Iran Red Crescent to send two aid ships to Gaza

[Arrowhead2k1]

Source: Yahoo News via AFP

TEHRAN (AFP) – The Iranian Red Crescent has decided to send two aid ships to Gaza this week and has called for volunteers to act as relief workers and accompany the vessels, the state IRNA news agency reported.

Iranian Red Crescent director Abdolrauf Adibzadeh told IRNA late on Sunday that the decision to send the ships was taken after a meeting with the foreign ministry.

"One ship will carry donations made by the people and the other will carry relief workers. The ships will be sent to Gaza by end of this week," Adibzadeh said.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100607/wl_afp/israelconflictgazairan

---

Now this will be interesting...

[Catherina]

1. Good for them. Red Cross. Red Crescent. Too bad for the US

We totally fucked this one up.

This was our chance to do something right and Obama's chance to seize the spotlight and shine.

Now we'll have a huge mess because the US and Israel are cooking up *stunt*.

[JDPriestly]

7. I would not trust the Iranian Red Crescent or Red Cross.

Some neutral country should do this. This is an Iranian publicity stunt to detract from Iran's intent to acquire nuclear weapons.

Have DUers forgotten the plight of the Iranians who protested the outcome of the recent Iranian elections? Iran is a dictatorship. It is an Islamic state.

Have you all lost your minds?

Iran is provoking Israel. Don't be surprised when Israel responds. We would do the same.

[Ruby the Liberal]

15. Anything to take the eyes off of the anniversary of that sham vote

Which was June 11, 2009. Many protests planned.

[Posteritatis]

28. Nice catch; Friday should be, ah, interesting. (nt)

[leftynyc]

21. Forget it

All the drama from the Iranian election will be forgotten in the rush to proclaim them civil rights leaders because they're going to use a publicity stunt to distract. Pathetic.

[TheMadMonk]

23. It's more than that. It's a straight up challenge to Israel.

It's saying: "O.K. you want an incident that gives you an excuse to abandon peace talks yet again. Do you want it this badly?"

[JDPriestly]

24. I think that the peace talks will gain momentum from this thing in Gaza.

If Israel and the West Bank establish a peaceful relationship, life will improve for all concerned. Gaza and the extremists harbored there will be isolated all the more. The more rational Gazans will begin to question the direction they are taking.

This actually will benefit the people of the West Bank since Israel will be all the more motivated to work toward a peaceful relationship with them. Of course, once progress is being made, the situation will be very precarious. The slightest failure on the part of the West Bank to restrain hotheads will push Israelis way over the edge. Israelis have had enough of living in constant fear everywhere they go.

Peace could be so simple and so good for both sides. Oh, well.

Think about it. I have only vague memories about the places where I lived before I was six. A person who claims to have moved in 1948 from a home that is now in Israel was born at the latest in 1942. (More recent settlements are a very different matter that should be negotiated.) That person is now or will be this year 68 years old. So all the first generation "refugees" are at least 68 years old. Those who are younger of that may have been refugees in a technical sense, but they do not have much true memory about what they claim was their former home. They mostly remember the stories they have heard.

I know someone who was a refugee from Europe. He came to the U.S. when he was much older than 6. He moved back. He never really felt at home. The life of a refugee is difficult, but there is not much that can be done about it. Going "home" is never what the person expects it to be.

The dream of the right of return if pretty unrealistic. You can never go home. Because you have changed and so as "home."

[TheMadMonk]

84. Not a chance. Israel has made it perfectly clear that the only solution...

...it favours is fragmented Palestinian enclaves with no all encompassing authority, no self determination above the level of town council, and no participation in Isreali politics.

Every time talks reach the point where Israel is forced to offer evem a 1/2 way fair deal to the Palestinians, "SOMETHING" happens, and in the aftermath 10s or 100s of Palestinians (many of them women and children) wind up dead and since Isreali corpses are usually few and far between, a number of people are propped up before the cameras to tell the world how terrified they were.

On more than one occasion Israeli officials have baldly stated on the record. "We are God's chosen people. We don't care what the rest of the world thinks. We will do as we please."


As for the next part of what you have to say. Just what sort of dick are you?

Since it's the only life many Pallestinians know (and have ever known in some cases) they should just be FUCKING content with living their concentration camp existence and give up on the idea of their own homeland?

Your solution seems to be to give Israel the occupied territories, and Palestinians the choice of dying as refugees/second class citizens in their own country, or throwing themselves on the charity of the rest of the world and dipersing to the four winds.

Israel gets everything it wants. Everyone else pays. Stuff that.

[proteus_lives]

2. From Iran? Then they need to be checked for weapons.

They should be willing if they actually want to help the Gazans.

[Chulanowa]

3. I agree

Allowing the Israelis to board and inspect would be a decent show of good faith.

With one precaution; The Israelis need to be attended during the inspection, with video cameras.

Getting filmed doesn't hurt, and both side claims it has nothing to hide, so why not get documentation, right? :)

[proteus_lives]

4. Film everyone!

Let the cargo be inspected and then deliver it from the port to Gaza.

That's the key to a peaceful resolution, both sides give a little.

[Chulanowa]

5. Yup. Must be stopped clock syndrome

I think that's twice in the past 24 hours I've agreed with you on something.

[proteus_lives]

6. And you didn't even throwout baseless accusations of racism.

BTW, I'm still waiting on those links from the guns forum that "prove" I'm racist.

[JDPriestly]

8. Thank you proteus-lives. At least one sane person on DU.

[proteus_lives]

10. Back at ya.

:thumbsup:

[Violet_Crumble]

86. What's that cliche about stopped watches?

Coz it's a case of it in this case...

btw, I suspect strongly yr as wrong in yr sweeping statement about everyone else at DU as you were back when you made a sweeping and very ugly statement about Europeans...

[sabrina 1]

11. Of course, all the other ships were checked for weapons

Which is why we know they had none. Although apparently chocolate is now a weapon :eyes:

I am sure Iran won't have a problem with that. So long as there is someone there to monitor the Israelis. They tend to get trigger happy and might decide to plant some weapons. If what happened to the Turkish ship were to happen to these, it could start a world war. So, it would probably be better to have a neutral group do the checking while the Israelis watched if they want to.

[Barack_America]

19. Of course they do. Fortunately, the EU has volunteered to do just that.

:hi:

[primavera]

25. I dunno, if aid workers from any country wish to help Gazans...

... they apparently need to be heavily armed lest they be mowed down by commandos.

[InfiniteThoughts]

9. shame on Iran red crescent ...

first look after your own in Iran who are suffering from extreme poverty and then you can do this drama of helping Gazans ...

The Gazans don't need truck loads of aid but a political will to provide long term stable solution to their problem ...

[MyNameGoesHere]

88. We have starving and homeless people in the USA yet we manages to

send Israel money every year in aid. In the billions by the way.

[abubalboola]

12. Iranian cunning plan to escalate the already inflamed situation

What is the motive of Iran?
1. Iran are smart and cunning enough not to put any weapons on it. They expect it to be searched.
2. Iran are smart and cunning enough to send it now, in an inflammable situation. They want it to be stopped so the conflict escalates.

Sending the aid is not really their concern. it's the "what comes after" they are already prepared for.

What should be done by the world?
1. The ship must be searched by US, UN, Europe, Egypt and Israel.
2. It must be directed to a port in Israel and the aid to be transported with the supervision of the ship crew.
3. A condemnation vs Iran should be announced in the UN

Sending aid is good. Unfortunately, this is a masquerading of the iran's intentions.

[SkyDaddy7]

13. This will just help support the idea Israel is the victim.

Iran & Israel need each other so both of them can continue acting like children while the true victims, the Palestinians, continue to suffer!

[harmonicon]

14. hmm? I thought the Red Cross/Crescent was an international NGO

How is there a special Iranian Red Crescent? Excuse my ignorance.

[Ruby the Liberal]

16. Each country has their own "unit" with budgets/supplies/equipment/etc

[harmonicon]

18. what is their relationships to the associated governments?

Is the US, for instance, paying for Red Cross operations in the US? Does the government have a say in how their operations are run?

[Ruby the Liberal]

27. I think it is country by country

In Israel, the Magen Adom David (Red Star of David) is party subsidized by the state. Iran is an Islamic Repubic and socialist in nature like Israel is, so I would assume there are ties between the government and the Red Crescent.

Not sure about the US Red Cross? I would think that there are subsidies out there.

Possibly UN financial support to all of these organizations as well. Wouldn't surprise me.

I guess I would be more concerned about political pressures than financial support though (if those can be separated).

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. Ain't no way they are going in without military protection

They know that would be a suicide mission. They are itching for a fight, and as mentioned above, to divert attention from the anniversary of their sham election last year.

[Barack_America]

20. The power grab we're seeing in the Mideast is testament to how badly Israel damaged itself...

...with the flotilla incident.

[Bucky]

22. Israel's turning into the gang that couldn't shoot straight. You know, figuratively speaking.

Literally speaking their military skills are dead on. Pun may or may not be intended, depending on how too soon you think it is. The problem is that Netanyahu more or less rolled out the red carpet for Iran to engage in this publicity stunt. The Iranians have been arming any nutjobs in Gaza they could find. Violence against Israel is the crystal meth of Gaza and Iran is more than glad to throw the boys a few more vials (or whatever container it is that meth comes in). They look like saints to the Muslim world and won't ever pay a serious price when the inevitable slapdown comes. Israel's going to smack Palestinians around, but really can't lay a glove on Iran, except maybe to interdict this boat.

Clinton just warned yesterday that Iran will pull some stunt out of its ass before the next UN sanctions vote. Life would be a lot easier, and the Middle East a might peacefuller, if Netanyahu didn't make it so damn easy for his enemies to make him look like a thug.

[anigbrowl]

26. i doubt they will get much assistance

Iran's government is politically toxic. Support for this particular shipment would just bolster the Israeli position on the blockade. Opponents of the blockade policy can find plenty opportunities to support shipments from neutral countries.

[1776Forever]

29. Iran to send aid ships to Gaza

Source: The Times

Iran’s Red Crescent Society is preparing to send two aid boats to Gaza this week to challenge the Israeli embargo. The announcement came a day after a senior Iranian official offered Revolutionary Guardsas escorts for vessels challenging the blockade — a move that would be seen in Israel as a provocation. Nine people were killed in an Israeli commando raid on a Turkish aid flotilla last week.

“One ship will carry donations made by the people and the other will carry relief workers. The ships will be sent to Gaza by end of this week,” said Abdolrauf Adibzadeh, the head of the Red Crescent in Iran, adding that a third boat could follow at a later date.

The first two vessels will head to Gaza in co-ordination with the Turkish Government, one of them carrying “70 aid workers such as nurses and medics and the other will have foodstuffs and medicines”, Mr Adibzadeh said. He called for volunteers to join the convoy. The third boat would have an operating theatre on board.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7145374.ece

[JuniperLea]

30. Oh God...

Here we go.

[GrantDem]

31. I don't see this ending well...

[Pavulon]

32. Well Operation Praying Manits is a bit dated. Naval Academy will

have something new to teach soon. Iran has no ASW capability. This will get out of hand and we will have a shooting war real soon.

[Arctic Dave]

37. Iran doesn't have ASW?

Sonar and ASROCs isn't exactly state of the the art.

Also, Israel had nothing to do with operation praying mantis.

[Pavulon]

40. Nope that was the first missile based naval battle. Things are shaping up

for for the next one. Israel has advanced weapon systems they developed and ones we sold them. Iran and Turkey do not.

[Arctic Dave]

43. The majority of OPM was shelling platforms with 5" guns.

A few seasparrows and harpoons were used for small boats and aircraft. Nothing really major.

[Pavulon]

46. Harpoons and bombs

were used on naval vessels. Speed boats got radar guided 5". So I have been told.

[Arctic Dave]

50. 5" was used on platforms. Seal teams were pissed that they didn't get to blow it up.

After this, they realized 5" in guns aren't really good for speedboats(boghammers) They installed 25mm guns on the ships after this.

[Pavulon]

53. Interesting.

hopefully cooler heads will prevail here.

[Statistical]

78. Iran has been under 30 years of sactions.

They technically have some ASW capability but they are 40 years out of date. ASW unguided mortars. Latest intel brief is they removed ASW mortar system from their frigates earlier this decade likely to free up room.

It isn't just ASW that their Navy lacks it is modern everything. They no longer have any functional destroyers. The hulls are still in port but haven't moved since the mid 90s.

The anti-ship missile system they were equipped with prior to sanctions was Sea Killer which is woefully out of date. No sea skimming ability means it would be quickly shot down by CIWS and other defenses. Still looks like Iran stopped fielding it (likely due to lack of spare parts) despite having no credible replacement. They now have 122mm unguided rockets where the SK launcher should be.

The patrol boats are worthless. The Bayandor Class Missile boats (US simply designated them Patrol Frigate) we sold them were obsolete junk that we essentially sold off because it was cheaper than disposing of them at that was in the 1970s. Fourty years of age hasn't helped the obsolescence.

I mean it literally is Mad Max type hodge-podge junk on the high seas. Iranian Navy could be destroyed over the horizon and they wouldn't even sea it coming.

[pjt7]

80. Iran has just built their own destroyer

& mini-submarines w/ torpedos. Keep in mind a mini-sun sank a 200ft+ s.korean warship.

Their domestic missle production is over 15 years old.

Their Navy is nothing compared to the US, but will do serious damage to Israel, if war breaks out.

[Statistical]

81. They have no credible Navy.

I did forget the Jamaran which completed sea trials this year but despite Iran calling it a destroyer at only 1400 tons most Navies would call it a frigate.

Its only ASW capabilities is an antiquated 324mm light torpedo system. With no modern sonar it wouldn't stand a chance against Israel ultra quiet diesel-electrics. Even worse the 324 has pathetic range, speed, manuverability. She would be outranged and fighting a target she couldn't see or track.

Now Iran does have a credible airforce and army (at least for 3rd world nation) and their rocket technology is rather impressive however their "navy" makes North Korea look like a Naval superpower.

[pjt7]

82. Turkey has the powerhouse

Navy.

[Statistical]

83. Turkey isn't going to war w/ Israel.

Your dreams of an Israel anhiliation will have to wait for another decade.

Anyways the question was on Iran ASW capabilities.

[The_Casual_Observer]

33. This wise ass embargo shit was bound to get even more complicated

[tekisui]

39. Israel's is in an untenable position.

They have a line in the sand, and have already killed for it.

This isn't going to be good.

[Pavulon]

41. 3 times, 46, 67, and 73.

I'll take their odds. As long as no one wants to get a 12th imam out of hiding and things stay conventional, well. This is not their first rodeo.

[The_Casual_Observer]

42. You didn't mention that little rout they just took in Lebanon.

[Pavulon]

47. Electing not to kill enough people to "win" is not loosing.

Did they loose land? Like I said, open war is not going to be real pretty. World hasn't seen one in a while.

[Wizard777]

34. Please take some toys for the children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuyLTDAC7fE"> We can't have kids taking a bath without a Rubber Duck.

[orion007]

44. A bath for a child would be a luxury, you're so right about the toys

for the children , but water is a rare commodity

Water: Israel has not permitted supplies into the Gaza Strip to rebuild the sewage system. Amnesty International reports that 90-95 percent of the drinking water in Gaza is contaminated and unfit for consumption. The United Nations even found that bottled water in Gaza contained contaminants, likely due to the plastic bottles recycled in dysfunctional factories. The lack of sufficient power for desalination and sewage facilities results in significant amounts of sewage seeping into Gaza's costal aquifer–the main source of water for the people of Gaza.ere.

[tekisui]

35. And so it goes.

The only unanswered question is whether the war will be with just Turkey or whether it will spread to Iran.

[Pavulon]

38. Lets see if the turkish military executes the islamists or makes

a move that will lead them to ruin. Israel is not cyprus, and if Iran is involved they will involve us. That will be a shame for the nice people we will kill taking their country apart.


This is dangerous and will get people killed.

[OhioChick]

36. Uh-Oh n/t

[one_voice]

45. Oh man...

this isn't going to be good.

[pjt7]

48. Israel is too small

They can be hit from too many directions.

& Jordan is calling for an end of the blockage.

Egypt has opened it's borders & will keep them open.

[Pavulon]

49. That worked really well the last three wars...

You guys have no idea of the level of violence that will be used if a war involving Israel and Iran begins. No clue.

[pjt7]

51. Both sides are ready

but having Turkey switch to Iran's side, is a game-changer.

I feel bad for Israel, but they elected their Cheney/Rumsfield wanna-be's

[Pavulon]

52. I feel sorry for the people who will die in an open war

involving any state and Israel. Lots of people will die. We will see if turkey is in for a real war, or is bluffing.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Statistical]

60. If Eqypt has opened the borders then there is no reason to run a blockade...

and possibly start a war in ME right?

Iranian ships go to Eqypt unloead move cargo by truck over open border.

Iran tries this and somebody is getting sunk and given Iran antiquated toys I know who I would put money on.

[Odin2005]

55. The shit's about to hit the fan!

:scared:

[Zorro]

57. Wasn't Hillary saying the other day that Iran would try some stunt

to deflect attention from the sanctions issue?

Looks like she called that right.

[shirleym]

58. Aid is a stunt?

What do you call what Israel did?

[Pavulon]

59. Enforcing a legal blockade that people dont like. The whole thing is a stunt

that went to shit and now has the potential to kill more than just some guys who attacked soldiers with pipes.

This is inherently dangerous as Israel will not back down from an Iranian provocation.

They are using these people as pawns, also old hat in the region. But, they are overdue for a war, haven't had a big one since 73.

[Hardrada]

61. Your views are as despicable as ever.

And go far to make me ashamed of the human species. How can seemingly rational people become so degenerate and warlike?

[Pavulon]

74. To remove a fishhook you have to cut the barb off, guess you will keep the bait(nt)

[Statistical]

62. If Iran intent was really aid they would take it to Eqypt who has opened the land border.

Then again their intent has nothing to do with aid.

[HEyHEY]

77. It is a stunt, Iran has no intention of sending aid. They are just vying for leverage.

[Ed Barrow]

63. Gaza blockade: Iran offers escort to next aid convoy

Source: The Guardian

Iran has warned that it could send Revolutionary Guard naval units to escort humanitarian aid convoys seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza – a move that would certainly be challenged by Israel.

Any such Iranian involvement, raised today by an aide to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would constitute a serious escalation of already high tensions with Israel, which accuses Tehran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon and of backing Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza.

"Iran's Revolutionary Guard naval forces are prepared to escort the peace and freedom convoys that carry humanitarian assistance for the defenceless and oppressed people of Gaza with all their strength," pledged Hojjatoleslam Ali Shirazi, Khamenei's personal representative to the guards corps.

...

Shirazi said Iran should encourage international efforts to break the blockade. "We should expose our enemies to spontaneous global action and not let them achieve their heinous goals," he was quoted as saying by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/06/gaza-blockade-iran-aid-convoy

[clarence swinney]

64. RUSSIA STAY WAY

IRAN A PAL
Putin and two Top Generals warned Israel and USA not to bomb Iran.

Two ICBM with ten warheads each aimed at Israel. 15 minutes and all gone.

We can do nothing but protest.

200 ICBM seven stories underground and can carry ten nuclear warheads each.

Pentagon admits we cannot stop once launched

olduglymeanscaredhonest

[Pavulon]

65. No we launch 3000Mt response

destroying first strike nation. MAD is a good thing.

I doubt Russia is willing to start ww3 ( a real one) over Iran.

[yava]

66. clarence swinney : are you really worried about Iran?

Revolutionary Guards sailing to the Gaza?
They will be pulverized by the IDF before reaching Gaza waters.
So what is this talk about ICBMs?

[JDPriestly]

69. The Soviet Union would be wise to warn Iran to stay away from Israel.

Because if the Soviet Union takes Iran's side, it could set off a nuclear Holocaust in its back yard.

Don't forget we have troops surrounding Iran -- in Iraq and Afghanistan -- as well as off shore. Iran would not have a chance if it became aggressive toward the U.S. They could have the Egyptians board any Iranian ships. Egypt does not want building supplies or weapons to go into Gaza any more than Israel does.

[Statistical]

73. Yeah on what planet is that even plausable?

Russian is going to risk MAD (and death of millions of her own citizens) for the Palestinians? On what planet does that happen? The same Palestinians Who BTW would also be killed by the millions in a nuclear attack on Israel.

Sweet crap on a stick where do some people gets this shit.

BTW: Russian and US demirved silo and land based ICBMs as part of nuclear reduction treaty. We also submitted to joint inspections for verification. Same reason we scrapped the Peacekeeper ICBM (greatest name for doomsday weapon ever) and imploded their silos.

[BeHereNow]

89. And no one has even mentioned China yet...

Thanks for introducing Russia to the mix.
BHN

[mikelgb]

67. Well I'm sure the aide workers could use a little hanky-panky.

[JDPriestly]

68. I think that Israel and Fatah are close to making a deal that would cut Hamas out.

Egypt is loosening its restrictions on travel in and out of Gaza.

I think Hamas and Iran are terrified that Israel and Fatah are making a deal that will make Hamas look really stupid. That's how I read this. Also, Iran would like to distract attention from its build-up of nuclear power and the anniversary of its repression of last year's election protests.

[Recursion]

70. OTOH Fatah and Hamas started moves towards detente after the raid

If Israel managed to push Hamas and Fatah together through this action, that's the worst case scenario from their viewpoint.

[JDPriestly]

71. I think that the opposite of that is likely.

The real contest here is for the hearts and minds of the people of the Middle East. If Fatah makes a fairly honorable peace with Israel, only the most extreme will be interested in Hamas' opinions. If Fatah fails then Hamas gains in credibility and the hope for peace is lost -- or at least can only be obtained at a price that that the world cannot afford to pay -- in terms of lost lives and disruption.

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Codeine]

75. People love to throw around the word "genocide."

The Palestinian/Israeli conflict does not BEGIN to rise to that level.

[Violet_Crumble]

87. It's because it's a highly emotive word, I suspect...

Having spent a few years in the I/P forum, it's flung around by both 'sides', and in a lot of cases I don't think there's any malicious intent to it, just someone sitting at their keyboard getting themselves worked up and grabbing for a verbal incidinery to lob at their online opponents. I've seen it happen more than once where I've seen people pick up others for using the term in relation to the conflict, only to see that same person pop up in a thread a few days later accusing the other 'side' of being genocidal and trying to justify it by claiming that while their Team is pure and innocent, the other Team is evil and barbaric and prone to bouts of genocidal rage. It'd be nice to see the term not used for a conflict where it doesn't apply, but I doubt that's ever going to happen...

[Violet_Crumble]

85. There's no such thing as a 'fairly honorable peace' with Netanyahu and his gang of extremists...

The way yr coming across is like the Israeli govt is very reasonable and strives for a peaceful and fair resolution to the conflict and is eagerly waiting for those naughty Palestinians to hold hands with it so they can all have a big group hug. That's not the case at all. That's a hardline RW govt containing fascists and racists and those who advocate the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel and the Occupied Territories. This is a govt that's tried to introduce a loyalty test for its non-Jewish citizens, and which is currently trying to strip the citizenship from an Israeli-Arab MK who joined the flotilla.

As for lost lives and disruptions, that's been happening far too much and far too often already, or don't Palestinian lives count in some circles?

[HEyHEY]

76. They are taking a page from Kim Jong Ill, is all that is happening here

See a chance to mix things up and hope for some appeasement, take it. That's all this is.

[earcandle]

79. Rap..rap... rappppppppp ture lust ... fuckheads, all of them.

take this!

The Hypnotist

[Devil_Fish]

90. I hope they send military escorts. N/T