Greeks stop Canadian ship bound for Gaza

Greeks stop Canadian ship bound for Gaza

www.ctv.ca

OTTAWA — The Greek coast guard has taken control of a Canadian ship that was bound for Gaza.

The Tahrir, bearing at least 30 Canadians, left a Greek port late Monday afternoon local time and was boarded 15 minutes later by armed Greek coast guard officers.

An Ottawa man on board the ship tells The Canadian Press that the ship has been turned around and is now headed back to a Greek port.

No one on board was injured, and no shots were fired, but the Greek coast guard blasted a water cannon at the ship as it left port.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Looks like the Greeks are still being pressured into doing Israel's dirty work. I must admit I am annoyed but not surprised that the Greek coast guard stopped this ship since they stopped the other ships a few days ago. I think it is time that these aid ships need to find a different country to leave from. I know there are many different opinions on the legality, effectiveness, and moral reasons for these aid ships. But I think that they are a good thing and should be allowed to proceed once they are cleared to not have any real weapons of mass destruction. Building supplies such as cement should be allowed. In my opinion even arms such as rifles, and protection against weapons such as white phosphorous should be allowed as well, for self defense purposes.

www.ctv.ca
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

Good. They had no business going there anyway.

I'm surprised there was such a strong response from Greece, especially with the turmoil going on inside it recently. Quite plainly, that sucks. Shame on Greece's coast guard. Then again, it's probably a blessing, seeing how Israel would have probably killed or seriously injured someone.

I won't tink that da Canadians would deliver anyting more den some beers eh? Or maybe some lame television programing. Don't yah know dat dare our neighbors to da north?

Originally posted by hxc408
reply to post by Corruption Exposed

 

Good. They had no business going there anyway.

You fail miserably.
Who the eff are you to say what people can and cannot do anyway?

I THINK, humanitarian efforts to prevent an ongoing genocide is business for EVERY able person.

Nice to know that Greece, which can barely afford a public sewer system these days, has the spare cash to throw at denying delicious maple syrup and novelty "moose turd" chocolates from reaching Gaza.

Bravo, Greece. bravo.

reply to post by hxc408


Would you mind explaining in more detail why you think they had no business going there? I'm surprised it took that long to have one of those posts show up on this thread.

The Greeks may know something we don't, any mission to Gaza could potentially worsen the tense situation there. If Canada can prove its neutrality (to the satisfaction of Greece) then we should be more confident that the only goal is humanitarian aid. I don't think global sentiment would allow any kind of weapons on the cargo manifest.

When Jekyll island bankers sent ammunition aboard the Lusitania to Britain it ended up getting the US into WW2.

reply to post by Bordon81


Canada isn't neutral in this geopolitical problem, Steven Harper has helped transform it into one of the most pro-Israel countries in the world. If Israel is truly only concerned with the weapons aspect, they should let them deliver aid after a thorough inspection reveals there are none... instead of shooting people who are trying to ameliorate the inhumane standards of life. Israel has interest in breaking Gaza and it doesn't want to see them get aid, or see a united international effort opposing its crimes against the Palestinians.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


So hte Greks had already told the ship it wasn't to leave port but they decided to do so illegally, and both the Canadian and Greek government urge that supplies be delivered through non confrontational means such as the Red Crescent:

The Harper government has criticized the flotilla.

"Our position has not changed since Minister Baird issued a statement on May 28," said Chris Day, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

"We will provide consular assistance as required."

Baird had strongly urged those wishing to deliver humanitarian goods to Gaza to do so through established channels such as the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent.

As has been often pointed out, these "aid flotillas" are a nonsense when it comes to delivering supplies - they are pure propaganda for Hamas - one of the most vicious organisations on the planet and every bit as culpable as the Israeli Govt.

Here is an updated version of the story. It appears that the Greek coast guard physically disabled the ship by ramming it into a cement pier and it is now sinking.

Greeks Disable Canadian Ship

OTTAWA — The Greek coast guard has crippled a Canadian ship bound for Gaza, forcing it back to shore and ramming it against a cement pier, activists said Monday. Activists on board say the ship appears to be sinking and they're calling on the Harper government to intervene. The Tahrir, bearing at least 30 Canadians, left a Greek port early Monday evening local time and was boarded 15 minutes later by armed officers from the Greek coast guard. Within an hour, the ship was back at another Greek port, where supporters of its mission were gathering. "They arrived back to land into a location ... where the coast guard forced them to go to. Not the original dock," Ehab Lotayef, a Montreal-based spokesman for the ship, tells The Canadian Press. "They slammed it into the concrete, into the pier-side. At the beginning it wasn't obvious, but now there is big probability the boat is sinking. It got damaged in that slam. It's taking water, leaking diesel." Lotayef said efforts were underway to get passengers off the boat.

Originally posted by OrganicAnagram33
reply to post by Bordon81

 

If Israel is truly only concerned with the weapons aspect, they should let them deliver aid after a thorough inspection reveals there are none...

They do - if they go to Ashcalon their supplies will be delivered after inspection.

But the point of these flotillas is not to deliver supplies, it is to deliver propaganda for Hamas, so they never do anything that involves co-operating with Israel.

instead of shooting people who are trying to ameliorate the inhumane standards of life. Israel has interest in breaking Gaza and it doesn't want to see them get aid, or see a united international effort opposing its crimes against the Palestinians.

Except that they now allow a great deal more through the land borders than they did, and the Gaza economy is no longer the basket case it was, and the people on these boats are NOT trying to "ameliorate the inhumane standards of life" at all.

But appart from that, yeah, I agree!

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


That's in the link in the OP - how is it an update??

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


It wasn't in the link when I posted earlier today. CTV has a habit of updating stories and keeping the same link. I did not know that the original link I posted today contained this new information. Thanks for letting me know. But this portion of the story has just been released not too long ago. Earlier, the link had far less details.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


What do you mean "dirty work"...?

Is the issue giving aid to Gazans (who recieve more humanitarian aid than any other people in human history - a fact) or is it provoking Israel into an aggresive response.

Everything they want to give to Gazans ie; medical equipment, building equipment, etc can be transported via established channels like the port of Ashdod in Israel or the Egyptian port of El Arish. What then is the problem???? Why wont the "activists" who shield themselves behind a veneer of humanitarian concern accept this Israeli/Greek alternative? The answer must then be, because their real interests are POLITICAL. They want to breach the Israeli blockade, and either force an Israeli response (which will be twisted by the worlds media, no doubt) or make a mockery of Israeli sovereignty.

Notice that the "activists" didnt approach the Greek coastguard with steel bars, and metal chains (which can kill someone if you take a swing at them with it) like they did with Israel?? If Israel were to attempt to apprehend their "flotilla boats" again, as they did last time, those activists who must be a little psychopathic/radical to take on a mission that could end up with them killed, will probably do that again.

its amazing Israel gets censured for this when in any normal domestic analogy, where a person with a steel bar, or chain, were to approach a cop - with the intent to strike him - the cop would shoot him.

reply to post by dontreally

What do you mean "dirty work"...?

I meant "dirty work" because Greece honestly doesn't care about these ships bringing aid to Gaza. The only reason they stopped these ships was due to Israeli and international pressure. It is safe to say that Greece probably received some type of incentive for cooperating with the Israeli requests. Israel would much rather the Greeks deal with the media spotlight of stopping these ships versus Israel having to illegally invade boats in a night time raid in international waters and then murder 9 unarmed people.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Order came from within Canada

reply to post by MrAtomicspace


What order?

Originally posted by MrAtomicspace
reply to post by Corruption Exposed

 

Order came from within Canada

Exactly what I was thinking. This was definitely ordered from within the Canadian government which asked of the Greeks to stop this ship. They can't have this negative PR with Israel so of course they would ask a nation such as Greece to stop it on the way, to reroute it. Especially since we have been a good ally and kept our mouth shut about Austerity.