Author’s note: You’ll only see this on the bartblog. I won’t touch anything that is critical of Israel on my Examiner page. All hell breaks loose for a writer in any media publication who does that. Even people in liberal talk radio have been defending Israel today.
After reading numerous reports in Greek, Italian, Turkish, Irish and other European and Middle Eastern media, I have found one consistent claim about reports of the incident from survivors. Everyone aboard the ships who have been quoted insists that Israeli commandos fired at people on the decks of the ships from helicopters before they boarded. That makes Israel’s claim that the commandos acted in self-defense ridiculous.
Israel has claimed that aid workers aboard the ships pulled knives on the commandos. Another report claims that aid workers managed to get a hold of the sidearms from two of the commandos, and the commandos opened fire to avoid a “lynching.” Yet another claims that weapons were found, but the weapons were no more dangerous than anything found in a common kitchen. This is all hog snot! Yeah right, aid workers managed to get the sidearms from highly-trained commandos armed with automatic weapons!?! Who makes this crap up?
It is clear we won’t get the truth about what happened from U.S. media. And congresspeople are already repeating these lies in defense of Israel. But I found one piece of information that I found to be truly ironic.
Here’s an article that may interest you from a blogger called “willyloman.”
It is a yet-to-be confirmed report that, ironically, one of the crew members aboard the Miva Marmara was a survivor of the USS Liberty incident. According to Greek media, 12 Americans were aboard the ship, 11 have been repatriated and one is reported to have been murdered. Israeli sources are now reporting 20 killed and up to 80 wounded. Israeli blackout of all communication currently prevents any confirmation of these numbers, however. One crew member who was forcibly abducted is former U.S. Navy signalman Joe Meadors from Corpus Christi, TX. He is a decorated navy veteran and was serving aboard the USS Liberty when it was attacked by Israel in 1967. As I’m sure you know, 34 Americans were killed and 173 were injured in that attack.
The AP reported, “Jean Meadors, wife of Joe Meadors, 63, of Corpus Christi, Texas, a Navy veteran also on board a seized ship, said Monday evening that she believed he was safe, ‘but I’d like to hear that from him.’” She said his exact status, whether under arrest, detention or otherwise, was unclear. Not only was Joe Meadors on the USS Liberty when it was attacked, but he has been helping to lead a movement to try to get an official investigation into the event for decades. Joe Meadors actually attempted to raise additional flags on the Liberty during the Israeli attack, according to eye witnesses, only to have Israeli pilots shoot them down…
“He hasn’t had much luck with the Israelis,” Jean Meadors said.
How convenient for the Israelis to have this man in their custody. What do you think his chances are of making it out of this one alive?
Ah, Greg, great minds …
I wrote the Tattlesnake piece before I read your article, but I had the same thought when I heard the official Israeli govt. excuse for firing on the aid workers: it was one steaming load of BS to think that the untrained people aboard that ship could disarm, beat and even stab trained Israeli commandos.
I noted with some sour amusement that the AP was reporting the aid workers as ‘Palestinian supporters’ or ‘Palestinian activists’ — as if you could not possibly want to altruistically aid people in need unless you also agreed with their political cause entirely.
But I also noted with interest that the AP put a disqualifier on the official Israeli govt. photos of the aid workers allegdely beating up the commandos — even they wanted to distance themselves from these stinkers.
What a shame that the American mass news media doesn’t have as much freedom to criticize Netanyahu’s ultra-right govt. as does the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz.
Comment by RS Janes — June 3, 2010 @ 3:59 am