The Canadian ship making a run for international waters, finally being boarded by greek coast guard SF.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnxVENIBY_E&feature=player_embedded

Another, French ship forced back to Crete:

Greece stops French Gaza flotilla ship near Crete
Helenic Coast Guard stops the ‘Dignity’ while refueling at sea; boat’s papers are being checked, but no problems found so far.

The Greek coastguard intercepted a small French boat with pro-Palestinian activists aboard on Thursday, the third flotilla ship to be prevented from sailing to Gaza to challenge an Israeli blockade.

http://www.sem40.ru/english/index.php?newsid=347

I think that they should have gone to something like Lebanon by airplane, hire there some ships and depart with their flotilla from there. It’s obvious that the greek gov for obscure reasons (i hope we are gaining something, but haven’t figured out what yet, since sooner or later Israel will run back to Turkey’s hug), won’t let them depart from greek ports. They are wasting their money on attempts that can’t succeed. Unless they depart from Italy and sail through international waters without ever entering a greek port for refuel, but that would require a BIG vessel.

I wonder what would happen, if the protesters from the USA, and Canada were aboard the U.S.S. NIMITZ, and not on the vesells they were on?.

Well, in our case we ‘d give them free beer and suvlaki. 😀 About the Israelis i don’t know, given the precedent with USS Liberty. Maybe they ‘d “lose” a minefield just in front of the Nimitz. 😀

Unfortunately, the reality is very different, one has to play the cards that has. And the Palestinians aren’t going to have the Nimitz on their side any time soon… The Palestinians in their misfortune though, have one fortune too. The internatonal pubblicity and interest. Others don’t have that either.

Not that there’s anything new about politicians making use of scapegoating as a diversionary tactic, of course.

What are they supposed to do if not that? They ‘re overstressed people, they need a break! In Greece a bit before the vote for the “bail out mk2” they unveiled a football scandal and most channels (90% support the socialists anyway), had the football as 1st news instead of the economy. Talk about diversion… Now that the vote has passed, the football scandal has suddenly disappeared from news. :rolleyes:

When the game becomes tough, you need a diversion.

Ah, a link in english. This ship as far as i remember, had tried to sail a few days ago and was stopped again. They tried again:

Published 18:10 04.07.11
Latest update 18:10 04.07.11

Greek coast guard seizes Canadian ship bound for Gaza

Canadian ship ‘Tahrir’ tries to set sail for Gaza after Greek authorities had banned the departure of all ships to Gaza from its ports; all passengers due to be detained once returning to Greek port.
By Amira Hass

The Canadian ship “Tahrir”, participating in the flotilla to Gaza, attempted to depart Monday from the Greek port of Agios Nikolaos, but was intercepted by the Greek coast guard shortly after departure.

The Greek coast guard boarded the Canadian ship after the Greek authorities had banned the departure of all ships to Gaza from its ports.
The Canadian ship ‘Tahrir’ participating in the Gaza flotilla at the Greek port of the Piraeus.

As the Canadian ship departed from the port with all passengers on board wearing life vests, the Greek coastguard tracked the ship in the water and boarded it within minutes.

After seizing the ship, coast guard officers asked who was the captain but the passengers refused to reply, with every passenger saying that he was the captain.

The passengers on board the Canadian ship ‘Tahrir’ after Greek coast guard officers seized the ship, July 4, 2011.
Photo by: Amira Hass

Some of the passengers yelled “release our ship!” and one of the protesters asked two coast guard officers whether they had children, and whether they were thinking about the children in Gaza.

Greek coast guard officers are currently sailing the Tahrir back to the port, and the passengers are all due to be taken into custody by Greek authorities.

On Sunday, the organizers of the Gaza flotilla announced that the flotilla ships anchored in Greek ports are planning to set sail to Gaza on Monday. The decision came despite the Greek’s governments ban on any ships to depart from its ports to Gaza.

On Monday, as a compromise, the Greek government offered to send the flotilla’s humanitarian aid to Gaza with Greek diplomats, under United Nations supervision. Israel has agreed to the offer.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/greek-coast-guard-seizes-canadian-ship-bound-for-gaza-1.371428

I hope they release them soon… 🙁

Video from the Audacity of Hope during the interception:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSoJuwhshSI&feature=player_embedded

The greek gov attempt to defuse the situation so to bypass future attempts:

Israel accepts Greek offer to transport flotilla’s aid to Gaza; ships due to depart Monday
As part of compromise intended to end flotilla affair, Greece offers to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza using Greek governmental ships; flotilla organizers: Move will not end siege.
By Amira Hass and Barak Ravid

Israel has agreed to the Greek government’s offer Sunday to send the flotilla’s humanitarian aid to Gaza with Greek diplomats, under UN supervision. The offer is intended to serve as a compromise in order to end the flotilla affair.

According to a separate report, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also expressed support for the Greece government’s offer.
The ship “Stefano Chiarini”, due to set sail to Gaza from Greece, in Corfu July 1, 2011.
Photo by: Reuters

According to the Greek initiative, the humanitarian aid aboard flotilla ships will be loaded onto watercraft of the Greek government and transferred to Gaza via the organized channels, as was requested by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon two weeks ago. This means the aid would go through either the Ashdod port or Arish, and from there be taken to the Gaza Strip under the supervision of Greek and UN authorities.

The Greek government has already approached the United Nations and Israel to assess the possibility of transferring the humanitarian aid via Israel or Egypt to the Gaza Strip using Greek governmental ships, under UN supervision.

“The initiative is likely to give everyone a way out, including the flotilla organizers, and allow everyone to feel as though they got part of what they wanted,” said a source from the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

The Greek Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday afternoon that “certain groups of Greek and foreign citizens, without having received the necessary permission required according to the rules of safety, insisted to go through with the enterprise.”
These people, the Greek Foreign Ministry said, were attempting to break the Gaza blockade, despite the UN Secretary-General’s request.

European Union’s recommendations reflected in the conclusions of the European Council, the Quartet’s relevant appeal on Saturday and the Greek Foreign Ministry’s urging not to participate in the flotilla.
A Palestinian boy waves a Greek flag during a rally in Gaza City in support of the international Freedom Flotilla on July 3, 2011.AFP
1/6

“In light of these developments and concerned primarily with the protection and safety of human life, the Greek Government decided to ban the departure from Greek ports of vessels with Greek or foreign flags bound for Gaza”, said the Greek Foreign Ministry, adding that “Greece’s stance regarding the need to lift the Gaza blockade and to improve the humanitarian conditions in the area is known and remains unchanged.”

“In this critical conjuncture, we should all demonstrate a sense of responsibility or assume entirely and exclusively the responsibility for our actions. The Government will act as it must in an orderly fashion and according to the laws of the State,” concluded the statement.

The flotilla ships anchored in Greek ports are to depart Monday. The decision was made on Saturday, and all passengers were instructed to board the boats with their belongings and prepare for the journey. The announcement did not indicate the destination.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-accepts-greek-offer-to-transport-flotilla-s-aid-to-gaza-ships-due-to-depart-monday-1.371136

But, the activists don’t agree:

Activists Reject Greek Offer to Send Flotilla Aid to Gaza

Organizers of a pro-Palestinian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip have rejected a Greek government offer that would ferry humanitarian aid to Gaza using its own vessels under United Nations supervision…

…Separately, American activists on the U.S.-flagged flotilla ship The Audacity of Hope announced an open-ended hunger strike aimed at pressuring Washington to persuade Greece to allow the vessel to sail to Gaza. On Saturday, Greek authorities arrested the ship’s 60-year-old captain, John Klusmire, for leaving port without permission.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Activists-Reject-Greek-Offer-to-Send-Flotilla-Aid-to-Gaza-124951849.html

As was to be expected, another attempt was done to sail to Gaza, this time from Crete. A Canadian vessel called “Tahrir” with 50 Canadian (mainly) activists. It was intercepted too by greek Coast Guard and forced to return to port:

http://news.in.gr/greece/article/?aid=1231116304

I have mixed feelings about this. I am sorry that people that travelled half the globe can’t do their activism. But on the other side, it’s better to be intercepted by our Coast Guard, than the israeli one, cause the israelis won’t stay out in the sea for 3 hours trying to persuade them with words…

Besides, their humanitarian aid can be shipped by other means to Gaza. So that leaves alone their attempt to pass through the Israeli SF. Which won’t do any good to anyone nor will end what’s going on to Gaza…

Greece also does well to looking after its own interests. For a change…

June 20 – June 30, Larissa AB. Joint exercize with Israelis. From greek side, Army Aviation Apaches and HAF’s Super Pumas.

IAF, Greece complete joint helicopter training
By YAAKOV KATZ
07/04/2011 13:02

2-week joint session held at Greek base to train in “unfamiliar terrain”; goal to increase cooperation with foreign air forces, says IDF commander.

In another sign of the growing ties between Israel and Greece and alongside both countries efforts to stop a flotilla of ships from sailing to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli and Greek Air Forces completed two weeks of joint training on Monday.

The training was held at the Larisa Air Force Base in Greece and the IAF sent three helicopter squadrons – Squadron 124 and 123 which fly Black Hawk transport helicopters and Squadron 113 which flies Apache Longbow attack helicopters.

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Israel and Greece have held a number of joint air maneuvers in recent years ever since the IAF got locked out of Turkey due to the deterioration in political ties following Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2009.

“The purpose of the exercise is to train in unfamiliar terrain,” explained Brig.-Gen. Yoav, commander of the IAF’s Palmahim Base where the squadrons are based. “The second goal is to increase our cooperation with foreign air forces.”

In addition to the helicopter training, the IAF also sent its 669 Search and Rescue Unit to Greece for joint training with its Greek counterpart.

Additional deployments are scheduled later this year in Sardinia and Romania, where the IAF is expected to return for joint maneuvers later this summer for the first time since six servicemen were killed in a helicopter crash in the Carpathian Mountains last July.

IAF C-130 Hercules transport aircraft will fly to Romania for joint maneuvers in August. IAF commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan is also scheduled to fly to Romania later this year for a joint memorial service for the servicemen who were killed.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=227838

Photos by Vassdel at airliniers.gr

Ahhhh S.H. But just how interesting it will be reading it all in the History books in the future. And those that do read it thinking just how damned stupid it was to allow it to happen in the first place,

Jim.

Lincoln .7

There was recently an anecdotal narration on greek press written by a either a journalist or a greek politician, who recollected a discussion he had in the 90s(?) with Jacques Delors, probably the best EU Commissioner ever and greatly responsible for the advancement of the euro. He says that at one point he asked him about the obvious lacks of the euro as currency and asked him “Don’t you see that it has these vulnerabilities”? And according to him, more or less (i quote from memory, can’t be 100% exact), Delors replied “of course i do, i am not a fool. But we are not ready yet to take the steps needed. But when a crisis will come, Europe will be forced to take those steps, so don’t worry, because need will bring what we can’t politically provide today”.

As the Chinese say “May you live in interesting times”. 😀