Israel Matzav: Victoria's secrets

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Victoria's secrets

Here's the Deputy Commander of Israel's Navy discussing what was found on the Victoria on Tuesday.

Let's go to the videotape.

From an initial investigation, strategic weapons were found on-board the “Victoria”–many 60 and 120 mm mortar shells, and C-704 anti-ship missiles. The C-704 shore-to-sea missiles had a range of 35 kilometers and its likely use along the Gaza Strip endangers not only infrastructure near the Gaza sea, but Israeli shore cities in close proximity such as Ashkelon.

Iran is known to possess these type of missiles, which, along with identifying documents (including a missile identification document, below) gives substantial evidence of Iran’s involvement in the weapons smuggling attempt, and yet another example of Iran’s use of innocent merchant ships as a means of transferring arms to terrorist organizations.

The IDF spokesperson reported on Tuesday night that the ship was carrying 50 tons of weapons - about the equivalent of the Karin A, which was caught bringing weapons from Iran to the 'Palestinian Authority' in 2002.

The Victoria carried as many as 50 tons of weapons, an amount similar to that of the Karin A, a ship caught by the IDF sailing to the Palestinian Authority in 2002. According to the Israeli Navy, this is only a preliminary estimate and weaponry found on the ship will be checked only after the Victoria docks at the Ashdod port. As mentioned, along with the strategic weapons found on the ship, a large amount of 60 and 120 mm mortar shells were found as well.

...

Catching Victoria emphasizes the importance of the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip. “There is huge potential in smuggling weapons by sea, both in because of the simplicity of route and the large quantities it enables to smuggle. If we allow free entry of ships into the Gaza Strip, weapons will come in droves to terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip,” added the Chief of the Navy.

As far as international law, he says the IDF is operating completely in accordance with the rules . “From the first step of questioning and gathering the facts to the interception itself, there was complete cooperation with the captain, allowing Naval Commandos to reach the ship using the ship’s ladders. The ship did not know about the cargo and was surprised by it. We believe Turkey and Egypt were as well.”

Here's a preliminary list of the weapons found on the ship.

Below is a preliminary list of weaponry and weaponry systems discovered and unloaded this morning at the Ashdod Port hidden in the cargo of the “Victoria” vessel.
230 mortar shells, 120 mm
2,270 mortar shells, 60 mm
6 C-704 anti-ship missiles
2 radar systems manufactured in England
2 launchers
2 hydraulic mounting cranes for radar system
66,960 bullets for the Kalashnikov, 7.62 millimeter

Hmmm.

The media was actually invited to Ashdod to view the weapons (I was invited too but could not make it), but you may not see it in your local media.

Let's go to the videotape.

And here's what you just saw in the video.

Angry foreign reporters left a press conference on Wednesday which displayed the weapons aboard the Victoria.

The event was meant to show foreigners the successes of the Israeli commandos and to justify the naval blockade on Gaza, but the extensive security checks at the entrance led many reporters to leave.

Each member of the foreign media was subject to a full-body check, as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak both spoke at the press conference.

"We were told to get here at 12," Jerusalem Post video reporter Ben Spier explained, "and we waited about an hour and a half in the sun. A lot of foreign journalists decided to walk away," he explained.

Many reporters found that by the time security checks ended, the conference had already started.

Unfortunately, those kinds of checks are unavoidable, unless Barak and Netanyahu are told to stay home.

Hmmm.

Labels: Ashdod port, C-704 missiles, foreign media, hasbara, Victoria, weapons shipment