Israel attacks Aid workers (Israel megathred)

[Non Aligned States]

Where are you getting these updates from Caelapes?

[Keppla]

BBC website.

"Israeli troops have taken control of an aid ship trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military says soldiers boarded the Irish-owned vessel from the sea and did not meet any resistance.

It says the ship is now being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod. There has been no word from those on board.

It comes days after nine people died in clashes when Israel troops boarded a Turkish aid ship, triggering international condemnation.

There are five Irish and six Malaysian pro-Palestinian activists, plus several crew, on the Rachel Corrie.

Israel says it will transfer the aid to the Gaza Strip by land after checking the cargo for banned items.

It has blockaded Gaza since 2007, when the Islamist Hamas movement seized control of the territory. "

[Caelapes]

I'm actually getting mine from the Al Jazeera English broadcast and the Free Gaza Movement's twitter feed.

[Non Aligned States]

BBC doesn't say how close the ship was to the blockade before it was taken.

[Caelapes]

BBC doesn't say how close the ship was to the blockade before it was taken.

Last reports were that it was still outside the blockade, but I'm not sure.

[Keppla]

Roughly 2 hours ago it was reported to be 28 miles from the coast, so I would postulate that in that 2 hours it's crossed over to Israeli waters.

[Caelapes]

Roughly 2 hours ago it was reported to be 28 miles from the coast, so I would postulate that in that 2 hours it's crossed over to Israeli waters.

I think you mean Gazan waters. Also we don't know how fast she was traveling, so that's a hasty conclusion to come to.

[Keppla]

Not at all, the national and contiguous zone extends 24 nautical miles. To do less than 4 miles in 2 hours would be pretty damn slow for a vessel like the RC.

[Caelapes]

For a vessel surrounded by warships with its radar and communications jammed, I'm not exactly how slow is too slow.

Even if they were stopped within the blockade, it doesn't make the blockade any more legal or the capture of this ship any less distressing.

[Keppla]

I'm not debating the legality of the blockade, just the fact that in all probability the RC was this time inside National Waters.

As for comm and radar jamming, I haven't yet seen anything on the less biased (as no-one can be wholly without bias) news sites to indicate this.

[Caelapes]

I'm not debating the legality of the blockade, just the fact that in all probability the RC was this time inside National Waters.

As for comm and radar jamming, I haven't yet seen anything on the less biased (as no-one can be wholly without bias) news sites to indicate this.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middl ... 54213.html

"Israeli naval vessels had been trailing the ship for several hours before storming it. Rachel Corrie's radar had also been jammed, cutting off all radio communiation."

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0605/mideast.html

"A member of the Rachel Corrie crew this morning claimed that the Israel Defense Forces had jammed its radar system."

[Keppla]

Ah, so trailing the ship - not "Surrounding" it. Thanks for clearing up your previous misinformation.

RTE is pretty non-biased, so thanks for pointing out that a crewmember claims that radar has been jammed.

[Keppla]

"The 1,200 tonne cargo ship was boarded about 16 nautical miles (30km) off the Israeli coast.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said there "was full compliance from the crew and passengers on board".

The ship had previously ignored repeated requests to change course, the Israeli military said. "

BBC

[Caelapes]

Al Jazeera is biased? Go on. I'd love to hear how the news station that, an hour or so ago, had on IDF Major Avital Leibovitz talking about the Rachel Corrie and, leading up to and following the Mavi Marmara massacre, had on both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli pundits and also broadcasted live Major Leibovitz's press conference, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's press conference, and Prime Minister Netanyahu's press conference.

[Keppla]

As I said, no-one is wholly unbiased.

And I think you'll find I didn't claim Al jezeera was biased.

[Caelapes]

You also said that RTE is "pretty non-biased" while ignoring that I also posted a link to Al Jazeera, implying that you believe that Al Jazeera carries with it a bias. Do you believe the Jerusalem Post is biased? Haaretz? You seem to believe the BBC is a bastion of non-biased reporting. Did you know Al Jazeera was founded by many ex-BBC staff and many of its current employees are ex-BBC? David Frost has a show on Al Jazeera English.

[Keppla]

I read both of them, and as I have no experience of Al Jezeera, I went with the one I knew and trusted.

Now, if you'd like to stop the trickle of vitriol this thread can get back to what it's supposed to be about.

[Non Aligned States]

16 nautical miles eh? That puts it inside the territorial zone. It looks like Israel can learn from backlash. Too bad it hasn't been made to pay for it's previous highly illegal acts on international waters yet.

[Keppla]

Hopefully it will, unfortunately it generally takes the UN so long to grind into motion that the act that sparked it is generally overshadowed by something else.

[F1-Insanity]

16 nautical miles eh? That puts it inside the territorial zone. It looks like Israel can learn from backlash. Too bad it hasn't been made to pay for it's previous highly illegal acts on international waters yet.

Tell me, what is keeping you from making Israel pay?

[Stornhelm]

In my opinion Israeli commandos shows restraint. I know my country wouldn't board that ship with paintball guns, rather M4s and shotguns.

And what the hell did the Israelis board with? Bouquets of flowers?

Paintball guns he said it in his post.

[Eternal Yerushalayim]

I don't think Palestinians can lack any food. My local newpaper(the Straits Times) said that they throw vegetables away because exports are... nonexistent.

[Non Aligned States]

Tell me, what is keeping you from making Israel pay?

About a battalion's worth of small arms, mechanized units, artillery, air defences, and at a minimum, six short range tactical nuclear launch platforms and their attendant crew.

Oh wait, that's the formula for Mid-East peace in that corner, one way or another.

What's keeping me specifically from making them pay? Not being the leader of Turkey, who would be in the position to demand and receive reparations. It's not like Israel did me wrong after all, it wronged Turkey.

[Stornhelm]

SECTION V : NEUTRAL MERCHANT VESSELS AND CIVIL AIRCRAFT

Neutral merchant vessels

67. Merchant vessels flying the flag of neutral States may not be attacked unless they:

(a) are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture;
(b) engage in belligerent acts on behalf of the enemy;
(c) act as auxiliaries to the enemy s armed forces;
(d) are incorporated into or assist the enemy s intelligence system;
(e) sail under convoy of enemy warships or military aircraft; or
(f) otherwise make an effective contribution to the enemy s military action, e.g., by carrying military materials, and it is not feasible for the attacking forces to first place passengers and crew in a place of safety. Unless circumstances do not permit, they are to be given a warning, so that they can re-route, off-load, or take other precautions.

/thread

I think this is the bit they mean.

[MisanthropicPopulism]

Israel says it will transfer the aid to the Gaza Strip by land after checking the cargo for banned items.

Like wood, steel, concrete, wheelschairs, or frozen salmon.