It's like turning a fire hose on fighting dogs.
All you get is wet fighting dogs.
Brief facts in case *you* don't have the time to read through 12+ different articles, double-check the sources, and pull all the details into one place.
Undisputed Fact - The declared, official primary purpose of the flotilla was "to raise international awareness". Organizer Greta Berlin has repeatedly emphasized that this flotilla is about awareness/publicity first and aid second. The flotilla has sought out the onboard participation of as many public figures and journalists as possible.
Conjecture: The fact that according to the organizers of the flotilla itself, simply getting the aid there was never the point, may have a little something to do with why the flotilla repeatedly refused to turn aside to hand over their aid goods to be inspected and delivered into Gaza via the usual procedure-- a procedure that has been very successful getting aid into Gaza.
Undisputed Fact - One of the central organizers of this international co-operative effort is Turkish humanitarian aid organization IHH, whose leaders have made public declaration of support for Hamas and Hamas's terrorist tactics. There has been evidence that IHH fundraising goes directly to Hamas.
Undisputed Fact - After many, many days of issuing notices to turn aside or be turned aside by being boarded, the IDF acted on this maximized-publicity public-figure-loaded operation while it was in international waters and still dark out.
Conjecture: IDF commander woke up STUPID in the middle of the night???
Undisputed Fact - IDF policy dealing with peace activists is to get a token number of soldiers on board who then inform the activists that they are now under arrest. This has worked before. On the seven little boats of the flotilla, this worked. On the big boat Mavi Marmara-- which carried 500 - 600 of the flotilla's 600 - 700 passengers-- it did not work.
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THE DISPUTED PART -
According to an Al-Jazeera journalist onboard, the Israelis came on board shooting and wounded the captain. Al-Jazeera footage shows passengers standing waiting inside, a lot of life vests and some smoking, and a stretcher with a huge bloodstain.
According to IDF's *VIDEO FOOTAGE* from one of the helicoptors, as the first commando rappled down, men on deck grabbed him and threw him on to the lower deck; successive commandos were attacked with metal poles and clubs. A commando was dogpiled on and beaten. There are little black blurs being thrown and then everyone runs away from where they land.
According to the commandos, there were about three dozen Turkish men on deck, armed with knives, small weapons, and handthrown explosives. The little black blurs being thrown are pre-prepared stun bombs and firebombs, and the gunfire began after the men on deck took the guns of two of the commandos who had been overwhelmed.
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Undisputed Fact - Seven IDF Commando were wounded, two in serious condition from being shot and stabbed. Between two and three dozen of the flotilla participants were wounded, with nine dead almost immediately and at least one more in the first hour. All wounded were immediately transported to treatment. There are four men from the flotilla wounded, two severely, in care at Hadassah hospital, where hospital staff say three of the men are Turkish and one is Turkish or Palestinian. Flotilla participants who are not wounded are being individually interviewed and deported; 16 have been jailed for refusing to give their identities. An Isreali military-ordered lockdown on information is blocking further information about individual identities or the status of the wounded/dying.
Brief facts in case *you* don't have the time to read through 12+ different articles, double-check the sources, and pull all the details into one place.
Undisputed Fact - The declared, official primary purpose of the flotilla was "to raise international awareness". Organizer Greta Berlin has repeatedly emphasized that this flotilla is about awareness/publicity first and aid second. The flotilla has sought out the onboard participation of as many public figures and journalists as possible.
Conjecture: The fact that according to the organizers of the flotilla itself, simply getting the aid there was never the point, may have a little something to do with why the flotilla repeatedly refused to turn aside to hand over their aid goods to be inspected and delivered into Gaza via the usual procedure-- a procedure that has been very successful getting aid into Gaza.
Undisputed Fact - One of the central organizers of this international co-operative effort is Turkish humanitarian aid organization IHH, whose leaders have made public declaration of support for Hamas and Hamas's terrorist tactics. There has been evidence that IHH fundraising goes directly to Hamas.
Undisputed Fact - After many, many days of issuing notices to turn aside or be turned aside by being boarded, the IDF acted on this maximized-publicity public-figure-loaded operation while it was in international waters and still dark out.
Conjecture: IDF commander woke up STUPID in the middle of the night???
Undisputed Fact - IDF policy dealing with peace activists is to get a token number of soldiers on board who then inform the activists that they are now under arrest. This has worked before. On the seven little boats of the flotilla, this worked. On the big boat Mavi Marmara-- which carried 500 - 600 of the flotilla's 600 - 700 passengers-- it did not work.
--------------
THE DISPUTED PART -
According to an Al-Jazeera journalist onboard, the Israelis came on board shooting and wounded the captain. Al-Jazeera footage shows passengers standing waiting inside, a lot of life vests and some smoking, and a stretcher with a huge bloodstain.
According to IDF's *VIDEO FOOTAGE* from one of the helicoptors, as the first commando rappled down, men on deck grabbed him and threw him on to the lower deck; successive commandos were attacked with metal poles and clubs. A commando was dogpiled on and beaten. There are little black blurs being thrown and then everyone runs away from where they land.
According to the commandos, there were about three dozen Turkish men on deck, armed with knives, small weapons, and handthrown explosives. The little black blurs being thrown are pre-prepared stun bombs and firebombs, and the gunfire began after the men on deck took the guns of two of the commandos who had been overwhelmed.
---------
Undisputed Fact - Seven IDF Commando were wounded, two in serious condition from being shot and stabbed. Between two and three dozen of the flotilla participants were wounded, with nine dead almost immediately and at least one more in the first hour. All wounded were immediately transported to treatment. There are four men from the flotilla wounded, two severely, in care at Hadassah hospital, where hospital staff say three of the men are Turkish and one is Turkish or Palestinian. Flotilla participants who are not wounded are being individually interviewed and deported; 16 have been jailed for refusing to give their identities. An Isreali military-ordered lockdown on information is blocking further information about individual identities or the status of the wounded/dying.