Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Israel wasn't ready for flotilla resistance-general
Reuters - Thursday, August 12
Send
IM Story
Print
By Ari Rabinovitch
JERUSALEM - Israeli troops were not ready for the violent resistance they met when they boarded a Gaza-bound aid ship and killed nine pro-Palestinian activists, the country's top military officer said on Wednesday.
Speaking to an inquiry, Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff General Gabi Ashkenazi gave the most detailed explanation so far of what went wrong with the military plan in the May 31 raid, which sparked an international outcry.
IDF commandos failed to clear the decks with stun grenades they used, and rappelled from their helicopter straight into a brawl with men wielding iron bars and knives and were even met by gunfire, Ashkenazi said.
The raid quickly became "chaotic," he said. "After the first soldier went down the rope there was no choice but to continue with the plan."
International condemnation of the raid persuaded Israel to ease its Gaza blockade, which it says is aimed at preventing arms reaching the Hamas-ruled territory but also aggravates the privations of 1.5 million mostly aid-dependant Palestinians.
The nine activists killed were Turks. The raid almost ruptured Israel's relations with once-close Muslim ally Turkey.
The raid was seen at home as a debacle for Israel in terms of public relations and international image, although most Israelis consider the interception justified in principle.
Ashkenazi was the third senior figure to address the inquiry this week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak appeared before it.
The commission offers a closely-managed forum in which Israeli leaders can argue their case and is separate from an independent investigation which opened at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday.
CLEAR THE DECKS
The operation to stop the ship from reaching the Gaza Strip, under blockade by Israel and Egypt, depended for its success on getting as many commandos on deck as possible in the shortest time, Ashkenazi said. But that did not happen.
Accurate suppressing fire from alongside the ship would have cleared the deck of anyone ready to violently resist the boarding, the general said. This was "a lesson we have learned."
The first commandos were armed with paintball guns and holstered sidearms in anticipation of only light resistance. The second soldier down the rope was shot in the stomach, he said.
Asked about Turkey's claim that activists were shot dead from close range, Ashkenazi said much of the fighting happened in close quarters. He told how a soldier shot one Turkish man about to swing an axe at him.
Ashkenazi also showed previously unpublished video of the raid which included images of three wounded Israeli commandos dragged to a lower deck and held by activists.
Israeli leaders insist Israel was legally within its rights to stop a deliberately provocative bid to break its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The investigating panel has so far heard mostly pre-scripted statements. Cameras are turned off and reporters excluded for a closed-door question session. It is not the sort of public grilling familiar to viewers of televised U.S. Congressional hearings.
Israeli media have treated the inquiry with scepticism, focussing predominantly on what they see as buck-passing and finger-pointing in the top ranks of the leadership.
Netanyahu, Barak and Ashkenazi conceded that intelligence was imperfect. Ashkenazi said "we didn't know enough" about the Turkish activist group whose members were on deck.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Zimbabwe opens auctions after 'blood diamond' ban AFP - 27 minutes ago
Kagame sweeps Rwanda's presidential polls AFP - Thursday, August 12
Incumbent Paul Kagame wins 93% in Rwandan poll AFP - Thursday, August 12
Russia urges no panic over Chernobyl-hit regions AFP - 16 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 47 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
WHO list reveals flu advisors with industry ties
US posts widest trade gap in 20 months
Supermodel diamonds evidence meant to be 'low-key'
Pakistan issues fresh flood warning
New superbugs spreading from South Asia: study
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors
Chelsea agree Carvalho fee with Real
A long, hot Ramadan for many devout Muslims
Supermodel diamonds evidence meant to be 'low-key'
New superbugs spreading from South Asia: study
More Most Viewed »
Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery
40 US billionaires pledge half wealth to charity
World's first full face transplant man appears on TV
Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study
Massive ice island breaks off Greenland glacier
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010