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Israeli Commandos Seize largest weapons shipment ever.
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Ashod, Israel - Port worker shows weapons seized by Israeli Commandos (AP)
The Israeli government announced Wednesday that military commandos raided and seized a ship that was carrying tons of weapons that were bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The ship was seized in the waters near Cyprus just before dawn. Israel’s military has indicated that this seizure constitutes the largest confiscation of illegal arms it has ever executed.
According to the Israeli military’s spokeswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich, the ship’s cargo certificate was stamped by an Iranian Port. The military stated that the ship started its voyage from an Iranian port and arrived one week ago in Beirut. From Beirut, the military alleges that the ship traveled to Egypt where it loaded the weapons into its hold. The Israelis claim that the ship was then headed to a Syrian port where they would be further shipped to Hezbollah, in Lebanon.
Syria’s Foreign Minister, visiting Tehran, stated that the ship was not carrying weapons and was not headed for Syria but away from it. The Syrian government went further to accuse Israel of committing piracy under the guise of inspection. The Egyptian government issued a statement indicating that it was illogical to believe that it was assisting Hezbollah. Relations between Hezbollah and Egypt were strained following Egypt’s arrest of some twenty Hezbollah operatives recently. Those individuals are schedule for trial in the very near future.
Although the Israeli government did not release copies or show the original documents they claim prove the origin of the ship to be Iran and the weapons to be Egypt, they did tow the seized vessel to the Southern Israeli port city of Ashod. It took the Israeli military hours to unload the tons of Iranian and Russian made missiles and grenades. Other military materials were removed from the ship as well. This seizure, according to Israeli Navy Rear Admiral Ben-Yahuda, is a large capture but, "not even a drop in the ocean of weapons being shipped to Hezbollah." This event lends exceptional credence to Israel’s accusations of Iranian and Syrian support for Hezbollah and Hamas.
While Israel works to stop the flow of missiles and grenades, intended to be used against Israeli civilians in terrorist attacks, the Obama Administration has had little to say regarding the shipment of arms to known terrorist organizations by Iran, Egypt, and Syria. Instead, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a demand that Israel cease the building of settlements. U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama has drawn criticism and doubt regarding his understanding and competency in matters concerning the Middle East.
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