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Greece Shipment to Israel Appears to be Cancelled; No Solidarity at SF Greek Consulate Now
This could be a trick, but
Update #40 - US arm shipment from Greece to Israel: canceled!
International mainstream media report this morning that the planned US shipment of ammunition from Greece to Israel has been canceled. The reason for this is still a bit unclear: While the international media claim the decision was made by the Pentagon in light of the proximity of the Israeli port of Ashdod (the shipment’s destination) to Gaza, Greek mainstream media paint a very different story: According to this, the shipment has been called off by the Greek government - here’s a translation of an abstract from the news as carried by news portal in.gr:
As reported in the newspaper Ta Nea (The News), for hours the phone lines between Washington and Athens were on fire until it was decided, on Monday, that at this point the operation publically announced by the American Navy should not go ahead.
The decision came despite the fact that outside the greek port of Astakos was a ship of the American Navy that would be used to transport the shipment in 235 containers.
The greek government and the ministry of foreign affairs have been uneasy about the publicity received by the issue and so, despite the (political and legal) commitments in place, the huge political cost of the operation outweigh them, since the country would have been directly implicated in the forwarding of ammunition to Israel whilst its attack on the Gaza strip is ongoing.
On Saturday (10.01), the Popular front for the Liberation of Palestine had called upon “the Greek movement, the Greek people and all international progressive forces to halt the planned shipment of U.S. arms to Israel from the Greek port of Astakos” (read the full callout here). During the following two days, tens of groups across the country responded to the callout, by calling in turn for a demonstration and blockade of the port of Astakos for Thursday, 15.01.
Only one day later, the shipment has been canceled! A small, but so significant victory… Comradely greetings to our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
Read more!
at 5:26 PM 0 comments
Labels: gaza, palestine, updates
International mainstream media report this morning that the planned US shipment of ammunition from Greece to Israel has been canceled. The reason for this is still a bit unclear: While the international media claim the decision was made by the Pentagon in light of the proximity of the Israeli port of Ashdod (the shipment’s destination) to Gaza, Greek mainstream media paint a very different story: According to this, the shipment has been called off by the Greek government - here’s a translation of an abstract from the news as carried by news portal in.gr:
As reported in the newspaper Ta Nea (The News), for hours the phone lines between Washington and Athens were on fire until it was decided, on Monday, that at this point the operation publically announced by the American Navy should not go ahead.
The decision came despite the fact that outside the greek port of Astakos was a ship of the American Navy that would be used to transport the shipment in 235 containers.
The greek government and the ministry of foreign affairs have been uneasy about the publicity received by the issue and so, despite the (political and legal) commitments in place, the huge political cost of the operation outweigh them, since the country would have been directly implicated in the forwarding of ammunition to Israel whilst its attack on the Gaza strip is ongoing.
On Saturday (10.01), the Popular front for the Liberation of Palestine had called upon “the Greek movement, the Greek people and all international progressive forces to halt the planned shipment of U.S. arms to Israel from the Greek port of Astakos” (read the full callout here). During the following two days, tens of groups across the country responded to the callout, by calling in turn for a demonstration and blockade of the port of Astakos for Thursday, 15.01.
Only one day later, the shipment has been canceled! A small, but so significant victory… Comradely greetings to our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
Read more!
at 5:26 PM 0 comments
Labels: gaza, palestine, updates
For more information:
http://greeceriots.blogspot.com/
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It appears to be somewhere in international waters, with its transponder off. Which begs the question, where is it then?
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US suspends munitions delivery to Israel
Ship's journey delayed amid fears cargo would be used in Gaza
* David Pallister
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 15 January 2009 15.50 GMT
The Pentagon has suspended the delivery of a shipload of munitions to Israel after international concern that it could be used by Israeli forces in Gaza.
The German-owned cargo vessel, Wehr Elbe, under charter by the US Military Sealift Command, is currently in Greek waters with its transponder tracking turned off to prevent its location being identified.
Amnesty International has written to the foreign secretary, David Miliband, asking him to make "urgent approaches to the US, German and Greek governments to prevent this, or any pending or future shipments of weaponry until it can be verified that they will not be transferred to the Israeli Defence Forces or other parties to the conflict in Gaza.
"We urge you to ensure that no EU member state will allow their ports or other facilities to be used to transit these or any other weapons to any of the parties to this conflict."
The Wehr Elbe, owned by the Hamburg company Oskar Wehr, arrived outside the Greek port of Astakos on 1 January, where it was due to transfer its 1,000 containers to another vessel for delivery to Ashdod in Israel.
But after a two week stand-off, amid local protests in Greece, it moved out into the Mediterranean two days ago and disappeared off tracking websites.
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said that the contract for the munitions had been arranged last summer and approved in October. He said the munitions were due to be delivered to a US pre-positioning depot in Israel for US forces. But he added: "If the government of Israel requests munitions they can do so direct to the US government under the Foreign Military Sales programme."
He said the ship's journey had been delayed due to "safety concerns" about unloading the cargo at Ashdod and that other arrangements were being made by the Military Sealift Command's European office in Naples.
The letter to Miliband, from Amnesty's director, Kate Allen, calls "for a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and Palestinian armed groups until effective mechanisms are in place to ensure that weapons and munitions and other military equipment will not be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law".
Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme director, Malcolm Smart, said: "The last thing that is needed now is more weapons and munitions in the region, which is awash with arms that are being used in a manner which contravenes international law and is having a devastating effect on the civilian population in Gaza."
---------------
US suspends munitions delivery to Israel
Ship's journey delayed amid fears cargo would be used in Gaza
* David Pallister
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 15 January 2009 15.50 GMT
The Pentagon has suspended the delivery of a shipload of munitions to Israel after international concern that it could be used by Israeli forces in Gaza.
The German-owned cargo vessel, Wehr Elbe, under charter by the US Military Sealift Command, is currently in Greek waters with its transponder tracking turned off to prevent its location being identified.
Amnesty International has written to the foreign secretary, David Miliband, asking him to make "urgent approaches to the US, German and Greek governments to prevent this, or any pending or future shipments of weaponry until it can be verified that they will not be transferred to the Israeli Defence Forces or other parties to the conflict in Gaza.
"We urge you to ensure that no EU member state will allow their ports or other facilities to be used to transit these or any other weapons to any of the parties to this conflict."
The Wehr Elbe, owned by the Hamburg company Oskar Wehr, arrived outside the Greek port of Astakos on 1 January, where it was due to transfer its 1,000 containers to another vessel for delivery to Ashdod in Israel.
But after a two week stand-off, amid local protests in Greece, it moved out into the Mediterranean two days ago and disappeared off tracking websites.
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said that the contract for the munitions had been arranged last summer and approved in October. He said the munitions were due to be delivered to a US pre-positioning depot in Israel for US forces. But he added: "If the government of Israel requests munitions they can do so direct to the US government under the Foreign Military Sales programme."
He said the ship's journey had been delayed due to "safety concerns" about unloading the cargo at Ashdod and that other arrangements were being made by the Military Sealift Command's European office in Naples.
The letter to Miliband, from Amnesty's director, Kate Allen, calls "for a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and Palestinian armed groups until effective mechanisms are in place to ensure that weapons and munitions and other military equipment will not be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law".
Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme director, Malcolm Smart, said: "The last thing that is needed now is more weapons and munitions in the region, which is awash with arms that are being used in a manner which contravenes international law and is having a devastating effect on the civilian population in Gaza."
For more information:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/1...
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