Shayetet 13, the Israeli naval commando unit, contains an underwater sabotage division
Two boats among the fleet of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla have been sabotaged. Passengers scheduled to sail on the second boat, the Saoirse, which hails from Ireland, discovered that the propelled had been cut and “dangerously bent.” “If this boat would’ve gone to sea, it’s almost certain we would’ve lost lives, this boat would’ve sank,” said Fintan Lane, an Irish coordinator of the flotilla.
While Israel has not taken credit for the sabotage, all signs point in its direction. The Israeli military boasts an elite underwater sabotage division, Yaltam, that operates out of Shayetet 13, the naval commando unit that raided the Mavi Marmara last year and killed 9 of its passengers. According to SpecWarNet, an online database of international special forces units, “For underwater sabotage missions, each [Shayetet 13] diver can carry a limpet mine to attach to the hull of enemy watercraft or docks.”
The Guardian reported on Shayetet 13’s history of sabotaging civilian ships in international harbors:
[Shayetet 13], the Israeli naval commando unit that intercepted the Gaza Freedom flotilla, is one of the country’s elite military formations, with rigorous selection and training procedures and a reputation for ruthless efficiency. It is known to have been involved in numerous clandestine seaborne operations, including many raids on neighbouring Lebanon. It works closely with the Mossad secret service.
It was also involved in a curious foreshadowing of the Gaza incident in February 1988, when Flotilla 13 is reported to have sabotaged an attempt by the PLO to highlight the issue of Palestinian refugees by sailing a ship to an Israeli port, forcing Israel either to sink it or board it or let it land the refugees. The night before the vessel, al-Awda (”The Return”) was due to sail, it was blown up and sunk in Limassol harbour, Cyprus — with no loss of life or political embarrassment.
This post originally appeared on Max Blumenthal's blog.
This was the group that Victor Ostrovsky suggested should have been used last year when he sneered at the botched May 2010 job.
Two of the vessels in last year’s flotilla do seem to have been sabotaged.
And one of them was also Irish, the M.V. Rachel Corrie.
The difference between mainstream media and partisan hackery is not, as most people here think, that the MSM is controlled by Zionist paymasters, it’s that real news outlets have rules about what they write about including not using words like “perhaps” in your headline and then pretending that you didn’t and that you’re reporting actual facts in evidence.
Actually, partisan hackery would be to fall back on non-existent rules of journalism to avoid discussing the probibility that these attacks were carried out by an Israeli force specifically designed to carry out attacks exactly like this, when the ships at issue are viewed as a threat by Israel.
Now they might or might not be in the pay of the Zionists, but thier doing the Zionists’ work for them.
No, GF, the difference between mainstream media and objective coverage of news events is that the mainstream media blocks and ignores facts available to it, and, these days far removed from Watergate, also spin the news to sell the governmental regime line.
” the mainstream media blocks and ignores facts available to it”
OK, so will you please provide the facts that the MSM has blocked from us all. Who sabotaged the boats? (Facts only, please.)
I’ll make it even easier for you. I assume my government had a hand in this. Now what are the facts that you have that the MSM is blocking?
GF, why do you assume your government, Israel, had a hand in it? Why is the US MSM not talking about the facts we do know at this point, and allowing an opinion based on those and the context? That’s what opinions are for, yes? Clearly you don’t know much about the US MSM when it comes to anything involving critique of Israeli actions and policies.
The facts that are not supplied are this:
- these boats were sabotaged;
- the manner in which they were sabotaged indicates saboteurs with signficant training in doing things like this;
- the state of Israel has forces who are trained for exactly this type of work;
- the state of Israel has sworn that these ships won’t reach Gaza;
- the state of Israel has, in the past, violated the sovereignty of supposed allies and friendly nations in undercover operations;
- no other entity has the motive, capability and will to pull of serial sabotages of this type.
These are all true facts that the MSM simply ignores. Why?
Fact: Netanyahu’s spokesman, in a statement about the sabotaging of the Saoirse, did not deny Israeli involvement. Washington Post: Second Gaza flotilla boat reported damaged:
Fact: Netanyahu himself, in a more recent statement also after the sabotaging of the Saoirse, has used words that could easily be interpreted as justifying Israeli sabotage of the ship. Ha’aretz: Netanyahu: Israel has every right to stop Gaza flotilla:
Fact: With my own ears, I heard on Democracy Now! this morning an Israeli Consul General, repeatedly asked whether Israel had sabotaged the Saoirse, evade the question, fail to deny involvement, and repeat the usual Israeli line about the flotillas.
Excellent, Woody, thanks. All solid facts except for the last one. There are other people who would have an interest in not sailing but making it look like Israel sabotaged the flotilla. Perhaps, in the terminology of this headline, the boat was sabotaged by pro-Palestinians who wanted to make a point without putting people’s lives in harm’s way.
In which case, why wouldn’t Regev, Netanyahu, and that Israeli consul general have denied involvement?
Sorry GF, no dice.
Your supposed scenario was nonsensical. What was done here by the (probably) Israelis put the lives of every person on that boat in harm’s way. The fact that this sabotage was found was fortuitous, because had it occurred at sea, all hands could have been lost
Further, I said, “motive, capability and will.” This is not something that a random bunch of pro-Palestinians have the capability of doing.
But, if it will appease you, you can change the last one to “Israel is the entity with far and away the most motive, capability and will to do this and who stands to gain the most (if not the only one who stands to gain at all) should the sabotage succeed in stoping the flotilla.”
Again, the MSM should be reporting all this stuff. But it doesn’t. The question is “why?”
Bibi found a sudden intense interest in Greek welfare and has been arguing non-stop in behalf of bailing out Greece.
GF, and what point would that be?
Bat wings? Really? Does ANYONE in that godforesaken state have even a minimum aesthetic or marketing sense?
I’m trying to work out what bat wings have to do with naval special forces, especially when they call themselves “seals”.
i was just wondering that myself.
echolocation…finding their way in the dark
well, SeALs – as it really is is “sea, air, land” – pretty sure the bat wings speaks towards the “stealthiness”
No, bat wing is night, or dark ops. Or maybe the vampiric tax suckers of US citizenry…since you paid for them.
bats use sonar right? maybe they’re underwater bats….. either way, dark, stealth whatever – bats are hard things to see/capture etc. not that i really give a rats a** – israeli navy seals are one step up from eagle scout
I half-suspect these guys would go around in fake vampire teeth and then accuse people of anti-Semitism when challenged about whether they use the teeth to actually drink blood. That’s Israeli culture all over.
Yes, and the Jews all left before the 9/11 attacks. Another blood libel without a shred of evidence.
By the way, Yaltam is not part of and not related to Shayetet 13.
Another blood libel without evidence? Just like when IDF/Israeli government admitted to harvesting organs in the late 90s? I remember crazies like you screaming blood libel until Israel ADMITTED to the accusation.
Blood libel is just a form of emotional manipulation. You can’t argue, so you cry and whine.
Loser.
Yes, argue what? Did you never learn that if you make the allegation you need to provide the evidence? So, where is your evidence? Do you have one iota of evidence?
“… The night before the vessel, al-Awda (”The Return”) was due to sail, it was blown up and sunk in Limassol harbour, Cyprus — with no loss of life or political embarrassment.”
Max was partially right on the above; 24 hours before the al-Awda explosion, 3 PLO officers were assassinated in Limassol in a Mossad-styled car bomb operation. Although Israel denied its involvement in the car bombing, it did not deny its involvement in the sinking of the ship and Israel’s Transport Minister Chaim Corfu said Israel would do it again if the Palestinians tried another crossing.
He was right though about the part about there having being no political embarassment; sabotage and assassinations are never an embarassment to Israel.
Again, where is the evidence? Since when is an historical incident evidence?
Six Palestinians were killed on November 8th, 2008 for what, exactly? Israeli, heal thyself. You NEVER predicate your acts of terrorism on evidence. You just open fire on schools and hospitals and ambulances.
Oh you’re desperate, eeeeeeek. I suppose it was Iceland, or maybe Latvia. You don’t suppose that Israel is the only country with a motive? your hysteria is typical, demanding evidence, which you never provide for your own absurd claims. And as for that logo – hilarious. Desperate to associate themselves with the US Seals, they add in a bit of Batman just to convey how scary they are. Ha ha ha. Real heroes, eh, terrorising peace convoys and bending propellor shafts – more Robin than the Batman, really. And about as competent.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more that logo contains a wealth of sign language about Israel. A borrowed identity, with a bit of myth and fictional references, a fake sense of history and an adolescent desire to project how macho they are. Nothing is real, no connection to the region they actually live in, but a desire to rebuild an American soulless conurbation in a part of the world rich in history and culture, all of which they ignore and obliterate, in their wish to alter the reality to suit their fantasy of who they are. And the price not only the native peoples pay, but also the rest of the world, is irrelevant, and only proves the point that their Hollywood virtual state (one without borders, which extends to Jewish people wherever they live) is a state of mind, dislocated from the reality of the Middle East and the rest of the world. To everyone’s detriment. The ideology has completely eclipsed the reality. Thus Palestinians never suffer, they just threaten – which they do, if your ideology is so rigid that their mere existence is a daily reminder of the lies you have had to tell yourselves and everybody else, in order to maintain your fiction. No wonder they are demonised, as is everybody who threatens the myth. The flotilla is particularly successful in the exposure of this cognitive dissonance and thus, like ordinary Palestinians, must be attacked viciously, as well as being subjected to the most absurdly hyper inflated propaganda.
A cartoon lit bomb, an antique sword & shield, all bat-winged, with a stupid name stolen from the US Navy Seals to capitalize on their reputation. What’s not to like and respect. Downright inspiring, eh?
You’ve nailed it, justicewillprevail. Reminds me of that Jewish/Israeli comix super hero rip-off. Robert Kennedy & JFK were right, the zionist entity later morphed into AIPAC should be registered as a foreign agent, and Israel should never have gotten nukes. Now the whole world pays for the nerds who dream of heroic adventures.
So good, so on the ball.
Everything about modern Israel is made up.
“everything about modern Israel is made up”
Kathleen
I have a collection of photo books that cover the first 20 years of Israel and Magnum’s Israel at 50. Magnum helped a lot. Of course the Capas were Jewish. And what comes through most strikingly is the image war and how Israel’s image was built from the start- the pioneer narrative. FFS. There were people there for thousands of years.
The women, beautiful but tough. The Jew farmers. The link to the land. The making the desert bloom. Their belief in technology. The draining of the swamps. Their sheer superiority. How they always belonged there. Their command over nature. The war at the heart of everything. And there are no pictures of Palestinians.
It is all image. The reality is so ugly.
I think that their attitudes to violence, to the environment and to tech will be seen as their achilles heel.
eee, when you last whined about people assuming this was Israeli sabotage, I pointed out that you immediately assumed and publicly proclaimed that the Itamar murders had been carried out by Palestinians, weeks before Israel had charged anyone. You’re still at it. You can jump to conclusions with no evidence, but others cannot. Not only that, but you defended your premature conclusion in Itamar by saying that the Palestinians had done things like this many times before; now you claim that past history does not constitute evidence. How brazenly hypocritical can you be? Frankly, the grounds for suspicion here are overwhelming. Who are your alternative candidates for the saboteur(s)?
And to compare this assumption with the 9/11 conspiracy theory is absurd beyond belief. Don’t you have a filter?
I saw the video that was posted here earlier, the underwater video that showed the boat’s bent propeller.
Given the propeller’s size and mass, it is clear that heavy machinery was needed to bend it in such manner. This wasn’t the work of amateurs, or an occasional hooligan. It was the work of a professional team of saboteurs, also known as “terrorists” in modern parlance.
So, the next question should be, who had the means, the motive and the opportunity? The answer is rather obvious, unless — like chaos pointed out — you believe that the solidarity movement itself carried out a false flag operation, damaging its own boat to make Israel look bad. So, if it came down to probability, I would say that it’s 99% probable that Israel carried out this act, while it’s 1% probable that other elements did it.
“Given the propeller’s size and mass, it is clear that heavy machinery was needed to bend it in such manner.”
Clear to you. What’s you education and experience in this field?
Exactly to which field are you referring?
If you know more, Julian, what’s YOUR field?
“blood libel”
When they’re whipping out this ol’ chestnut, you know Israel did it, and you know it’s supporters think so too.
Wouldn’t they scream like stuck pigs if someone sabotaged one of their boats!
And all MSM outlets would be all over the story. Diane Rehm, Chris Matthews etc..all over the story. Not touching the flotilla.
the Diane Rehm international hour will be coming up at 11 est. Not going to be able to try and get through. Someone willing to give it a shot? You could bring up a question about the Greek bail out loans (with the screener) and then slip into the US boat to Gaza “Audacity of Hope” and how Diane and the rest of the MSM have not even whispered about the flotilla, mention US To Gaza website, Mondoweiss etc once you are on air.
Give it a try. Millions listen to these shows. Get the word out. Encourage the Rehm team to have Ray McGovern, Colonel Ann Wright, Hedy Epstein on her program. Politely push it. If Diane tries to cut you off (she often does on this issue) ask her why?
Give it a try. Be polite. Get through the screener by giving them what they want. Then ask what you like once you are on the air. If you are a first time caller let them know they love to let first time polite callers on.
Friday International Round up hour
link to thedianerehmshow.org
please, Phil, can you impose some kind of Troll Tax on eee ?
Let him post, but penalize him somehow – maybe make a special access fee – trolls have to pay to post (they get banned but can sign up for the pay version) – say $1.00 a post
Sad to say, but with so many of our military dumbed-down country boys from the Bible Belt (and this is the opinion of a friend who served with many men under his command in Iraq and Afghanistan) a lot of them probably think israel is part of the U.S. so it wouldn’t surprise me if our own US Navy Seals did the job for israel (shocking? think about it – look at how Hillary bends over for them)
eee is a valuable member of the MW community. He let’s us know Israelis are thinking in a very direct manner. As much as I disagree with his views, they are honest. He doesn’t engage in pretending to agree in principle with us but just objects to tactics or whatever. Rather he put’s the Zionist supremacist ideology right out there for us to observe in wonder, why these guys really do believe this stuff.
Not being a universalist does not mean one is a supremacist. To put it in words Americans can understand, if I am only willing to pay my kids college tuition and not your kids, that does not mean I am a supremacist. I just care about my children more than I care about yours. And I care about the Jewish people more than I care about the Palestinian people.
Actually, that does make you a supremacist. If a man were holding a gun to my (theoretical) children, and someone else’s children, and goaded me to choose who he should kill, you know what I would do? I would charge the man and make him shoot me instead.
You would let him shoot someone else’s kids and you wouldn’t even bat an eyelash. They’re not of your tribe and so therefore they are expendable.
Easy to appear morally superior in your absurd analogy when you don’t actually have children.
chaos says: I would fly around the world backwards so that the person pointing a gun at your and my kids would never even be born. Seriously. Because I’m better than you.
“Not being a universalist does not mean one is a supremacist.”
Actually, it usually always does when you are talking about demographic groups. (Your “my kid/your kid” analogy was too stupid to even grace with a reply.)
Well, I have children, GF, and I agree with the principle Chaos suggests.
You, GF, failed miserably in trying to divert his point.
Having or not having kids was not the issue. The absurdity of the analogy was the issue.
Eee spoke about preferring to use his own money to fund his own children’s college education before his neighbour’s. Chaos immediately accused him of being willing to let everyone else’s kids die before his own.
It was the ultimate in strawmannery.
Eee’s original idea was silly. Chaos’s perversion of a silly idea into a life or death situation with Chaos being clearly morally superior to the Zionist for his willingness to sacrifice himself in a hypothetical situation for children he will never have is the height of daftness. That you agree with his principle paints you in a less than flattering light.
It started as nonsense. Chaos devolved it into rank BS.
Actually, GF, I would say that the real issue is the supremicism.
And expect the ex-Brit to make a showing only to trash talk me, particularly. Should I be flattered? I’m certainly not surprised. Or impressed.
Incidentally, GF, in your and eee’s country, non-Jews get a FRACTION of the money spent on their education by government. As GOVERNMENT MANDATE. You know what happens when ethnic supremacy is institutionalized? It becomes an apartheid.
It also becomes the fact that the 2 % jewish community in the US gets a highly disproportionate free handout to bolster their “defense” from terrorism under the US Homeland Security apparatus.
“Rather he put’s the Zionist supremacist ideology right out there for us to observe in wonder, why these guys really do believe this stuff.”
Nailed it.
“look at how Hillary bends over for them”
@grassfed
Hillary Clinton: Toys to Gaza Bad, Cluster Bombs that look like Toys Good. link to alternet.org
link to berkeleydailyplanet.com
#flotilla2 @mondoweiss
Another Code Red in behalf Israel, our newest state?
RE: “Two boats among the fleet of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla have been sabotaged.” – Max
AN EARLY SUMMER MUSICAL INTERLUDE (courtesy of the über friendly folks at Ziocaine®):
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man 2005 PG-13 103 minutes (Streaming available from Netflix until 7/1/11)
A host of popular artists — including Beth Orton, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainright and the U2 boys — come together for a memorable evening of music at the Sydney Opera House, paying tribute to legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen. Producing a piece that’s part concert film and part documentary, filmmaker Lian Lunson combines footage from the show with archival material and intimate interviews, resulting in a fascinating portrait of a gifted tunesmith.
Cast: Leonard Cohen, Bono, Nick Cave, Beth Orton, Jarvis Cocker, Rufus Wainwright, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., Martha Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, U2
Availability: Streaming and DVD (Streaming until 7/1/11)
NETFLIX LISTING – link to movies.netflix.com
Surely the Beastie Boys are more appropriate?
I Can’t Stand It, I Know You Planned It
I’ma Set It Straight, This Watergate
I Can’t Stand Rockin’ When I’m In Here
‘Cause Your Crystal Ball Ain’t So Crystal Clear
So, While You Sit Back And Wonder Why
I Got This Fucking Thorn In My Side
Oh My God, It’s A Mirage
I’m Tellin’ Y’all It’s Sabotage
So,So,So, So Listen Up ‘Cause You Can’t Say Nothin’
You Shut Me Down With A Push Of Your Button
But yo, I’m Out And I’m Gone
I’ll Tell You Now I Keep It On And On dam!
‘Cause What You See You Might Not Get
And We Can Bet, So Don’t You Get Souped Yet
Scheming On A Thing That’s A Mirage
I’m Tryin’ To Tell You Now It’s Sabotage
Why; Our Backs Are Now Against The Wall
Listen All Of Y’all This Is Sabotage
Listen All Of Y’all This Is Sabotage
Listen All Of Y’all This Is Sabotage
Listen All of Y’all This Is Sabotage
I Can’t Stand It, I Know You Planned It
I’ma Set It Straight This Watergate
I Can’t Stand Rockin’ When I’m In This Place
Because I Feel Disgrace Because You’re All In My Face
But Make No Mistakes And Switch Up My Channel
I’m Buddy Rich When I Fly OffmThe Handle
What Could It Be, It’s all a Mirage
You’re Scheming On A Thing That’s Sabotage
Seafoid, on sabotage, R. Silverstein provides a translation of what appeared in the Hebrew version of Ynet:
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister: Flotilla Sabotage Thanks to IDF
July 2nd, 2011
Well, Bogie Yaalon’s actual words quoted in Ynet (Hebrew) were: “Those problems the Flotilla’s having in realizing their plans didn’t just happen. They’re thanks to the work of the political echelon whose focus was on diplomatic political issues, and operational work of the IDF to prepare for every possible eventuality.” The last phrase is doublespeak which both reveals and conceals at the same time, a formulation any Israeli would recognize as not just alluding to an IDF role in sabotage, but practically bragging about it. What possible role could the IDF be playing currently in frustrating the plans of the Flotilla if it isn’t the round of sabotage that struck at least three boats?
link to richardsilverstein.com
Sabotage is one of my favorites! I wish I had thought of it.
Beastie Boys: Sabotage (VIDEO, 03:02) – link to youtube.com
P.S. How’s that video for über kitschy parody?!?!
No sleep till..
No.. Sleep.. Till Gaza
No.. Sleep.. Till Gaza
There was a surprisingly open discussion about the Gaza flotilla on the Washington, DC radio airwaves yesterday on WAMU, a local NPR station, featuring interviews with Blake Hounshell and Daniel Levy.
Surprising indeed. Thanks
That logo reminds me of a tee-shirt i used to have…..
“Hampshire College Football – Undefeated since 1979″
As in, they havent had a team since then.
“Israeli Navy Seals – kicking ass against row boats and rock throwers since 1948″
““Israeli Navy Seals – kicking ass against row boats and rock throwers since 1948″
Tell it like it is. My oldest almost went to Hampshire. Was not crazy about the campus. Oh well. They really were able to get the BDS campus movement off the ground
Im from Northampton, right across the river from Amherst.
The Hillel house at Umass went BALISTIC when Hampshire’s BDS movement got started.
Now why didn’t I think of that? Oh wait…I did!