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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel silent as Iran warships enter Mediterranean |
| 2011-02-23 |
| JERUSALEM — Israeli officials were largely silent on Tuesday as two Iranian warships entered the Mediterranean Sea from the Suez Canal, in what the Jewish state has repeatedly called a provocation. Officials at the canal authority confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the two vessels had reached the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean after travelling up the canal. “They are now in Mediterranean waters,” an official told AFP in Cairo. The patrol frigate Alvand and support ship Kharg are the first Iranian warships to pass through the canal since the 1979 Islamic revolution, and are reportedly bound for Syria, a journey that would take them past Israel’s territorial waters. Israeli officials had no immediate reaction to the ships’ arrival in the Mediterranean, but earlier a foreign ministry spokesman had urged world powers to respond “firmly” as the two vessels entered the Suez Canal. Public radio, quoting unnamed senior officials, said Israel knew where the ships were and was holding situational assessments with US officials. The radio also said Prime Minister Netanyahu had discussed the matter with US Ambassador James Cunningham. The Kharg has a crew of 250 and can carry up to three helicopters. The Alvand is armed with torpedos and anti-ship missiles. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 Time for Tel Aviv to dust off those old, funny-in-their-time NATO Membership Application(s), + also that to join the EU + proposed Mediterranean Union. If it were time, JosephM, those funny applications would have been accepted decades ago. But they weren't, which is why Israel still has the forms on file. Europe also hasn't accepted Israel as a member of their working committee at the UN, last I heard, leaving Israel the only country not accepted by any block. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-02-23 12:37 |
| #4 suicide ships, just park em in the vicinity of Tel Aviv and, BOOM, no more Tel Aviv |
| Posted by: 746 2011-02-23 09:07 |
| #3 Its not the weapons on the ship's deck that are a problem. Its what in the ship's hold that could be a problem. |
| Posted by: lord garth 2011-02-23 07:37 |
| #2 Joe, I fear the Euros don't want Israel - they want to embrace / be financially rescued by the Arabs. |
| Posted by: lotp 2011-02-23 06:12 |
| #1 Pre-"2012", pre-NucWeaps SHIA-IRAN-VS-SUNNI-EGYPT [+ Saudis], to become Post-"2012", post-NucWeaps IRAN-BLOC-VS-ISRAEL? soon enough. Time for Tel Aviv to dust off those old, funny-in-their-time NATO Membership Application(s), + also that to join the EU + proposed Mediterranean Union. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-02-23 01:12 |