Gaza by sea since Israel tightened travel restrictions more than a year ago. Seven Palestinians sailed back to Cyprus with the activists, including sixteen-year-old Sa’ad Mesleh, who lost a leg in an Israeli army attack three years ago.

Sa’ad Mesleh: “Gaza is full of injured people and needing desperate help, and I hope the international community will take a stand and take more steps like this and bring more injured people out of the Gaza Strip, because there is no treatment in the Gaza Strip.”

Don't kid yourself they knew exactly who they were and what they were doing just like when they attacked the USS Liberty back in the Six day war of 1967! Trying to make it look like a US Ship was attacked by the Egyptians!

The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a neutral U.S. Navy technical research ship, USS Liberty, by Israeli jet fighter planes and motor torpedo boats on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 and wounded more than 170 crew members, and damaged the ship severely. The ship was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25.5 nautical miles northwest from the city of Arish.<1>
Cover-Up Alleged in Probe of USS Liberty

A former Navy attorney who helped lead the military investigation of the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty that killed 34 American servicemen says former President Lyndon Johnson and his defense secretary, Robert McNamara, ordered that the inquiry conclude the incident was an accident. In a signed affidavit released at a Capitol Hill news conference, retired Capt. Ward Boston said Johnson and McNamara told those heading the Navy's inquiry to "conclude that the attack was a case of 'mistaken identity' despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary."

It was "one of the classic all-American cover-ups," said retired Admiral Thomas Moorer, a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who spent a year investigating the attack as part of an independent panel he formed with other former military officials. The panel also included a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, James Akins.



Ramming ships carrying medical relief supplies should be considered a war crime! But don't dare call the Israelis out on that you would be considered a Nazi sympathizer Actually the Israelis are looking more and more like the Nazis every day!

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Hate to point this out, but running a blockade risks the life of those on board

and there are protocols to running one with supplies

And it is not a war crime... hate to burst your bubble...

They were running a blockade in a non marked vessel... they are lucky nobody shot at them after they entered the exclusion zone.

Keep justifying this and comparing apples and oranges.

Oh and LEGALLY, not that people get this, they could have been sunk...

THe Exclusion Zone is an exclusion zone for a reason... and we can get into the argument if one should be had or not, but for the moment this Captain violated laws of the ocean.

By the by, so did the Israeli Captain, but it is not as black and white as you wish to make it.

Now this also strikes me as a publicity stunt due to the people who were on-board, but that is neither here or there... these stunts happen in many a warzone...

[soulcore]

9. Dontcha' know....

Anyone Israel attacks MUST be a Hamas militant.

[pacalo]

12. Israel wears pretty big britches when protected by the U.S. under Wild West rule.

Some bold but fair peacekeeping efforts are sorely needed to nip this dangerous situation in the bud.

[independentpiney]

13. The captain said the Dignity only does 12 kts?

That seems awfully slow for a 60' pleasure craft. I'm not sure anyone is telling the unvarnished truth about this incident.

[proud progressive]

18. gee-wilikers! if i didn't know better, i woulda thunk this was about our military!

[MNDemNY]

19. Maybe the Israelis did not recognize Cynthia.