9 Killed/Hundreds Kidnapped by Israeli commandos who stormed Gaza Flotilla

[Dok]

Irish aid ship bound for Gaza won't stop 'unless forced to'

(CNN) -- An Irish-owned aid ship headed for Gaza won't stop until it's forced to, a former U.N. official aboard the ship told CNN Thursday.

"We have not stopped and have no intention of stopping," said former Assistant U.N. Secretary-General Denis Halliday from aboard the vessel. "We will only stop when Israelis force us to do so."

The MV Rachel Corrie, named for an American activist killed in Gaza several years ago, was expected to arrive late Friday or early Saturday off the coast of Gaza. Israel was offering to unload its cargo in Israel's Ashdod port, screen the material and then deliver it to Gaza, but fears of another high-seas confrontation were in the offing.

However, Halliday said the 11 people aboard the ship -- which is carrying 550 tons of cement to help in the effort to rebuild schools, homes and other building destroyed in Gaza -- had no plans of confronting Israelis who may stop the vessel.

"We will stand back and show we are harmless and unarmed -- we will put up no resistance," he said. "We're not going to make any silly mistakes."

Earlier Thursday, a Free Gaza Movement activist told CNN that the Rachel Corrie delayed its voyage while it was being equipped with video and satellite devices to to record what is happening on the vessel.

Adam Shapiro, Free Gaza board member, said the additions to the ship are being made for safety purposes.

Shapiro said Israel has made it clear it would intercept the ship, and he hopes recording technology on the ship will make a difference in the behavior of any soldiers who board the vessel.

"Israel will be sensitive to the fact that we'll be recording what's happening and streaming it live," said Shapiro, who didn't identify where the Rachel Corrie is docking. He said it will head toward Gaza within the week.

An Israeli government official, who spoke on background because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue, told CNN the government is offering to receive the ship's cargo, as it has offered other vessels, if it docks at Ashdod's port.

That was the same deal rejected by the flotilla of six ships bound for Gaza before Israeli commandos raided one of them Monday.

Halliday acknowledged that cement the aid ship is carrying is not considered by Israel as a form of humanitarian aid, but he said the ship will push forward to Gaza: "We don't want to see our cement sitting there" in Ashdod.

Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the United States, said the two countries are having initial talks about opening up a dialogue to address the civilian needs of the people in Gaza and Israel's security interests. However, Oren said the dialogue would not involve an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Referring to comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who called the situation in Gaza "unsustainable," Oren said, "We don't disagree with that. We are open to suggestions on how to ameliorate the situation."

Haaretz, the Israeli daily newspaper, reported on Thursday that a "diplomatic solution" that would allow the vessel to dock at Ashdod "seems imminent."

Citing European diplomats and senior Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem, the newspaper said "quiet messages have been exchanged over the past few days between Israel and the group operating the ship, to allow it to dock" in Israel.

But Shapiro said people on the ship deny that report and believe it is part of a misinformation campaign by the Israeli government.

Aside from himself, Halliday said there are 10 others on the ship: Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, six Malaysians and Free Gaza activist Derek Graham and Graham's wife and an Irish lawmaker.

Graham has said the plan was for the Rachel Corrie to be unloaded in Gaza and then return to Ireland.

"We're just hopeful the Israelis will let us make a small gesture for the people of Palestine," Halliday said. "Because we believe Monday was a gross error."

He added that Monday's confrontation resulted from "faults on both sides," saying the effort on the Rachel Corrie is a "different ball game."

The Irish government is asking that Israel not interfere with the ship. Haaretz said it would have been in the Monday flotilla that had been halted by Israel but was delayed because of technical problems.

According to the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the vessel, owned by the Irish Free Gaza movement, sailed from Dundalk, Ireland, in mid-May. Aboard are a number of Irish citizens.

Ireland's minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, has told the lower house of the Irish parliament that he has asked the Israeli ambassador to convey to his government his request that, "following the tragedy which has occurred, the Rachel Corrie be allowed to continue unimpeded, and to deliver its cargo to Gaza."

"We will be watching this situation very closely -- as indeed will the world -- and it is imperative that Israel avoid any action which leads to further bloodshed," he said.

The Rachel Corrie left Ireland laden with educational materials, toys and medical equipment along with the cement in the latest effort by peace activists to deliver humanitarian goods and break Israel's blockade, according to aid organizers.

Israel says it needs to have its naval blockade of Gaza to stop weaponry from being transported to militants there intent on attacking Israel. The Free Gaza Movement said customs officials and a senator from the Irish Green Party inspected the vessel and found no weapons.

Israeli commandos stormed a six-vessel flotilla early Monday in order to stop it from reaching Gaza.

Violence erupted on one of the ships, leading to the deaths of nine people, all Turkish citizens -- including one of dual Turkish-American nationality, as well as many injured people. Israel said its commandos were attacked and passengers said the troops assaulted them.

Israel briefly detained the 600 or so flotilla passengers. The state eventually released all of the foreigners and four Israeli Arabs from prison. The Israeli citizens, all activists, remain under house arrest until next week.

One of the four Israeli Arabs -- Sheik Raed Salah, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel -- told CNN that some people initially aboard the flotilla have since disappeared.

"There is only one explanation -- that some passengers were thrown in the sea," Salah said. "No one knows how many are there, unless after a detailed search that might last days or weeks, we don't know. There are passengers who were thrown in the sea during the attack on the freedom flotilla."

The violence has sparked official and grassroots rage from capitals and street protests outside the Middle East on Thursday. South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel. Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that the once-close Turkish-Israeli ties "will never be the same. This incident has left an irreparable and deep scar."

Thousands of angry people attended a mass funeral in Istanbul for the victims and chanted slogans against Israel, and Turkish activists on the ship returned from Israel to a hero's welcome.

At the United Nations, the Security Council has called for an inquiry of the raid and the Human Rights Council voted for a probe, but Israel says it alone and not an international entity should be investigating.

Mark Regev, the Israeli prime minister's office spokesman, said after military operations, it is Israel's "standard practice" to carry out "a prompt, professional, transparent and objective investigation in accordance with the highest international standards."

One Israeli official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to comment on the subject, said, "the demand for a U.N. investigation shows a clear double standard towards Israel. It shows hypocrisy and singles out the Jewish state for special treatment."

"There is no case in recent history where a democratic country's army has been involved in an overseas operation in which civilians have been killed, and has been subjected to an international investigation."

The Israel Defense Forces Military Advocate General -- the body that ensures that the rule of law is upheld within the military -- said in a report that the interception of the Gaza flotilla was legal under international law.

The body said that international law allows for a country to stop a vessel in international waters if it attempts to breach a naval blockade -- even before such a blockade is actually breached.

"If it resists capture and refuses to stop, after prior warning, it may be attacked," the MAG said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio on Thursday that members of the flotilla were carrying large amounts of cash, a suggestion that people on the ship had untoward and not humanitarian intentions.

An Israel Defense Forces official said troops continued to count money they found, saying that they discovered envelopes in bundles ranging from $8,000 to $10,000.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/06/03/gaza.raid/?hpt=Sbin

[rio]

Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish hate organization demands that US stand with Israel and support the Flotilla Massacre (or they'll call you an anti-Semite). How much you wanna bet that they sent all their puppets in Congress threats of blackmail to go along with this?

ADL Calls On The U.S. To Firmly Support Israel In Aftermath Of Gaza Flotilla Affair

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/5773_62.htm

New York, NY, June 2, 2010 … As the international community engages in a biased rush to judgment against Israel in the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla affair, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called on the United States to firmly stand with Israel and to show that it defends Israel's right to defend its borders and citizens from external threats.

Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

As the international community is engaged in a biased rush to judgment against Israel and a diplomatic lynching, now is the time for the United States to firmly stand with the Jewish state and its people.  The U.S. must show the world that it not only supports Israel's right to defend its borders and citizens against terrorism, but that it supports Israel's right to protect itself from people who pretend to be "peace activists," and parade under the guise of humanitarians while supporting Hamas and violently attacking Israeli military personnel.

America should assert a moral voice and declare that it will not join the global community in a cynical, double-standard, hypocritical and expedient effort to condemn Israel.  The U.S. should reiterate its support and understanding for Israel, that as a sovereign and democratic nation it has the right to act on behalf of its national security and express its confidence that Israel can conduct its own investigation into the matter without the intrusion of international bodies.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/137820

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) held a conference in Tel Aviv Tuesday titled "Anti-Israel Rhetoric: Criticism or Anti-Semitism? How Can We Tell the Difference?". Arutz Sheva TV attended the event and spoke with Abe Foxman, the National Director of ADL, about the responses to the Gaza flotilla events.

[able]

re: ADL, typical....


snoty nosed yes man the propaganda is not working sir! they are protesting against us even with their msm saying we are angels!

arrogant official have we used the hamas card?

snoty nosed yes man yes sir that's the first thing we did and they are not buying it!

arrogant official  (laughing to him self) have we said they were al qaeda?

snoty nosed yes man yes yes we followed the hasbara manual all the way down the list sir! we have released the fake weapons photo's  but we did not go as far as the tim ossman video we had pre recorded.

arrogant official why the hell not!

snoty nosed yes man the Americans admitted we use fake video all the time so we have stopped manufacturing them. it was very sad sir at least 30 employees had to be let go at the tel aviv office.

arrogant official have they been reassigned?

snoty nosed yes man in a way sir.... because of that stupid truth movement we have had to dismiss most of the employees from both the ministry of truth and several other agencies... even rita katz is now working at the new gay army theme park.... i didn't know she was male?

arrogant official didn't know she was male! don't you go to the parties boy? any way anyyy way...what have we got left in the manual?

snoty nosed yes man um.... sir we only have the big card.

arrogant official are the smuks still falling for it?

snoty nosed yes man um... only the fundies really sir...

arrogant official fundies huh.. (laughs while slapping his gut) you gotta love a sucker. well if its the only thing left in the play book then tell barry to roll it out on all channels 24/7.... and get my black book while your out there... just the mention of rita's name gives me a itch a dog could not scratch. boy that fella can really suck the pips from your apple.

 

[able]

Our tax dollars at work: GAZA Freedom Flotilla - Israelis threw bodies overboard?

"The soldiers shot a doctor who surrendered and they threw dead bodies into the sea. We still don't know what happened to them"

“Kevin Ovenden of Britain said a man who had pointed a camera at the soldiers was shot directly through the forehead with live ammunition, with the exit wound blowing away the back of his skull.”

http://redactednews.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaza-freedom-flotilla-israelis-threw.html

[Jackson Holly]

^^^  ABLE:  Too funny! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's see what the president of Iran has to say:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=128980&sectionid=351020101

Ahmadinejad advice to Israel supporters

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:03:30 GMT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has advised Tel Aviv's allies to withdraw their support because the era of Israel has come to an end.

"The era of the Zionist regime is over and it has lost the philosophy behind its fabrication," Fars News Agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying on Thursday.

"They (the US and its allies) fabricated Israel to dominate the Middle East and then the world, but today we are witnessing that they have resorted to military expedition in the region to preserve it (Israel)," he added.

Ahmadinejad described the Israeli navy's attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla, which left several activists dead, as a sign that the regime has lost its "common sense."

"Even the most stupid politicians in the world would not do such a thing. It is clear that under the pressure of the world's public opinion, they (the Israeli leaders) have gone mad."

President Ahmadinejad said the Monday attack on the Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, proved that Israeli crimes are not just targeting the Palestinians.

There were about 700 activists, politician and journalist from 35 countries aboard the Freedom Flotilla. Three of them are still missing.

The Iranian president added that Israel's history was full of such atrocities.

"To the masters and supporters of the Zionist regime I give this advice: For over 60 years you supported the crimes of this regime, giving it carte-blanche. Enough is enough. It is in your best interest to end this historical fabricated play," he said.

[citizenx]

The Illuminati puppet is right about that:  Israel has gone mad.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[starvosan]

A personal account from a witness:



*GENE ST. ONGE, ISTANBUL +90 212 534 4870 AKGUN HOTEL (a 4-STAR HOTEL)
 
12:15 a.m. in Oakland, Gene called to say the Turks rescued them at the Ben Gurion Airport where Israelis stalled them over 12 hours on runway. Turks placed the detained prisoners on a Turkish plane bound for Istanbul .
AS OF THIS PHONE CALL - No embassy officials anywhere!!
 
ISRAELIS STOLE ALL LUGGAGE they are wearing same clothes 3+ days now.
ALL EQUIPMENT, FILM, FOOTAGE STOLEN BY ISRAELIS.
-------------------------
ON THE 31ST, STILL DARK, 12:30 A.M GENE WAS TAKING A TURN STEERING THE SFENDONI WITH THE CAPTAIN, NEAR. THE CHALLENGER (name of one of the boats) WAS BEHIND THEM, LARGEST BOAT AHEAD.
 AROUND 4 A.M. ALL OF A SUDDEN HELICOPTERS ALL OVER THE PLACE LIKE APOCOLYPSE NOW. THE CHALLENGER STARTED FALLING BEHIND TRYING TO AVOID CONFRONTATION.
4:15 A.M.YOU COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF THE 30 - 40 WARSHIPS SURROUNDING THEM.
***THEY ARE 75 MILES FROM SHORE - INTERNATIONAL WATERS!!
LOUDSPEAKER TO CAPTAIN, "TURN AROUND YOU ARE IN VIOLATION. STOP OR IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU"  "WHAT ARE YOUR COORDINATES?"
9 - 10 PATROL NAVY BOATS CAME AT THEM SCREAMING. SOLDIERS STORMED THE SFENDONI AS GENE AND CAPTAIN TRIED TO PROTECT THE WHEELHOUSE. THE CAPTAIN WAS THROWN DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND HIS EAR WAS PUNCTURED, LEG WOUNDS (and) MORE.   TASER GUNS WERE USED.
.
MEDI (not sure who this is) WAS NEARBY. A SOLDIER GOT MEDI IN HIS EYE AND HE WAS SCREAMING ON THE FLOOR OF THE DECK WHILE SOLDIER WAS STILL KICKING HIM. GENE TRIED TO GET THE SOLDIER OFF MEDI AND GOT KNOCKED ON THE FOREHEAD BY THE BUTT OF THE SOLDIER'S RIFLE. (HE WEARS HIS SCAR PROUDLY).
 
THE CAPTAIN, GENE, PAUL LARUDEE (another Bay Area individual) WERE TIED UP HANDS AND FEET BOUND. A SOUND BOMB WENT OFF NEAR PAUL (Paul is a piano tuner and this is his livelihood).HALID, THE MD ONBOARD SAID PAUL WOULD LOSE CIRCULATION SO HIS BINDS WERE ADJUSTED. PAUL STARTED FUSSING, AND NEXT THING PAUL LEAPT OVERBOARD INTO THE WATER. THEY NEVER SAW PAUL AGAIN. (We have all had reports that Paul is alive, Gene and the others still do not know where he is).
 
THE SFENDONI WAS FORCIBLY TOWED TO ASHDOD (check spelling) DETENTION PRISON: 2 1/2 DAYS NO FOOD OR SLEEP. THEY KEPT WAKING US UP WITH THE SAME QUESTIONS TO TORTURE US. 4 TO A CELL. NO PHONES. NO CONTACT THEY FOUND NOTHING ON US OR THE BOAT.
FINALLY A ZIONIST WOMAN FROM THE EMBASSY (STATE DEPT.) IN TEL AVIV SHOWED UP. SHE WAS A REAL BITCH (SUSAN PLATT) AND SHE ACTUALLY SAID OF THE SFENDONI PASSENGERS, "THEY COULD HAVE FIRED ROCKETS FROM THE SFENDONI".
GUARDS SPOKE NO ENGLISH. WHEN THE PRISONERS TRIED TO USE PHONES OR ASK FOR PHONES, A GUARD KEPT SAYING "HELLO, HELLO!"
GENE WAS SO PUNCHDRUNK AND SLEEP-DEPRIVED, HE WENT OVER TO THE WASHER AND OPENED THE DOOR, "HELLO, HELLO", THEN THE DOOR TO THE DRYER, "HELLO, HELLO", OTHERS CRACKED UP AND FOLLOWED, DOING THE SAME.
(WHEN THEY ENDED UP IN ISTANBUL , ONE OF THE TURKISH PRISONERS RECOGNIZED GENE, AND CALLED OUT "HELLO, HELLO!" THIS BECAME THEIR BIG JOKE FROM THEN ON.)
 
WHEN GENE CALLED FOR SOME EXERCISE, PRISONERS JONED HIM RUNNING AROUND THIS TINY AREA, RUNNING "MONTY PYTHON STYLE".
 
From Gene - "ISRAELIS ARE THUGS, PIECES OF SHIT. I DON'T KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD WANT TO LIVE THERE. THE TURKS ARE THE POLAR OPPOSITE OF ISRAELIS, GOD BLESS THEM. THEY ARE HEROES. I NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED MYSELF CRYING WHEN THEY SHOWED UP AND PUT US ON THEIR PLANES"
 
I HOPE I GOT THIS RIGHT (without my contact lenses).
 
JAN ST. ONGE

[able]

The Rachel Corrie ship and crew sail to Gaza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjyurMgrQu0&feature=player_embedded

[Dig]

Israel using ‘pirated’ footage to defend raid: media body
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0603/israel-using-pirated-footage-defend-raid/
By Agence France-Presse
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 -- 2:15 pm


JERUSALEM — The Israeli military's YouTube site is using 'pirated' footage confiscated from journalists on board a Turkish vessel in a bid to defend its botched flotilla raid, a press body charged on Thursday.

"The Foreign Press Association (FPA) strongly condemns the use of photos and video material shot by foreign journalists, now being put out by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) spokesman's office as 'captured material'," a statement from the organization said.

The complaint centers on footage shot on board the Mavi Marmara passenger ship, which was the focus of a deadly Israeli commando raid at dawn Monday, in which nine foreign aid activists were killed, provoking an international outcry.

One of the clips on YouTube, entitled: "Flotilla Passenger: I Want to Be a Shahid (Martyr)" shows a passenger being interviewed on the boat before the raid, by someone holding a microphone with 'Press TV' stamped on it.

The 23-second clip, in which the man talks about wanting to become a martyr, is not credited to any journalist or media outlet, and only described as "footage captured on the Gaza flotilla."
Story continues below...

Several other unattributed clips shown on the IDF's YouTube channel also feature "footage captured on the Mavi Marmara" -- one of which shows activists hurling objects and hosing down troops trying to board the vessel from an assault craft.

"The material and/or equipment that was confiscated from journalists covering the events on the ships, should be returned to the owners and their media organizations," the FPA said.

"The use of this material without permission from the relevant media organizations is a clear violation of journalistic ethics and unacceptable," it said, warning media outlets to treat such material "with caution."

"We call upon the authorities to immediately clarify the source of the material."

The army had no immediate comment on the exact source of the footage, with a spokesman saying only it was "found" on board the Marmara after it was taken over by troops following the bloody operation.

Nearly 700 passengers were travelling on board the aid fleet, of which around 60 were journalists, press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said earlier this week, including correspondents from Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Since Monday, the army has broadcast more than a dozen video clips on YouTube in a bid to back up its claim that the activists on the boat were not harmless peaceniks but Islamists bent on violence.

[grapecrusher1]

An Israeli woman and MP who was on one of the boats and presented her case to the knesset gets booed out of the house.  Then the members pass a bill that makes this sort of insurrection illegal.  Unbelievable.

According to the Jerusalem Post (June 3), Knesset members heckled Zoabi, called her a traitor and a terrorist, and stopped her from concluding her remarks. At least two bills were submitted for consideration and debate that would allow the removal of any member that was “found to have committed incitement against the State of Israel.” A separate request was filed by Deputy Knesset Speaker Carmel Shama to “block Zoabi from being able to run in any future Knesset election.”

Zoabi’s address declared that the blockade of Gaza was immoral. She also defended her participation in the flotilla. According to Zoabi, there is a “political, human, and moral imperative to oppose the imprisonment of 1.5 million people.” The Israeli government, however, viewed the flotilla very differently. Any compromise on the blockade of Gaza could result in shipments of rockets or other war contraband that would enable Hamas to attack Israeli citizens and its cities.

More witness accounts:

For his part, lawyer Basim Mansour, who visited on Tuesday a number of Freedom Flotilla detainees, said that two women told him that the Israeli soldiers tied two of the passengers and threw them into the sea to die by drowning.

An Egyptian doctor, one of the participants in the convoy, also reported that the soldiers opened fire directly at the victims and refused to medically treat seriously-wounded cases leaving them to die.

Many Greek passengers, who were aboard Freedom Flotilla ships, confirmed on Tuesday after their release that the Israeli troops used live and rubber bullets, batons and stun guns during their attack on the convoy.

Turkish activist Mutlu Teriyaki, who was aboard the ship having the name of Gaza, reported that he and his friends were able to see clearly Israeli troops firing randomly aboard Mavi Marmara ship.

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News/2010/June/2/MP%20Haneen%20Zoubi%20Describes%20Israeli%20Terrorist%20Attack%20on%20Aid%20Ship.htm

[grapecrusher1]

Israel killed More Than 9, Threw Wounded Into Sea, Witnesses Say

Activists say some people who were initially on the flotilla are missing. They are also telling stories of horror, carnage and pure barbarism at the hands of Israeli officials. In a shocking account, Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH) President Bülent Yıldırım, who returned on Thursday, said a photographer, whose first name was Cevdet, was shot in the forehead by a soldier one meter away from him. “Our Cevdet [Kılıçlar], he is a press member. He has become a martyr. All he was doing was taking pictures. They smashed his skull into pieces. We soon made out that these were real bullets they were firing. Rubber bullets also kill because you shoot at very close range, between one-and-a-half and two meters.”

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-212066-israel-killed-more-than-9-threw-wounded-into-sea-witnesses-say.html

[iks83]

What makes me wonder about the whole issue is why no definite deathtoll can be established. Is it now 9 or 20 or what? Also where are the bodies and why hasnt anyone looked at them to figure out how they died. I mean all those eyewittness accounts are fine and dandy but just because Israel did a horrible thing and lies about it doesnt mean the other side is 100% truthful either. Some accounts sound like there have been 40 deaths but no names are being given most of the time. Didnt they have a manifest for those ships? How hard is it to check that list, cross off all the people that have been arrested and those who are left... well you can spin it the way you want. They are dead or still held prisoner without Israel telling they have them, etc.

[able]

What makes me wonder about the whole issue is why no definite deathtoll can be established. Is it now 9 or 20 or what? Also where are the bodies and why hasnt anyone looked at them to figure out how they died. I mean all those eyewittness accounts are fine and dandy but just because Israel did a horrible thing and lies about it doesnt mean the other side is 100% truthful either. Some accounts sound like there have been 40 deaths but no names are being given most of the time. Didnt they have a manifest for those ships? How hard is it to check that list, cross off all the people that have been arrested and those who are left... well you can spin it the way you want. They are dead or still held prisoner without Israel telling they have them, etc.

yes there are lists and yes some people who were on those lists are unaccounted for.

one thing is for sure is if they were throwing people overboard they will have to claim those people who they have not handed back dead or alive are being kept in prison to stand trial... they can keep that lie up for years as America will veto any u.n resolution to make Israel allow visits from friends or lawyers. 

[InfoArsenal]

I can't believe that Mossad schill on today was saying 9/11 was because we didn't have a police state and basically were a bunch of idiots.

What bullshit--how did AJ let him get away with that when's he had so many CIA, Military Intelligence, etc?

Then AJ keeps getting angry at callers whenever they bring up what Israel is doing is wrong and claims they are just wanting to talk about Jews. AJ hates on American cops all day, but someone says something about these IDF killers and he's all, "What's your point sir?!"

They shot an American in the head 4 times AJ--WTF?

That's not a 'distraction'.

[InfoArsenal]

Anyways, I'm not mad at AJ.

I just don't see how he has the right to get all angry at his callers and talk down to them when at least they are talking about justice and he's just talking about a "PR Problem".

Maybe he has to do that because of Jewish/Israeli sponsors or something..whatever.

[Kilika]

What makes me wonder about the whole issue is why no definite deathtoll can be established. Is it now 9 or 20 or what? Also where are the bodies and why hasnt anyone looked at them to figure out how they died. I mean all those eyewittness accounts are fine and dandy but just because Israel did a horrible thing and lies about it doesnt mean the other side is 100% truthful either. Some accounts sound like there have been 40 deaths but no names are being given most of the time. Didnt they have a manifest for those ships? How hard is it to check that list, cross off all the people that have been arrested and those who are left... well you can spin it the way you want. They are dead or still held prisoner without Israel telling they have them, etc.

Now you've done it! You can't question the stories and reports of the poor mistreated Palistinians as that wouldn't be prudent. Palistinians never embelish the truth. Their information is always correct, and in no way would ever mislead the public to side with their views. Don't you know they are the victims and are always the victims, having never done a bad thing in their whole existence. Why they would never deny people's right to worship at their most holy place in the world. These people are freedom lovers and for peace. They would never launch rockets at anybody, or throw rocks and use poles to beat their oppressors. They just want peace and harmony, once they drive the jews into the sea!

Man this whole deal turns my stomach. The raw hatred towards a single people is mind-numbing. "Even so come Lord Jesus!"

[citizenx]

Nobody here is saying the Palestinians never did anything wrong, but there is no reason to believe this whole incident wasn't a case of psychopathic, murderous  madness on the part of Israel.

But Christian fundies/Christian-Zionist-extremists will never see that.  In their eyes, Israel can do no wrong, and other nations must support God's favorite country all the time regardless of their occasionally grossly unethical actions.

Screw God's favorite country -- and if that means to hell with God so be it!

Or, think of it this way.  How many cases in the old testament are there of God using the "gentile" nations (the 'goyim' as our Talmudic friends call us -- and remember you can't say 'Talmudic' without 'mud')to correct Israel when it strays for God's justice and precepts.

America, be the hand of God's severity -- now.  Or, be corrected with Israel.


Left, maybe there IS a God, and it's not yours.  Think about it.

[InfoArsenal]

Now you've done it! You can't question the stories and reports of the poor mistreated Palistinians as that wouldn't be prudent. Palistinians never embelish the truth. Their information is always correct, and in no way would ever mislead the public to side with their views. Don't you know they are the victims and are always the victims, having never done a bad thing in their whole existence. Why they would never deny people's right to worship at their most holy place in the world. These people are freedom lovers and for peace. They would never launch rockets at anybody, or throw rocks and use poles to beat their oppressors. They just want peace and harmony, once they drive the jews into the sea!

Man this whole deal turns my stomach. The raw hatred towards a single people is mind-numbing. "Even so come Lord Jesus!"

Oh great... are you another one of those Israeli psychos?

First off where do you get Palestine when the boat had people from over 50 nationalities and few Palestinians?

Secondly Israel was the only armed side and they killed people after storming the ship like a bunch of uneducated Somalis. Actually they are stupdier than Somali's. Somalians know how to properly board a ship and take hostages without screwing everything up.

They killed at least one American--if that was Somalia we would be bombing that country right now.

Israel isn't shit.

Cut off all funding and supplies to that country--the only sane thing to do.

They are lucky we aren't sending warships--that's what we would be doing if the US stood for freedom instead of a corrupt crony of Israel.

[able]

Now you've done it! You can't question the stories and reports of the poor mistreated Palistinians Israelis as that wouldn't be prudent. Palistinians Israelis never embellish the truth. Their information is always correct, and in no way would ever mislead the public to side with their views. Don't you know they are the victims and are always the victims, having never done a bad thing in their whole existence. Why they would never deny people's right to worship at their most holy place in the world. These people are freedom lovers and for peace. They would never launch rockets at anybody, or throw rocks and use poles to beat their oppressors. They just want peace and harmony, once they drive the jews Palestinians into the sea!

there i fixed it for you. now you can go on fox as a newspeaker..

[Falcon57]

Barry Chamish, an Israeli patriot in exile was on the Radio Liberty program and gave his assessment of the attack.  He is someone that knows what is going on in Israel and its corrupt government.  He thinks this was set up by those same corrupt officials to get their own soldiers killed and set up for an embarassment. 

Go to http://radiolibertyarchives.gsradio.net:8080/060210a.mp3

This is the program where he talks about the incident.  You can go to http://www.soundwaves2000.com/radio_liberty/ and download the mp3 file for 2 June 2010 by right clicking the link and choosing "Save Target As" option.

[Dig]

Anyways, I'm not mad at AJ.

I just don't see how he has the right to get all angry at his callers and talk down to them when at least they are talking about justice and he's just talking about a "PR Problem".

Maybe he has to do that because of Jewish/Israeli sponsors or something..whatever.

Have you listened over the past few days? His longest interview was with Mike Rivero. With the ex-Mossad guy, he was looking for more information concerning what conversations israeli intel was having and he got it. when the guy was completely stolid about 9/11, he abruptly ended the conversation and agreed to get him the undebunkable information and have him back on. As far as the people calling in, they were not against Israel, they were pigeonholing the debate to some fantastical Rockefeller/Harriman/Rothschild inspired race virus issue rather than the actions of specific criminals.

Maybe he did it because he actually has a brain and can look past the Tavistock programming or something, whatever.

[Damascus]

Really? he said like 10X I do not believe Israel or the US could do those things(In reference to false flags). He defended the multiple strafing on the U.S.S. Liberty in international waters, With out properly identifying the ship not engaged in hostilities. Ho! if they could not see the flag WTF did they continue to unquestioningly follow orders and not Identify who they were massacring. I say F*ck that POS guy, Independent and unbiased my ass. He loves his Government(and he is part of the establishment so he thinks) and dose not question them except for trivial things. He played down(denied any government conspiracy) the Liberty and 9/11 then substitutes a much lesser Libya incident JUST to make himself seem reasonable and unbiased. Screw him, He is a mossad agent through and through alright. Opinions are like A$$holes and that guy was one(IMHO). I have nothing against Jews But their leaders/government are EVERY BIT as evil and corrupt as ours. No problem with Alex as he is just letting all sides have their say. And now I have said mine.

[iks83]

I can't believe that Mossad schill on today was saying 9/11 was because we didn't have a police state and basically were a bunch of idiots.

What bullshit--how did AJ let him get away with that when's he had so many CIA, Military Intelligence, etc?

Then AJ keeps getting angry at callers whenever they bring up what Israel is doing is wrong and claims they are just wanting to talk about Jews. AJ hates on American cops all day, but someone says something about these IDF killers and he's all, "What's your point sir?!"

They shot an American in the head 4 times AJ--WTF?

That's not a 'distraction'.

Yeah that Mossad guy had absolutely no clue. And he admitted that he never did any research into 9/11 and just keep saying Israel, US, CIA, Mossad would never ever in 1000000000 years do something like that and it was all evil hamas arab muslim hezbollah iran palestinians. The US was absolutely unprepared for that, there were no anti terror manuals dealing with the twintowers being a target for arial attack. There have been no scenario where a plane crashed into the pentagon before 9/11. There definately also wasnt a TV airing before 9/11 with a false flag attack on the trade towers where a plane is flown by remote into them. Noone in the whole wide world could imagine that someone could do that!!! I wonder why Alex didnt bring up the dancing mossad agents or the USS Liberty attack. But Alex did get mad at him judging by his tone as he kept spewing the official Mossad propaganda. But ALex didnt lash out, I wish he did. Once Mossad always Mossad.

[Suriel]

Protest continues at Israeli embassy
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0604/breaking25.html
irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Friday, June 4, 2010, 14:02
STEVEN CARROLL

About 50 people are continuing to blockade the Israeli embassy in Dublin today in protest at Israel’s policies on Gaza.

Members of the Irish Anti-war Movement gathered outside the embassy on Pembroke Road in Ballsbridge last night following a protest and have remained there in an attempt to keep the building closed for the day. The embassy generally closes at lunchtime on Friday.

Richard Boyd Barrett, chair of the movement, said they had undertaken the protest to highlight the “continued inhuman blockade" of Gaza.

“The international community must act now and impose sanctions on Israel. We are calling on the Irish government to break diplomatic ties with Israel now and expel the Israeli ambassador until the siege of Gaza is lifted,” he said.

Mr Boyd Barrett, a People Before Profit councillor for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, said no security staff or officials had arrived at the embassy today. “It looks as if they won’t try to get in while we’re here.” He said the protest would wind down in the coming hours and deemed it a success.

Calls to the embassy’s reception and press office this morning were not answered.

Mr Boyd Barrett said the protest may resume if the passage of the aid ship MV Rachel Corrie  to Gaza was interfered with.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign affairs said the Israeli embassy had been in contact today and that their concerns were passed on to An Garda Síochána.

A Garda spokesman said the protests were peaceful, no arrests had been made and that the situation was being monitored.

[chris jones]

 I didn't see AJ's show. From what i have been reading controversy has erupted.

I wish the amount of international attention this is creating was also focused on the civilans killed in Iraq, Afghanistan etc.
That asside.........Gaza conflict: Day 18, old news? 2009
 back to 2009.past history.....
   The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza conflict climbed to more than 1,000 today after nearly three weeks of intensive Israeli bombing and fighting on the ground.
So far, 1,010 Palestinians have been killed, among them 315 children and 95 women, Dr Moawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza's medical emergency services, told the Guardian. The number of injured after 19 days of fighting stood at 4,700, he said. ............
Who amongst us can justify the number of innocents slaughtered. Is the attitude "kill the kids before they grow up to be the enemy and the mothers so they can not birth".
The controversy will rage on, that is a certainty! . Palestine will be  the Israels VS mad dog terrorists, the mecca of terrorism.
Our regimes have promoted genoicide, civilian slaughter under the mask of collateral damage, torture, and of course illegal invasions of soveriegn nations. The IZ controllers are doing the same, two peas in a pod.
A union of controll has been initiated, they are on the same channell.

If their is but a spark of humanity within the hearts of the IZ gang leaders they will allow the passage of these vessels, I can't see that happening.Has the statement has been made internationaly, we are IZ and will do whatever we so please, just as our regimes have dictated to the people both -foriegn and domestic issues.
 Reading the bottom line is essential, the standards have been dictated.

[Suriel]

The Flotilla Raid Was Not “Bungled.” The IDF Detailed Its Violent Strategy In Advance.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/06/the-flotilla-raid-was-not-bungled-the-idf-detailed-its-violent-strategy-in-advance/
On 06.03.10, By Max

Tel Aviv-Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior ministers have attempted to blame army commanders for “the bungled raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla,” according to the UK’s Daily Telegraph. The AP reported that “Israel’s bloody, bungled takeover of a Gaza-bound Turkish aid vessel is complicating US-led Mideast peace efforts.” And according to Reuters, “Israeli military admits errors in bungled boarding.”

But was the raid really bungled? Did the Israeli military command and Netanyahu government have no clear strategy going in? Or was the violence they meted out against the flotilla activists deliberate and methodically planned?

Statements by senior Israeli military commanders made in the Hebrew media days before the massacre revealed that the raid was planned over a week in advance by the Israeli military and was personally approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak. The elite Israeli commando unit known as Unit 13 was tasked with carrying out the mission and its role was known by the Israeli public well before the raid took place. Details of the plan show that the use of deadly force was authorized and calculated. The massacre of activists should not have been unexpected.

On May 28, three days before the raid, top Israeli military officials revealed details of their strategy to Maariv, Israel’s most widely circulated paper. The caption of the Maariv article reflected the military command’s plan to use force: “On the way to violence; one of the boats is on its way.”

Here is a translation of relevant portions of the article:

Maariv, 5/28/10 P. 4

Title: Head to Head in the Heart of the Sea

Caption: On the way to violence; one of the boats is on its way.”

Subhead: The sea encounter that will occur at the end of the weekend is already planned detail by detail. From the moment that the ships will pass the “red line” on their way to Gaza, the fighters of Unit 13 will take control and transfer 800 passengers from their boats back to where they came from. And special arrest units were set up.

From the body of article: This operation was approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak and will be led by the commander of the Navy, Lieutenant Colonel Eliezer Maron, who is nicknamed “Cheney.” If the people aboard the boats will not agree to turn around, the operation will transfer to the stage of force. “We are afraid that there will be a terror attack by the boats,” said a high ranking officer. “If terrorists have gotten on the boats or if there is an intention to use hot weapons against our forces, we will use full seriousness and caution. We want to avoid using force but as soon as there will be danger to the life of our forces we will be forced to use live fire as a last resort.

[...]

After our fighters take over the boats, OKETZ unit dogs and forces of the IHLM unit corps of engineers will inspect them looking for sabotage materials and fighting tools.

So the Israeli military broadcast its plan for violence, inciting the Israeli public and the soldiers of Unit 13 with fevered visions of a kill-or-be-killed encounter with a group of Arab “terrorists.” The stated conditions for using live fire were arbitrary and poorly defined, giving the commandos little direction and lots of leeway to kill — at the very least the plan demanded force in some form.

After the initial violent stages, the plan called for the gathering of the activists’ “fighting tools,” an acknowledgment by the Israeli military that the activists might try to repel its commandos once they forced their way on the ships. The plan to search for “sabotage materials” also foreshadowed the IDF’s post-raid propaganda campaign.

An alternative plan that would have been likely to avert violence could have been set into motion. The Israeli Navy could have done what it had in the past and hijacked the aid ships without boarding them, then towed them to shore. However, the Rambo-style plan concocted by Netanyahu, his top aides and the Naval commander with the unfortunate nickname of “Cheney” made the killing of activists likely, if not inevitable.

Why didn’t Israel’s leaders choose to deal with the flotilla in a more judicious fashion? Were they that stupid, or just crazy? From the details of the plan it appears that Netanyahu and his cohorts had envisioned Entebbe Part Deux, a daring anti-terror raid that would lift the sinking morale of the Israeli public while intimidating Iran and the Arab world. Though Israel may be more isolated than ever as a result of the massacre, the Netanyahu administration is reaping considerable political benefits at home.

The day after the massacre, spontaneous celebrations broke out in Ashdod, Tel Aviv, and throughout the country, bringing together right-wing elements with everyday Israelis. Over a thousand Israelis gathered tonight outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv to rally against the Turkish government and express their support for the raid. Multiple demonstrators including one man who has lived in Israel for 60 years told me, “What Turkey [the sponsor of the Mavi Marmara boat] has done is great. I have never seen this country more united in my entire life. We are all standing together now.” (Video coming soon).

Israeli newscasters are routinely using the term “mechabel,” or terrorist, to refer to the flotilla activists, while the violence that broke out on the deck of the Mavi Marmara is called “the lynch.” (Nevermind that zero commandos were hung and nine activists were killed, including an American citizen who was shot in the head four times.) No evidence is required to support claims in the Israeli media. The public desperately wants to believe that its government is right, so much so that Israel’s media is not even making a token effort to challenge the increasingly hysterical press releases disseminated by the IDF press office every few hours.

Hanin Zoabi, a Palestinian-Israeli member of the Knesset who was on the Mavi Marmara, was physically accosted in the Knesset by fellow legislators for attempting to relate her experience aboard the flotilla. MK Miri Regev of Likud called her a “traitor,” while Yoel Hasson of Kadima, a supposedly centrist party, denounced Zoabi as a “terrorist.” An Israeli Facebook group devoted to inciting Zoabi’s assassination has gathered 600 members in just a day and a half. In the meantime, Israel’s Interior Minster Eli Yishai is “looking into” means of stripping Zoabi of her citizenship.

This Friday, anti-occupation activists expect to encounter intense violence from the Israeli Army and Border Police at the weekly demonstrations in Sheikh Jarrah and Nebi Salah. “In this atmosphere, you can expect with pretty reasonable certainty that the soldiers will go crazy,” a veteran of the Sheikh Jarrah protest movement told me.

With two more ships on their way towards Gaza with aid for the besieged civilian population, the Israeli military and Netanyahu administration are not wasting time in hatching a new strategy to stop them. Once again, the plan calls for violence and possibly more death. “Next time we’ll use more force,” a top Naval commander told the Jerusalem Post. “We will have to come prepared in the future as if it was a war.”

[Suriel]

Interior Minister seeks to strip Israeli Arab MK of citizenship
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/interior-minister-seeks-to-strip-israeli-arab-mk-of-citizenship-1.294091
By Barak Ravid
Published 22:04 03.06.10 Latest update 22:04 03.06.10

Israeli Arab MK Hanin Zuabi took part in Gaza aid flotilla, in what Eli Yishai calls a 'premeditated act of treason' under protection of parliamentary immunity.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai petitioned Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to help him revoke the Israeli citizenship of Israeli Arab MK Hanin Zuabi, who took part in efforts to break Israel's blockade of Gaza on a flotilla of aid ships earlier this week.

On Monday, Israeli navy commandos clashed with activists aboard the flotilla's largest ship, sustaining severe injuries and leaving 9 activists dead and dozens more hurt. IDF videos show activists attacking the commandos with sticks, chairs and even throwing a soldier overboard. Activists say that they were brutally attacked by the troops, while the IDF maintains that activists wrestled the soldiers' weapons away from them and fired at them, forcing them to defend themselves.

"In recent days," Yishai wrote to Weinstein on Thursday, "Israel's citizens have witnessed how an Israeli member of parliament, Hanin Zuabi, headed a group of terrorists who aimed to hurt Israel Defense Forces soldiers, under the protection of her parliamentary immunity."

Yishai asked Weinstein for his help as the Supreme Court had ruled that an interior minister cannot revoke a person's citizenship without the written authorization of the attorney general.

"MK Zuabi used her immunity as a cloak to protect her from the law, although she was undoubtedly aware of the activists' preparations for the attack against IDF troops," Yishai wrote. "This is a premeditated act of treason, and there is documented proof of this."

"I must say that since this is an issue having to do with the security of the state, and especially since we're likely due for more such flotillas, I ask that you study the laws that would allow stripping the immunity from any member of Knesset that would try, under the protection of immunity, to aid and cooperate with terrorists that have made IDF soldiers and citizens of Israel their targets," Yishai continued.

The minister concluded his letter by once again requesting Weinstein's cooperation in stripping Zuabi's immunity, in order to facilitate the revocation of her citizenship.

[Suriel]

This Says It All
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/06/03/this-says-it-all/
by Justin Raimondo, June 04, 2010

Israelis kill American – Joe Biden says: "What's the big deal?"

What is US foreign policy in the Middle East all about – and for whose benefit is it being conducted? In two short paragraphs, this news story says it all:

"The U.S. confirmed that an American citizen, identified as 19-year-old Furkan Dogan, was killed by multiple gunshots during the Israeli raid on a flotilla carrying activists attempting to run a blockade of the Gaza Strip.

"State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said the U.S. has made no decision on a response to Dogan’s death."

Apparently official Washington is torn between issuing a mild protest, and thanking them.

"Protecting the welfare of American citizens is a fundamental repsponsibility of our government," Hillary Clinton assured the media, "and one that we take very seriously" – but not seriously enough to issue an official protest. "We are in constant contact with the Israeli government attempting to obtain more information about our citizens." Do they want to know how many holes the IDF put in Furkan Dogan’s head before they make a decision on a response?

In reality, the US already made a response in the form of Vice President Joe "Loose Cannon" Biden, who, when asked about the attack on the flotilla, said: "So what’s the big deal here?"

At the time he said it, the odds were fair that an American citizen – out of nine with the flotilla — was among the dead. Now that it’s been confirmed, I wonder if it’s dawned on our dim-witted Vice President that it is indeed a very big deal. 

In a brazen act of international piracy, the Israelis boarded a ship in international waters and killed an American citizen – so what is the American government going to do about it?

The answer is: nothing, zero, nada, zilch. Israel refuses to let an international investigation look into the matter, and Biden is cool with that, as he told Charlie Rose:

"Biden: We passed a resolution in the UN saying we need a transparent and open investigation of what happened. It looks like things are…

"Rose: International investigation?

"Biden: Well, an investigation run by the Israelis, but we’re open to international participation."

That’s certainly impartial, fair, and transparent – let the Israelis investigate themselves! No, Biden isn’t stupid: he’s smart enough to know the Israelis will never be held accountable by our government, and that any attempt to do so would be aborted before it ever became known. 

The reason for this peculiar passivity is because, contra Hillary, protecting the welfare of American citizens is not considered a fundamental responsibility of our government insofar as it means protecting their welfare against the government of Israel. In any conflict between American and Israeli interests, Washington’s instinctive response is to uphold the latter and ignore the former. Under the Bush administration, such a conflict of interests was considered impossible: the very idea that there could be daylight between Washington and Tel Aviv on any given issue was considered heretical. Even under the Bushies, however, there was still some vague stirrings of American independence, especially toward the end of the second term. And they never had to face a situation like this, in which an American citizen in transit was murdered by our faithful "allies." That kind of thing hasn’t happened since the sinking of the USS Liberty – and it may be a sign of what’s to come that a survivor of that heinous assault was traveling with the flotilla, too. 

In the case of the USS Liberty, the whole thing was covered up in a shameful act of official suppression: against the testimony of the sailors on that ship, 34 of whom were killed, the US government ruled that the savage Israeli assault was a tragic "accident." Yet US government officials knew the truth. As then secretary of state Dean Rusk later put it:

"I was never satisfied with the Israeli explanation. Their sustained attack to disable and sink Liberty precluded an assault by accident or some trigger-happy local commander. Through diplomatic channels we refused to accept their explanations. I didn’t believe them then, and I don’t believe them to this day. The attack was outrageous."

So is this attack outrageous, but if the US government can whitewash the Israeli murder of 34 American sailors, it can overlook the murder of a single American in nearly identical circumstances. 

Of course, this is not 1967: the news of an American’s death at the hands of the IDF is being transmitted around the world, even as I write this, and all the details are coming out: the pitilessness of the Israelis, young Furkan’s idealism, and the horrific circumstances of his death. 

What is being transmitted, above all, is the braying arrogance of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his media shills, as they deride the dead as "terrorists looking for trouble." Bizarrely, the Vice President of the United States is joining right in, declaring that Israel had a "right" to board the ships and detain the passengers because it has a "right" to ensure its own "security" – yet the ships were inspected by the Turkish government in Cyprus before they left, and found to contain only items such as building material and children’s toys. The Israelis, as part of their serio-comic propaganda offensive, are triumphantly showing off a cache of "weapons" found on the ship – which looks like nothing more than a collection of old kitchen knives and a couple of metal poles. 

An American is killed as heavily armed soldiers of a foreign nation board a ship in international waters, firing live ammunition at the passengers as they rappel onto the deck. Among those passengers: a former US ambassador, a former US colonel and Pentagon official, several members of the European parliament, a member of the Israeli Knesset, and members of parliament from several Arab countries. 

Imagine if Iran had done this. Washington would have reverberated with the sound of thunder emanating from the White House, and the attack fleet would already be steaming toward the Gulf, taking up position. That the culprit was Israel, however, puts a whole different face on the matter, at least as far as our government is concerned: they’re content to let the Israelis "investigate," and let the matter drop. 

For years, some of us have been saying that the government of Israel and its partisans in this country exercise a decisive – and unhealthy – influence on the making and execution of US foreign policy. We’ve been accused of everything from anti-Semitism to pushing "conspiracy theories," and yet the Mediterranean Massacre – and our government’s non-response – underscores that, if anything, we’ve been underestimating the extent to which the US takes its orders directly from Tel Aviv. 

The Israel Lobby controls official Washington: Congress is, as Pat Buchanan trenchantly observed, "Israeli-occupied territory." Yet one would think that, in spite of these circumtances, the wanton murder of an American on the high seas by Israeli commandos would provoke an angry response from Washington. Unfortunately, one would be wrong. 

Instead, what we have is the grotesque spectacle of our Vice President commending the Israelis, and the US and Israel scrambling to come up with a "joint response." What more proof do we need that the US government is the political equivalent of occupied Palestine, where truth and justice are under blockade?

For years, they’ve been spying on us, collaborating with our enemies, stealing our secrets, manipulating our politicians, and now they’ve gone so far as to murder one of our citizens on neutral ground – and still our government cannot manage even a peep of protest. A more disgusting display of cowardice would be hard to imagine. 

We attacked Iraq in large part due to the influence of the Lobby, and we are gearing up for an armed conflict with Iran in response to the same sort of pressure: will we now countenance the execution of one of our own citizens in order to appease Tel Aviv? 

This was no "accident." The Israeli government knew precisely what it was doing, it knew there were Americans on those ships, and chose to go in guns blazing: it was the equivalent of spitting in Uncle Sam’s face. 

After all, how dare those Americans try to freeze the building of settlements in what is "Greater Israel"? How dare Obama tell us what we can and cannot do?! We’ll show them! Let’s kill a few. Don’t worry – they won’t retaliate. We own them: and they know it.

In view of the Obama administration’s shameful crawling, one can hardly disagree. Which raises a question: how many American lives are to be sacrificed on the altar of the "special relationship"? It’s a question to which one doesn’t really want to know the answer.

[Suriel]

After Israel’s Attack on Aid Ship, Turkey Spun as Villain
http://news.antiwar.com/2010/06/03/after-israels-attack-on-aid-ship-turkey-spun-as-villain/
by Jason Ditz, June 03, 2010

Israeli Officials Liken Turkey to Iran

When Sunday night’s Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid ship left a large number of civilian aid workers, including at least eight Turkish citizens, slain and a large number wounded, the Turkish population was understandably angry and, like much of the world, protested the incident.

But somehow it seems that Israel, not Turkey, feels the more aggrieved by the Israeli massacre, and Israelis were out in force nationwide, protesting in favor of the killings.

Read that again: protesting in favor of the killings. Jingoism is alive and well in Israel, and while it has ceased to become surprising when Israelis rally in favor of aggressive wars, few really anticipated the breadth of Israeli support for a military attack on a civilian aid ship and the killing of large numbers of civilian aid workers.

The response of Israel’s far-right coalition government, a combination of restrained jubilation and faux outrage that the rest of the world could feel anything else, has done it immeasurable harm the world over since the massacre, but combined with a vigorous military censorship regime it seems to have succeeded in convincing the Israeli public, or at least a large portion of them, that attacking a civilian aid ship was not only a necessary evil but actually a laudable act, a matter of national pride.

Israel’s ability to spin a flotilla full of medical aid as an “existential threat” is unsurprising, of course. After all, Israeli society has been easily convinced in recent years that both video iPods and leavened bread posed similar threats to the very existance of the nation-state. The ability to spin longtime ally Turkey as the real villain and even a new enemy of epic proportions.

Israeli protesters condemned Turkish Prime Minister Edrogan as a “terrorist” and held up photos of him with a drawn-on Hitler-mustache. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman took a surprisingly angry swipe at Turkey as well, insisting Turkey was “wholly to blame” for the tensions and likening them to Iran.

Turko-Israeli relations have been on the downslope for quite some time, with some decidedly petty but high profile incidents fueling tensions. Hawkish anger over Turkey’s recent attempts to stave off war with Iran is also palpable. Yet it seems that “fury” over Turkey not taking the massacring of its civilians with good natured aplomb may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

The loss of Turkey as an ally could be costly for Israel, analysts warn, and attempts to put Turkey into the “enemy camp” could be disastrous, as Turkey remains a key member of NATO. Though some will need little convincing to put Turkey into the role of villain, the wisdom of doing so will remain in doubt.

[Suriel]

Israelis subdued captain by pointing gun at a child
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/israelis-subdued-captain-by-pointing-gun-at-a-child-1.636007
By Layelle Saad, GCC & Middle East Editor, and Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent Published: 00:00 June 3, 2010

Algerian activist gives chilling account of atrocities

Dubai/Cairo: According to a report in The Guardian, an Algerian activist, who gave her name as Sabrina, revealed that Israeli troops pointed their gun at a one-year-old Turkish child in front of his parents to force the captain of the Mavi Marmara to stop sailing.

Many reports have emerged from among the 124 activists who crossed over into Amman, Jordan, yesterday.

In an interview with Sky News, IT professional Hasan Nowarah, from Glasgow, described the moments as the Israeli troops descended on the ship.

"All you could see was screaming and bullets. Out of the blue as I looked around our ship, all I could see were hundreds of Zodiacs. Hundreds of Zodiacs full of soldiers, and big ships, lots of ships, and I believe as well submarines in the sea."

Kuwaiti MP Walid Al Tabtabai said the Israelis were "brutal and arrogant".

"Israelis roughed up and humiliated all of us, women, men and children," he said.

Algerian Izzeddine Zahrour said Israeli authorities "deprived us of food, water and sleep and we weren't allowed to use the toilet".

"It was an ugly kidnapping and subsequently bad treatment in Israeli jail," he said.

"They handcuffed us, pushed us around and humiliated us," Egyptian MP Hazem Farouq, who was also on the boat, said and added what he witnessed on the ship "defied his imagination".

"It was hell on the sea. I saw Israeli soldiers killing activists in cold blood and then walking on their bodies," Farouq, who was one of more than 700 activists aboard the Freedom Flotilla attacked by Israeli commandos, said on Tuesday in Cairo.

"The Israeli soldiers sprayed bullets as if they were a mafia in an American film."

Farouq and his colleague Mohammad Al Beltagui were detained along with many activists, who survived the widely condemned Israeli attack. They were released late on Monday after direct intervention by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

Robbed

"The Israelis left some of the injured activists bleeding without treatment until death," Farouq said.

He added that he and Al Beltagui had been robbed of all their belongings and around $3,500 in cash. Both MPs belong to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's strongest opposition force.

"All the survivors on the ship were beaten up, stripped and humiliated by the Israeli commandos while other Israeli soldiers were busy firing teargas," said Al Beltagui.

"What happened is sheer thuggery and piracy," he added.

According to him, the blood was so copious on the ship that some Israeli soldiers slipped while on board.

"We were kept aboard the ship until 3pm under the blazing sun, a situation that made many people, including women, suffer sunstroke and lose consciousness."

The two lawmakers, whom the Egyptian authorities said they had joined the humanitarian effort without notifying them, said they and other activists had refused to sign a written Israeli statement that they had attempted to illegally enter Israel.

"Al Beltagui and I left the detention centre only in the underwear, which were stained with blood of the martyrs, and without shoes until the Egyptian Consul in Israel came to accompany us to the [Egyptian] border town of Taba," said Farouq.

[chris jones]

Transparency, where have I heard that before?
Little Joey B. is an admitted Zionist.

[grapecrusher1]

Now you've done it! You can't question the stories and reports of the poor mistreated Palistinians as that wouldn't be prudent. Palistinians never embelish the truth. Their information is always correct, and in no way would ever mislead the public to side with their views. Don't you know they are the victims and are always the victims, having never done a bad thing in their whole existence. Why they would never deny people's right to worship at their most holy place in the world. These people are freedom lovers and for peace. They would never launch rockets at anybody, or throw rocks and use poles to beat their oppressors. They just want peace and harmony, once they drive the jews into the sea!

Man this whole deal turns my stomach. The raw hatred towards a single people is mind-numbing. "Even so come Lord Jesus!"

Please justify your gibberish with facts.

btw the democratically elected Hamas leadership has repeatedly offered an UNCONDITIONAL two state solution and has done so as recently as YESTERDAY.

In the last ruthless assault on Gaza the Isrealis used white phosporus, flechette weaponry, DU, plethora of bombs, tanks, helicopter gunships and killed 1300 people mostly women and children -- how many Israelis died and how did the brutality initiate?  I bet you have no clue.

Your spoutings and religious banter are baseless.
  

[rio]

Anyways, I'm not mad at AJ.

I just don't see how he has the right to get all angry at his callers and talk down to them when at least they are talking about justice and he's just talking about a "PR Problem".

Maybe he has to do that because of Jewish/Israeli sponsors or something..whatever.

Or maybe it is because of his religious indoctrination of supporting Israel. I mean, there is a video from a long time ago of AJ saying that he supports Israel. Either way, it's fishy.

[Dig]

Or maybe it is because of his religious indoctrination of supporting Israel. I mean, there is a video from a long time ago of AJ saying that he supports Israel. Either way, it's fishy.

It is expected, after exposing that there atre over 1,000 articles on AJ's websites discussing gaza genocide and devoing most of his show to expose the crimes of israel he was targeted as anti-semitic and a jesuit spy. that wsas pretty fishy. and now that he gave 1/2 the time to those also criticising the attack but not as harshly, some drum up old cointelpro zionazi videos. Either way, it's fishy.

[rio]

It is expected, after exposing that there atre over 1,000 articles on AJ's websites discussing gaza genocide and devoing most of his show to expose the crimes of israel he was targeted as anti-semitic and a jesuit spy. that wsas pretty fishy. and now that he gave 1/2 the time to those also criticising the attack but not as harshly, some drum up old cointelpro zionazi videos. Either way, it's fishy.

I'm not calling him a Zionist, but others are. Are you denying that AJ said on video that he supports the Jewish state early on in his career?

[Dig]

I'm not calling him a Zionist, but others are. Are you denying that AJ said on video that he supports the Jewish state early on in his career?

early on in his career? when he was in his 20's? i guess that is the point about taking all the rational dialog this week and then the standard zionazi/jesuit/reptilian crap. i think the guy he had on the other day was a self indentified zionist. but as he defined it, it was the right for israel to exist. he also critized greatly the attack. AJ has done the same consistently and does not go as far as that guy on defending things. IMO the people that are really the nuts are the ones saying that israel was justified in the boarding and massacre. I believe those are the ones causing the greatest anti-semitism and fueling the war drums.

for the sake of gaza, turks, israelis, and the US stuck in this mess, full investigations need to be conducted. this is just basic. who provided intel, who gave the orders, what were the war games. we know that these things can be done anywhere in the world to cause conflict. north korea and south korea is another prime example.

[Viper]

full investigations need to be conducted. this is just basic. who provided intel, who gave the orders, what were the war games. we know that these things can be done anywhere in the world to cause conflict. north korea and south korea is another prime example.

Who provided "intel"?

Umm half the world knew it was an unarmed aid flotilla.

Who gave the orders?

Now you're talking.

What were the war games?

Again half the world knew about the floitilla, you suppose the commando murderers didn't?

What we need is justice so this doesn't happen again, not compromise.

[grapecrusher1]

AJ is highly knowledgeable on many subjects.  On this particular subject, which is rather complex, he has shown that his understanding is shoddy.  Even some specific points AJ agreed with Mr. Mossad and Dr. Aipac on were complete verifiable falsehoods.

Aj cant know everything but in this area he should do a little more homework.  Hey maybe even read this thread to bring him up to speed on the current situation. 
Have McKinney on.

[Dig]

Who provided "intel"?

Umm half the world knew it was an unarmed aid flotilla.

We do not know that these commandos were given that intel. During the Lebennon incursions, they were given total BS intel and the grunts ended the incursions. Pilots often do the same. Israel often puts in provocatuers into Hamas, into other organizations like HHI, just like US with control groups and provocateur groups. It is not unreasonable to think that they were given fake info about some threat (whether it justifies the boarding or not s another issue).

Who gave the orders?

Now you're talking.

yup

What were the war games?

Again half the world knew about the floitilla, you suppose the commando murderers didn't?

What we need is justice so this doesn't happen again, not compromise.

there will be no justice if there is no investigation. nuerenberg did not provide justice when IG Farben and thousands of paperclipped elite took over many fuctions of intel, mind control, and secret bio/chem/nuke projects in israel, uk, and the us.

[Viper]

And there will be no investigation, cause we're now compromised into thinking the commando terrorists
had been on a desert island for months, the aid flotilla's real purpose was to provoke an attack and who gives a shit anyways about the Gazans, we're gods people, Gaza is the mecca for terrorism.