“Israeli naval commandos intercepted and boarded a civilian ship in the southern Red Sea early Wednesday, preventing an attempt to smuggle an Iranian shipment of advanced rockets to Gaza, according to senior Israeli officials. The ship, identified as the Klos-C, was seized in international waters between Eritrea and Sudan, approximately 1,000 miles from the port of Eilat, Israel’s southernmost point. It was carrying Syrian-manufactured M-302 rockets with a range of about 100 miles, according to Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military. The takeover took place without violence; Israeli officials said the crew of 17 cooperated with the Israelis and seemed unaware of the vessel’s contents. The ship, which was also carrying civilian cargo, was flying under a Panamanian flag………………….”

“The Israeli military seized a boatload of advanced Iranian weapons—and then launched a sophisticated PR campaign to tell the world why they shouldn’t trust Tehran. On Wednesday morning, the Israeli Navy announced that it had stopped an Iranian cargo vessel with advanced weapons destined for fighters in Gaza. By Wednesday afternoon, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz was telling members of the U.S. Congress that the interception of the sophisticated rockets revealed the “real nature of Iran”………….”

It is possible, although I reserve the right to be extremely doubtful. Hamas is much more opportunistic than principled. It has gone back to its old ties of dependence on the mullahs, now that the Muslim Brotherhood is on the run in Egypt and Ras al-Khaimah and the Syrian regime seems to be winning (for now). Yet, the timing of his weapons cache is too damn……. coincidental and so convenient.
A Panamanian ship, loaded in Iraq and Sudan: that is already a red signal, nay a huge flashing red light screaming: catch me, catch me! Headed directly toward the Israeli port of Eilat? That is a brighter flashing red light and a louder scream of: catch me, catch me! Many would suspect a ship loaded in Iraq and Sudan heading to the Red Sea, and almost everybody knows that. And when were the alleged weapons added to the cargo and by whom? Can the Iranians be THAT stupid, knowing from past experience that undefended ships can and are boarded in international waters? Could be: the mullahs have their fair share of schmucks, one of them was president until last summer. Or is the Israeli Mossad THAT clever to choreograph such an incident? They can and they have done it in the past.
Maybe the Iranians ARE that stupid. Maybe Mossad ARE that smart. Either way it coincided with a big AIPAC (Israeli lobby) conference in Washington last week, and it was enough to get many people in the USA, and not just honestly-worried Jewish-Americans, even more ‘worried’.

P.S: Does international ‘law’ reserve the privilege of boarding a ship with Panamanian flag in international waters exclusively for certain ‘decent’ countries (and Somali pirates)?
Cheers
mhg