French shipping giant looks to shut down Iran smuggling
Three weeks ago, I reported that French shipping giant CMA CGM may be sanctioned by the United States for violating the embargo against Iran. CMA CGM is telling everyone that it has decided to clean up its act.
Rising US pressure on the company has shaken up its management structure. In Marseille, company officials don’t seem to trust their own monitoring mechanisms and are cautiously promising improvements – probably also to appease the annoyed Americans. A spokesman said it has organized a compliance team exclusively to investigate trade with Iran.
In addition, information technology systems will be upgraded and investigations carried out of all firms used by the company for freight monitoring.
CMA CGM appears to see a US-based conspiracy against its shipping operation. A spokesman told the Post that anti-Iran lobby groups in the United States are targeting CMA CGM. The spokesman views the maritime company as a victim of such a campaign. A second spokesman told the Post that “black PR” is being used to damage the company in the US.
CMA CGM has a lot to lose – during the recent global economic crisis, business with the US and other markets suffered. The company finally had some positive news at the beginning of the year: It will add additional ships to the California-Asia route, in response to increasing demand.
In Norfolk, Virginia, where the CMA CMG has its main US office, the company is building a new headquarters building.
Last year, the company transported more than 9 million containers (twenty-foot equivalent) and generated roughly 10.1 billion euros in revenue. The French company is the third largest shipping container company in the world. The company refused to tell the Post the volume of its Iran trade since 2005. “Shipping companies are not communicating figures like those ones,” it said.
Read the whole thing. This appears to be a rare instance where the sanctions are being used to pursue someone and the company being pursued actually cares about it.
French shipping company may be sanctioned for smuggling Iranian weapons
The World's third largest shipping company, France's CMA CGM, may be sanctioned by the US for smuggling Iranian weapons to Hamas and Hezbullah.
In March, the CMA CGMoperated container ship MV Victoria was seized by the Israel Navy in the Mediterranean and escorted to Ashdod Port. More than 50 tons of weapons from Iran were aboard. They included anti-ship missiles, 3,000 mortar shells and almost 70,000 rounds of ammunition for machine guns.
The Victoria’s route took it from Latakia, Syria, through the port of Mersin in Turkey to Alexandria, Egypt, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Meron Reuben said. According to Israeli security officials, the weapons were destined for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
This is not the first time CMA CGM has reportedly been involved in controversial trade with Iran.
In December, Rep. Peter King (R-New York) wrote to Philippe Soulié, CEO of the shipping company. King said he was “deeply concerned” about the French firm’s trade relationship with the regime in Iran. King is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
A few weeks earlier, the company’s MV Everest container ship was seized off the Nigerian coast, fully loaded with Iranian weapons. King warned the shipping company against half-heartedly monitoring its freight in light of international sanctions.
In a letter made available to the Post, he said the shipper should expect “severe penalties” in the United States.
Soulié wrote in response that the MV Everest had been chartered by a company that did not appear on the US Treasury’s sanctions list.
Soulié assured King that the company was fully aware of the UN, US and EU sanctions. He insisted that CMA CGM was at the “forefront of shipping companies” in adherence to laws and regulations, especially in regard to the Iranian regime.
However, barely three months later, the MV Victoria became the next French ship to be seized with Iranian weapons aboard.
“The group is working closely with the responsible authorities in the fight against illegal transports,” CMA CGM wrote in a statement to the Post.
“CMA CGM was, like other important world-wide shipping companies, a victim of false transport documentation from the sender, and with help of the consignor, CMA CGM was misled about the true nature of the transportation goods.”
You may recall that ten days ago, the IDF boarded the Victoria and towed it into port in Ashdod. The Victoria had many weapons on board, including Chinese-origin C704 land-to-sea missiles.
The IDF has released a video showing some of those missiles' capabilities.
Turkey refused Israeli request to intercept Victoria
A Kuwaiti news agency reports that Turkey refused an Israeli request to intercept the weapons-carrying Victoria (Hat Tip: IMRA). On Tuesday, an Israeli Navy commando team intercepted the ship and dragged it back to the port of Ashdod, where the full extent of its weapons-laden cargo was revealed.
Israel affirmed Wednesday that Turkey refused an Israeli request to intercept the "Victoria" cargo vessel which, according to Israeli sources, carried weapons being smuggled to help Palestinian activities in the Gaza Strip.
According to Maariv Israeli newspaper, Israel requested Ankara to intercept the cargo vessel, a request which Turkey flatly refused.
Israel had stopped the ship which was hoisting the Turkish and Liberian flags, indicated the newspaper, adding that the cargo consisted of weapons suspected to be shipped to Palestinian factions.
Israel, however, did not hold any of the two states accountable for items discovered on the ship, indicated the newspaper.
Why did we even bother to ask the Turks? Why did anyone think they would be helpful?
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.”
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.
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.
Video and photos of Israel Navy boarding Victoria arms ship and more
I have some video and photos of the Israeli Navy boarding the Victoria arms ship some 200 miles off our coast earlier on Tuesday. In this first video, the IDF calls on the ship to allow the Navy to board.
Let's go to the videotape.
Compare that to what happened last May when the Navy told the Mavi Marmara to stop.
Let's go to the videotape.
I am convinced that the reason the Victoria reacted the way it did was the deterrent effect resulting from what happened with the Mavi Marmara last year. As much as the 'international community' may consider that operation 'botched,' no IDF soldiers were killed, and the ships were not allowed to pass through to Gaza. That created a deterrent effect, and there are lessons there of far more general applicability.
Here's video of the Navy ships heading toward the Victoria. The video appears to have been shot from a helicopter, so apparently there was one or more helicopters involved this time as well.
Let's go to the videotape.
Note that there are no terrorists or purported civilians (apparently) aboard this boat. No one milling around the deck waiting to attack IDF soldiers who land on the deck. Things may be different in May when many countries are planning to send another flotilla of fools to Gaza.
As I'm writing this post, Israel television is reporting that the boarding took place at 9:20. The ship carried 60 and 120mm shells. They also had C-704 land-to-sea missiles, of the type that was used against the Navy in Lebanon five years ago. There is also apparently other advanced weaponry aboard the ship. The weapons were hidden within a general commercial shipment and would have disturbed the equilibrium between the IDF and the 'Palestinians.'
Defense Minister Barak says that the raid proves the utility of the sea closure around Gaza. The crew knew nothing about what they were carrying. The ship will reach port in Ashdod after midnight and will be unloaded in the morning on Wednesday. It's a huge ship - 22,000 tons.
The IDF hopes this will close down this lane for the time being while the terror groups figure out how they were discovered.
Here's the boarding. Let's go to the videotape.
Israel Television is now discussing the possibility that the Iranian warships that passed through the Suez Canal brought these weapons, and the possibility that the new government of Egypt will allow weapons to pass through Alexandria and be shipped by land to Gaza.
Israel is blaming Iran for Tuesday's ship, but the loading was in Syria.
By the way, there were demonstrations in Syria on Tuesday against the Assad government. More on that later.
By the way, the containers were marked as containing cotton and wood, and Israel television says unequivocally that the weapons that were on this ship are not currently found in Gaza. We will find out more about them Wednesday morning.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
Three weeks ago, I reported that French shipping giant CMA CGM may be sanctioned by the United States for violating the embargo against Iran. CMA CGM is telling everyone that it has decided to clean up its act. 
