Please elaborate more on your comments, it seems that you are implying a terrorist plot to trap innocent Israeli commandos who only had sidearms?
So the Israelis should have torpedoes the boats instead?
I know a few people on board the flotilla, respected people and not at all those sympathetic to or having anything to do with terrorists.
The Pakistan media anchor Talat is perhaps the most respected of our media persons who is known for his very factual articles and talk shows and who is extremely vocal about condemning terrorism and militancy.
The people on board resisted in face of aggression by armed Israeli commandos in international waters...yet it is so easy for you to come up with a statement to portray Israel in a better light and malign the people who were on board to genuinely help the Gazans.
The Gaza Strip is on a coastline so the flotilla had a right to land in Gaza traversing through Gazan waters in order to supply food, toys and utility items of everyday life...or does military power alone now determine what is morally right or wrong?
The hundreds and thousands of people suffering daily from the effect of the siege have to be helped, or does the world now forgive such actions which will destroy a people's chance for normalcy?
For a neutral perspective your words seem quite sympathetic to the Israeli regime which has been keeping Gazans under a tight siege sadly reminiscent of the WW2 era Nazi policies against Jews, especially the siege of many ghettos in which Jews were confined and at the mercy of Nazis.
Gaza siege needs to be lifted for sake of innocents, it is a very simple matter when seen from a neutral perspective.
There cannot be any peace without Israel backing off from its merciless and often illegal operations which due to the sheer magnitude of its resources, cause lasting damage.
Israel's responses have been usually extremely disproportionate.
All the while it maintains Gaza siege and has been illegally occupying more and more of Palestinian land...in complete violation of UN policy and resolutions.
There is a reason that Israel does not even allow UN any space to directly monitor events related to Palestinians...going by the nature of the problem, UN presence should have been a welcome one but it will not allow Israel same level of liberty to do what it pleases and then twist the facts till we all sit around and question how a bunch of harmless Israeli commandos were mutilated by a wild terrorist sympathizer crowd and had to fire and kill a few bad guys in self defense.
Israel has been growing in confidence of what it can get away with...
Its hands now even reach Dubai where it assassinated another of its enemies in quite an elaborate operation.
Had same thing been done by another less privileged country, sanctions would have flown left, right and center.
Israel needs to be checked before any hope for peaceful coexistence vanishes... i think it may already be too late.
your last point first and yes i agree 10 years ago a setlement on the 62 lines seemed possible but was rejected and that was sad ego over rid sense and a chance was lost it seems now forever.
The assasination in Dubai was sloppy 24 agents to take out one person, wander all over malls and make sure you are seen changeing by multiple security cameras. A sanction takes two people and a car park in dubai ask the russians. To quote a friend if you see them i didnt train them.
Two theories one hamas taking out a double dealing arms trader two Israel saying we can do it any where.
Short version an assasin got assainated tazer to the privates druged, iterrogated and killed i dont imagine he will be missed.
As for if another country come on Dubai is a cespit of greed and coruption if your rich and arab any thing goes if your a poor Pakistani worker that hasent been paid for a year screw you.
The UN is all over Gaza how else could a UN compound have been beside an Israeli arty attack? LOL harmless commandos, yes that was a disaster, 600 people on a ship and you land two men with paint guns and side arms.
Rule one in the face of strong forces in a political situation you respons with a:no force b: overwhelming in your face just try it bastard force
Israel f-ed up and did half way. two coast guard officers un armed inspecting the ship would have been brave bastards but the right response.
Two semi armed commandos just allowed the gaza or death crowd on board thier wish.
The Gaza seige i agree is wrong and only helps Hamas, the more limits Israel applies the more excuses the arab world and hamas have for gaza being a cesspit. Provide free transit to gaza and the west bank, all the aid they desire free passage to all muslim countries of all palestinians that want to relocate.
First question last and sorry for the long reply, yes 600 people from a Hamas "aid" organisation on a peace mission yep torpedo it and blame it on the noth koreans.
Seriously, you have civilian un armed police/coast guard board the boat with if posible UN/neutral observers to search for weapons drugs or contraband while the vessel is with in your economic zone.
With respect to the honorable friends abord there were also people armed and looking for a fight that got what they wanted.
Seriously i live by an old addage dont bring a knife to a gun fight, the turks did. I am sorry for the 9 people that died and i assume not all were the people attacking the Israeli commandoes but 5 vessels were boarded with out incident then one turned into a fire fight. The logical assumption is that on that vessel the armed officers were attacked as the turkish photos show.
As for it was a plot, yes in big letters. You do not need 600 civilians to tranport aid. Yes Israel was stupid to respond in the way it did but if your only objecive is to tranport aid why not que a line of trucks at the Egyptian border and stage a hunger strike?
Jerusalem, June 3 (IANS/AKI): Israel has said about 40 of the activists arrested in the attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla may have had links to Al-Qaeda.
According to the Israeli defence forces (IDF), a special meeting of the security cabinet late Tuesday heard that a group of 40 people on board the Mavi Marmara ship with no identification papers belonged to Al Qaeda.
"The terrorists were equipped with bullet proof vests, night-vision goggles, and weapons. On board the Mavi Marmara ship that arrived as part of the flotilla to Gaza was a group of about 40 people with no identification papers, who are mercenaries belonging to the Al Qaeda terror organisation," the IDF said on its website.
As international debate continues over Israel's deadly raid on the humanitarian vessels, the IDF released a number of videos to show the military's version of the attack during which soldiers shot and killed nine international activists bound for the Gaza Strip.
One video, put up Wednesday on several websites including the site of Israeli daily Haaretz, shows passengers on the Mavi Marmara hurling stun grenades and plates and spraying water at the commandos as they lowered themselves onto the ship.
The activists are also seen armed with iron bars and batons which they reportedly used against the soldiers.
Thank you AG for your response i hope i have at least answered a few of your questions in my ramble
