US, Israel Warships in Suez May Be Prelude to Faceoff with Iran - Defense/Middle East - Israel News - Israel National News (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138164)

US, Israel Warships in Suez May Be Prelude to Faceoff with Iran
Tammuz 8, 5770, 20 June 10 06:08by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

(Israelnationalnews.com) Egypt allowed at least one Israeli and 11 American warships to pass through the Suez Canal as an Iranian flotilla approaches Gaza. Egypt closed the canal to protect the ships with thousands of soldiers, according to the British-based Arabic language newspaper Al Quds al-Arabi.

One day prior to the report on Saturday, Voice of Israel government radio reported that the Egyptian government denied an Israeli request not to allow the Iranian flotilla to use the Suez Canal to reach Gaza, in violation of the Israeli sea embargo on the Hamas-controlled area.

International agreements require Egypt to keep the Suez open even for warships, but the armada, led by the USS Truman with 5,000 sailors and marines, was the largest in years. Egypt closed the canal to fishing and other boats as the armada moved through the strategic passageway that connects the Red and Mediterranean Seas.

Despite Egypt’s reported refusal to block the canal to Iranian boats, the clearance for the American-Israeli fleet may be a warning to Iran it may face military opposition if the Iranian Red Crescent ship continues on course to Gaza.

The warships may exercise the right to inspect the Iranian boat for the illegal transport or weapons. Newsweek reported that Egyptian authorities could stop the ship for weeks, using technicalities such as requiring that any official documents be translated from Farsi into Arabic.

The magazine’s website also reported that the Iranian navy is the weakest part of its armed forces. Tehran has already backed down from announced intentions to escort the Iranian ships with "volunteer marines” from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

The Iranian news site Hamsayeh.net reported, “The move might be in connection to U.S. self-inflicted embargo against Iran aimed at inspecting Iran bound ships for suspected goods related to the country’s nuclear program.”

Another battle on the high seas may involve one, and possibly two, Lebanese vessels that are aimed at challenging Israel’s sovereignty over the Gaza coastal waters. Hizbullah, gearing up for a reaction to a possible clash between the Israeli Navy and the Lebanese boats, has delayed rocket units near Lebanese ports, according to unofficial military sources.

Israel has warned U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Israel will use force, if necessary, to stop the boats, one of which is carrying approximately 70 women passengers and crew organized by Hizbullah support Samar al-Hajj. Her husband is one of several jailed suspects involved in the assassination for former Lebanese anti-Syrian Prime Rafik Hariri.

Hizbullah has denied it is connected with the Lebanese flotilla, but it has been reported that Al Hajj met with Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah last month.

They're likely going to face down the Iranian ship that is on it's way to try to run the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The warships may exercise the right to inspect the Iranian boat for the illegal transport or weapons. Newsweek reported that Egyptian authorities could stop the ship for weeks, using technicalities such as requiring that any official documents be translated from Farsi into Arabic.


Wow. A news media source with a passing familiarity with international law! Everyone knew that Israel did no wrong when it demanded to inspect the cargo vessels which were attempting to run the blockade, nice to see the media has corrected itself here. I guess they won't be apologizing for reprinting the Hamas party line then with regard to these former acts being piracy or violations of international law or any of that nonsense.

There is no international law. There is only Allah and Islam.......

The U.S. needs to sh!t or get off the pot. Go ahead and attack Iran already! Go ahead and spend the endless trillions and untold dead in doing so. Go ahead and unleash, well, 9-11 will look like a cake walk compared to what the Iranians (and Islamic world) will unleash on the U.S. And don't forget to bring back the draft - "we" will need it.

Good! If we can't keep our nose out of other people's business perhaps we can do without a few more skyscrapers here. Skyscrapers are so passe anyway.

Again, put up or shut up.

Ronald, most of the Islamic world despises Iran. As tribal as they are, the Iranians are a completely different sect of Islam (Shia) and have a different language and culture, not to mention a history of waging war against Arabs dating back millenia. I think you vastly overestimate Iran's isolation.

The Saudi-based and backed OIC, the largest Islamist intergovernment organization in the world, works with Iran and largely support them.

OIC expresses concern over the adoption of new additional sanctions against Iran (http://www.oic-oci.org/topic_detail.asp?t_id=3886&x_key=Iran)

So, I would say statements that the Islamic world despises Iran are not accurate.

The OIC is also working hard to end any criticism of Islam through a binding resolution at the U.N. They have obtained several non-binding resolutions. Under sharia law no one is allowed to criticize Islam, even if it is true.

The OIC has no coercive power. It is merely a conference group which has attempted (and failed) multiple times to enact binding and non-binding resolutions with the U.N.

They are no big ass deal and they will certainly have little effect on how Arab countries conduct foreign policy vis-a-vis their Persian neighbors. Most fundamentalists of either flavor don't even see the other branches of Islam as being fellow Muslims.

Boy.. we'd better be very afraid of that OIC. It sure does act with unity and deliberation, lemme tell ya.

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7148555.ece)

Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.

In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.

To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.

Hey Mid, the link isn't working for me. 'Smatter? What is the date on it anyway?

June 12th, 2010. Link works for me.

Try this:

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7148555.ece)

June 12th, 2010. Link works for me.

Try this:

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7148555.ece)

Hmm, even your new link gave me this: 404 Error and a lot of veriage about possibly why. Anyway, thanks for posting it and I hope the naysayers can read it.