Friday
Jun042010
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (4 June): "One Passenger Shot Every Minute"
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 13:30
2010 GMT: Gaza Under Siege reports that the MV Rachel Corrie is 80 miles from the coast.
1745 GMT: Information or Desperation? Israel Defense Forces have released an extract from claimed communication between the Israeli navy and the Freedom Flotilla. Flotilla passengers allegedly respond to calls to observe the blockade, "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz" and "We're helping Arabs go against the US. Don't forget 9-11, guys."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
1740 GMT: An Israeli Move to Avoid Confrontation? Israel's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement about the sailing of the MV Rachel Corrie for Gaza, "We have no desire for a confrontation. We have no desire to board the ship. If the ship decides to sail the port of Ashdod, then we will ensure its safe arrival and will not board it.
"Israel is prepared to receive the ship and to offload its contents. After an inspection to ensure that no weapons and war materials are on board, we are prepared to deliver all of the goods to Gaza. Representative of the people on board and relevant NGOs are welcome to accompany the goods to the crossings."
1720 GMT: The Committee to Protect Journalists has denounced Israel's editing and distribution of footage confiscated from foreign journalists aboard the Flotilla in support of West Jerusalem's public-relations effort.
Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator, Mohamed Abdel Dayem, said: "Israel has confiscated journalistic material and then manipulated it to serve its interests. It must cease this practice without delay, and return all property seized from journalists who were covering this legitimate news event."
1716 GMT: Witness Testimony. Ismail Patel of Britain,a passenger on the Mavi Marmara has claimed Israeli commandos had a "shoot to kill" policy: "We now can calculate that they shot one person every minute. One person was shot every minute. There were nine fatalities, over 48 people with gunshot wounds, six are unaccounted for."
Patel, echoing other accounts, said the initial assault was mounted from the water, with sound bombs, tear gas and stun grenades fired against the Mavi Marmara, but people on the vessel threw items overboard to repel the attack. Then an Israeli helicopter appeared overhead "and started using immediately live ammunition" without any warning being issued. After the first victim fell the white flag was raised,but Israeli forces continued firing and soldiers rappelled to the deck on ropes.
Patel said he used the ship's public address system, "I spoke in English very calmly and said 'we are only civilians, we surrender' and requested my colleagues to sit down in their chairs, put their hands and legs on the tables and not to make any movement....Despite our repeated calls the firing continued."."
1230 GMT: Israel Keeps Pressing Its Line. The latest spin from the Israeli military is that a "navy investigation" has found "some passengers tried to take captive three commandos who lost consciousness as a result of the activists' blows".
The Israelis may have to maintain their effort --- even CNN, far from hostile to West Jerusalem's publicity, is now featuring the story that the nine slain passengers were shot, five of them in the head, by Israeli commandos.
1225 GMT: The Free Gaza Movement writes that the MV Rachel Corrie is 150 miles from the coast and should arrive Saturday morning. Passengers include Nobel Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday, barrister Matthias Chang Wen Chieh, and Malaysian MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria. There is also a three-member camera crew from Malaysia TV3.
1215 GMT: Turkey has repeated its warning that it may reduce economic and defence ties with Israel. Deputy PM Bulent Arinc said Ankara was "assessing deals" with West Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, an interesting article in The Washington Post on (Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), the Turkish group that financed the Flotilla.
0615 GMT: As the furuor and politics over Monday's attack on the Freedom Flotilla continues, a second act may loom. After stopping in Crete to upgrade video and satellite equipment, the merchant vessel MV Rachel Corrie is heading for Gaza. The ship, which was unable to join the main flotilla earlier this week, has aid and 11 prominent activists, including former Assistant UN Secretary-General Denis Halliday.
Halliday declared, "We have not stopped and have no intention of stopping. We will only stop when Israelis force us to do so."
1745 GMT: Information or Desperation? Israel Defense Forces have released an extract from claimed communication between the Israeli navy and the Freedom Flotilla. Flotilla passengers allegedly respond to calls to observe the blockade, "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz" and "We're helping Arabs go against the US. Don't forget 9-11, guys."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
NEW Gaza Flotilla: Haaretz’s Gideon Levy “Netanyahu Was Right”
Turkey Inside Line: Parliament, President, and People Condemn Israel
Gaza Flotilla Analysis: US Official Position “My Israel, Right or Wrong” (Yenidunya)
Gaza Flotilla Video: Netanyahu’s Speech “Iran’s Master Plan and the Hate Boat” (2 June)
Gaza Flotilla Video: Member of Israel Parliament Accused of Supporting “Terrorists”
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (3 June): Pressure on Israel Grows
1740 GMT: An Israeli Move to Avoid Confrontation? Israel's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement about the sailing of the MV Rachel Corrie for Gaza, "We have no desire for a confrontation. We have no desire to board the ship. If the ship decides to sail the port of Ashdod, then we will ensure its safe arrival and will not board it.
"Israel is prepared to receive the ship and to offload its contents. After an inspection to ensure that no weapons and war materials are on board, we are prepared to deliver all of the goods to Gaza. Representative of the people on board and relevant NGOs are welcome to accompany the goods to the crossings."
1720 GMT: The Committee to Protect Journalists has denounced Israel's editing and distribution of footage confiscated from foreign journalists aboard the Flotilla in support of West Jerusalem's public-relations effort.
Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator, Mohamed Abdel Dayem, said: "Israel has confiscated journalistic material and then manipulated it to serve its interests. It must cease this practice without delay, and return all property seized from journalists who were covering this legitimate news event."
1716 GMT: Witness Testimony. Ismail Patel of Britain,a passenger on the Mavi Marmara has claimed Israeli commandos had a "shoot to kill" policy: "We now can calculate that they shot one person every minute. One person was shot every minute. There were nine fatalities, over 48 people with gunshot wounds, six are unaccounted for."
Patel, echoing other accounts, said the initial assault was mounted from the water, with sound bombs, tear gas and stun grenades fired against the Mavi Marmara, but people on the vessel threw items overboard to repel the attack. Then an Israeli helicopter appeared overhead "and started using immediately live ammunition" without any warning being issued. After the first victim fell the white flag was raised,but Israeli forces continued firing and soldiers rappelled to the deck on ropes.
Patel said he used the ship's public address system, "I spoke in English very calmly and said 'we are only civilians, we surrender' and requested my colleagues to sit down in their chairs, put their hands and legs on the tables and not to make any movement....Despite our repeated calls the firing continued."."
1230 GMT: Israel Keeps Pressing Its Line. The latest spin from the Israeli military is that a "navy investigation" has found "some passengers tried to take captive three commandos who lost consciousness as a result of the activists' blows".
The Israelis may have to maintain their effort --- even CNN, far from hostile to West Jerusalem's publicity, is now featuring the story that the nine slain passengers were shot, five of them in the head, by Israeli commandos.
1225 GMT: The Free Gaza Movement writes that the MV Rachel Corrie is 150 miles from the coast and should arrive Saturday morning. Passengers include Nobel Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday, barrister Matthias Chang Wen Chieh, and Malaysian MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria. There is also a three-member camera crew from Malaysia TV3.
1215 GMT: Turkey has repeated its warning that it may reduce economic and defence ties with Israel. Deputy PM Bulent Arinc said Ankara was "assessing deals" with West Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, an interesting article in The Washington Post on (Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), the Turkish group that financed the Flotilla.
0615 GMT: As the furuor and politics over Monday's attack on the Freedom Flotilla continues, a second act may loom. After stopping in Crete to upgrade video and satellite equipment, the merchant vessel MV Rachel Corrie is heading for Gaza. The ship, which was unable to join the main flotilla earlier this week, has aid and 11 prominent activists, including former Assistant UN Secretary-General Denis Halliday.
Halliday declared, "We have not stopped and have no intention of stopping. We will only stop when Israelis force us to do so."
tagged Bulent Arinc, Committee to Protect Journalists, Denis Halliday, Freedom Flotilla, Gaza, Gaza Under Siege, Ismail Patel, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, MV Rachel Corrie, Mairead Maguire, Matthias Chang Wen Chieh, Mohamed Abdel Dayem, Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria, Palestine, Turkey in Middle East & Iran
Bulent Arinc, Committee to Protect Journalists, Denis Halliday, Freedom Flotilla, Gaza, Gaza Under Siege, Ismail Patel, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, MV Rachel Corrie, Mairead Maguire, Matthias Chang Wen Chieh, Mohamed Abdel Dayem, Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria, Palestine, Turkey in Middle East & Iran