International mainstream media report this morning that the planned US shipment of ammunition from Greece to Israel has been canceled. The reason for this is still a bit unclear: While the international media claim the decision was made by the Pentagon in light of the proximity of the Israeli port of Ashdod (the shipment’s destination) to Gaza, Greek mainstream media paint a very different story: According to this, the shipment has been called off by the Greek government – here’s a translation of an abstract from the news as carried by news portal in.gr:
As reported in the newspaper Ta Nea (The News), for hours the phone lines between Washington and Athens were on fire until it was decided, on Monday, that at this point the operation publically announced by the American Navy should not go ahead.
The decision came despite the fact that outside the greek port of Astakos was a ship of the American Navy that would be used to transport the shipment in 235 containers.
The greek government and the ministry of foreign affairs have been uneasy about the publicity received by the issue and so, despite the (political and legal) commitments in place, the huge political cost of the operation outweigh them, since the country would have been directly implicated in the forwarding of ammunition to Israel whilst its attack on the Gaza strip is ongoing.
On Saturday (10.01), the Popular front for the Liberation of Palestine had called upon “the Greek movement, the Greek people and all international progressive forces to halt the planned shipment of U.S. arms to Israel from the Greek port of Astakos” (read the full callout here). During the following two days, tens of groups across the country responded to the callout, by calling in turn for a demonstration and blockade of the port of Astakos for Thursday, 15.01.
Only one day later, the shipment has been canceled! A small, but so significant victory… Comradely greetings to our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
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Don’t be so quick to believe them, you still have to keep watch. Producing misinformation would be the least of the atrocities they are willing to commit in this massacre of Gaza, and I find this story to be very suspicious.
I’m affraid you are right – they can send it day later or earlier
i think that it’s precisely because it’s so easy for them to just make the shipment in another way (without publicising it etc) that, as the original poster says, this victory can only be symbolic. Still a victory, however – the revolted of Greece have shown them that the world is watching and that they’re ready to take action…
Absolutely right, they are planning another route:
“I think the Greek government has some issue with the offloading of some of that shipment in their country and we are finding alternative means of getting that entire shipment to its proper destination in Israel,” said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell.
Quote from: “Greek govt under fire over U.S. arms to Israel”, 13 Jan 2009 19:54:47 GMT, Source: Reuters
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LD640132.htm
This is indeed a symbolic victory (only) – I am sure that they will send the stuff via other routes (or via Greece later). It is a shame for the whole world that nobody is capable of stopping it and that this way a small volatile nation “rules” an entire planet. Did you hear/read how many actions Norwegian institutions are taking? The trade unions called all employers to get rid of any product of Israel etc… Look it up. Amazing Norwegians! BTW: there is also a call to action to boykott McDonalds and Starbucks which both announced that they donate to support Israel (some claim it to be a hoax – but usually nothing comes up without some kind of truth in it.)
I have another question. Reading through a lot of media online, I found that there will be social demonstrations going on in Germany (Jan 14, Frankfurt, 18:00 hours) and in Bulgaria (Jan. 14, all country at municipalities and governments). There have been in Latvia yesterday. And it seems to be steaming in other countries as well. All these are not made as sympathy or support for Greece, but independent because the people who are struggling with the same people like in Greece are angry with their governments and the social behaviours (if any) of their governing elite as well. — It looks as if Greece has spread some seed – successfully. Thank you, Greece and the courage of your youth! Maybe we all will have the guts now to clean our messes up.
If anything is not a symbolic victory, this is definitely NOT one. Although it was won without a struggle, the threat apparently did the job this time.
The perceived threat of larger social unrest and attacks against the government was there, and this is due to the last efforts by Greek anarchists and a large part of the Greek youth to show their collective might against the capitalist State. That’s quite implicit that it was directly related to that.
The alternative they’ll choose now will be most likely some port in Italy or Cyprus, since they are safe bases for any action from the US in the eastern meditterannean region. But the safety still depends how anti-NATO groups will react in these countries…
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Did Greece listen to the call of the PFLP ??…
From 3 days ago ; on the 10th of January 2009 the People’s front for the Liberation of Palestine “ PFLP…
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