When placed under journalistic scrutiny, the IDF is being forced to admit that its claims about the flotilla’s links to international terror are based on innuendo, not facts. On June 2, the IDF blasted out a press release to reporters and bloggers with the shocking headline: “Attackers of the IDF soldiers found to be Al Qaeda mercenaries.” The only supporting evidence offered in the release was a claim that the passengers “were equipped with bullet proof vests, night vision goggles, and weapons.” A screen capture of the press release is below:
The IDF distributed this press release on June 2. The following day, it changed the headline, essentially retracting its lurid accusation.
Not content to believe that night vision goggles signal membership in Al Qaeda, reporter Lia Tarachansky of The Real News Network and I called the IDF press office to ask for more conclusive evidence. Tarachansky reached the IDF’s Israel desk, interviewing a spokesperson in Hebrew; I spoke with the North America desk, using English. We both received the same reply from Army spokespeople: “We don’t have any evidence. The press release was based on information from the [Israeli] National Security Council.” (The Israeli National Security Council is Netanyahu’s kitchen cabinet of advisors).
Today, the Israeli Army’s press office changed the headline of its press release (see below), basically retracting its claim about the flotilla’s Al Qaeda links. The new headline reads: “Attackers of the IDF Soldiers Found Without Identification Papers” (the top of the browser screen still contains the original headline about Al Qaeda). The more Israel’s claims about the flotilla’s terrorist links are challenged, the more they fall apart.
After admitting "there is no evidence" to back up its claim about the flotilla's Qaeda links, the IDF quietly changed the headline of its press release.
[...] 1445 GMT: Max Blumenthal reveals how Israel Defense Forces, when pressed for evidence, retracted a headline linking Flotilla passengers to Al Qa’eda. [...]
I’m not sure if you already know about this but it’s been revealed that the metadata from the uploaded photos show they were taken in 2006.
http://www.politicaltheatrics.net/2010/06/the-gaza-flotilla-how-israel%E2%80%99s-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-fakes-photos-of-seized-weapons/
[...] as Max Blumenthal reports, they even tried to make–then backed off of–a claim that some flotilla participants [...]
Ignore the link gavinp gives above. All it proves is that the cameras didn’t have a proper date set. Millions of people make the same mistake (not properly setting up the date when they turn on the camera). To my mind it does not invalidate the photos.
Okay Israeli commandos, you mission, should you chose to accept it, is to separate the hezbolllah guys from the rest. When you identify yourself as Israeli commando, expect the hezbollah terrorists to get slightly peeved and moderately uncooperative by putting their fingers in their ears and shouting “I am not listening la la la la la” and “I know you are but what am I”. The same top notch intel that says there is hezbollah guys on board also says there is 600 others… so we are sending in 10, 20 of you. As everyone knows on the seas the riot police to protester ratios just really works in favour of the police. Especially when everyone knows the police doesn’t have any backup for many many miles and once the protesters realise they are aren’t trapped or anything they can just flee the protest like they would on land. So 10-20 versus 600 should do the trick especially with zero riot control training. When you lower yourself onto the ship with weapons, prepare for the worst, prepare for some stern looks.
I know I know, dont expect any special commendations for these boring routine missions but being an Israeli commando isn’t all glitz and glamor.
Where do I sign up? Or maybe I can be the diplomat who has to try and convince Turkey to refuse its flag to ships after their heavily armed commie Al qaida nazi pirate zombie ghost ship status is well substantiated and then listen as the turks reply: “Muhahahhahaha MUAHAHAHHAHA MUAHAHAHHAHA!!! No We will give them all those nukes our Americans NATO partners entrusted us with so the can use them to mix their killer cement… of DEATH! MUAHAHAHHAHA!!!”
And before, we had “we had to shoot people on a boat because people on land belong to Hamas” and “our highly trained commandos in body armor had to shoot 9 people because…. they had slingshots and were transporting concrete”. No really, that concrete would be used quote “against Israelis”. (What, they put it on the pavement of Haifa and wait for slow people to get stuck?)
Which Israelis would they target with their weapons grade concrete? Those who live in srderot in their homes with bomb shelters, you know, the concrete ones? Fucktards who drag their kids into an unguided missile ridden warzone to be raised there because their imaginary friend told them they are are on the right side of a dusty desert real-estate dispute and now expect my sympathy for getting shot at eventhough their parenting makes Abraham look like the father of the year? (Oh and Hamas summer camp and hezballah kids TV… brought to you by pukeworthy nutjob fucktards, Also camp Iguana and taliban schoolbooks…? fucktards in Pakistani an US intel. Its like they are all reading from the same doctor spock for fucktard dummies)
Look I am a pampered European kid who gets his news from TV and middle of the road medium quality newspapers so I am vulnerable to a good PR campaign. Just ask the people who sell me my jeans and shoes. I am the generation Israel will have to deal with for the coming decades. Countries having been on the “right side” during the cold war doesn’t mean shit to me because no one in my generation has the faintest Idea what the cold war was. Every once in a while I have to pinch myself when I hear greyhaired people explain how bad Iran is (bunch of overeducated Metropolitan yuppies with a, hehhe, booming tech sector and great interest in the crappy elections), only to explain in the next breath how glad they are with Saudi Arabia and the “moderate regimes” (right after 15 post cold war Saudi kids, renowned for their entrepreneurial spirit and generosity to imported staff, managed to win the fucktard of the century award)
Lucky for the Israelis I am not particularly interested in picking sides in the fight of a bunch of backward religious zealots (nuclear armed or otherwise). If I would I would be on the side of woman and children, and people who cant flee… you know, like when those backward Taliban uses kids as human shields as NATO spokesdrones keep telling me about.
In fact the first thing I though when I read about the attack was “Oh f@#$ no now I am not gonna be able to watch TV for days without seeing that pompous ass George Galloway and his pretentious parade of five minute of mandella fame wannabees who favour “raising awareness” over proper activism… I could really feel some, not a lot, but some empathy for those poor commandos who lowered themselfs into a sea of crazy one by one…
But then I watched some American TV (not CNN Europe, no the hard stuff, the stuff that makes you crazy)… So to all those Israeli PR drones: Really, you could have gotten to me so the next time try and create a story for those of us with an IQ over 60, okay?
Here is the deal: You don`t treat me like I am retarded and I wont give a shit about religious zealots blowing each other up so long as they do it on top of that piece of worthless supernatural desert and at least try and keep the kids out of it.
Another hint from none other than George W. Bush:
Let me stop you there cowboy, nice shooting, and you know I love myself some shooting but lets review:
1.You shoot up the place (well done)
2.You check for weapons, find none and
3.You claim you have intelligence of weapons
Now see thats all very well executed, and you know how I love a good execution, but in the heat of the moment you screwed up the order, see
1.Claim you have intelligence of weapons
2.Shoot up the place
3.Check for weapons, find none…. oops
Anyway I have a batch of killer cement…. OF DEATH to mix up.
[...] Under Scrutiny, IDF Retracts Claims About Flotilla’s Al Qaeda Links: Max Blumenthal [...]
Well, there is independent confirmation that the Turkish “humanitarian” group (i.e. IHH) has terrorist connections. I suggest that you read the 2006 report by the Danish Institute for International Studies entitled “The role of Islamic charities in international terrorist recruitment and financing”. (If you google the title, it will come up as one of the first items.) The gist of it:
“Yet, the phenomenon of charitable front groups that provide support to Al-Qaida is by no means exclusively limited to the Arabian Peninsula. Indeed, elsewhere in the Muslim world, other such entities have been established with near equal success – as in Turkey, with the so-called Foundation for Human Rights, Liberties, and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). Turkish authorities began their own domestic criminal investigation of IHH as early as December 1997, when sources revealed that leaders of IHH were purchasing automatic weapons from other regional Islamic militant groups. IHH’s bureau in Istanbul was thoroughly searched, and its local officers were arrested. Security forces uncovered an array of disturbing items, including firearms, explosives, bomb-making instructions, and a “jihad flag.” After analyzing seized IHH documents, Turkish authorities concluded that “detained members of IHH were going to fight in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Chechnya.” (p10-11).
[...] I take the fairly reasonable position that if the opening move is to blatantly lie, then all the subsequent moves are blatant lies. Tear gas source – here you go. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010…-gaza-flotilla [...]
[...] per Max Blumenthal, it seems Israel is now walking back its claims that the elderly Swedes and crutch-wielding Brits [...]
[...] IDF Retracts claims about flotilla’s Al Qaeda [...]
@Matthew: “To my mind it does not invalidate the photos.”
I doubt the even Ariel Sharon regaining consciousness and declaring that he took the photos in 2006 would invalidate them to your closed mind.
[...] Juan Cole hade igår ett inlägg med en liknande poäng som jag hade i onsdags. Max Blumenthal skriver om hur den israeliska arméns språkrör tvingade dra tillbaka anklagelser i ett pressmeddelande [...]
[...] own website (once their propaganda was out) changed the webpage to remove any mention of Al Q: Under Scrutiny, IDF Retracts Claims About Flotilla’s Al Qaeda Links I have no doubt that the people on the ships went with the intention of challenging Israel and [...]
[...] NGO (non-governmental organization) in the United Nations Economic and Social Council.According to Max Blumenthal, when he and Lia Tarachansky, an Israel-based freelance journalist fluent in Hebrew, called [...]
[...] credible doubts have been raised about that assertion (see LobeLog contributors Marsha Cohen and Max Blumenthal’s pieces on the subject). Nonetheless, Sherman insisted the group has “clear terrorist [...]
[...] credible doubts have been raised about that assertion (see LobeLog contributors Marsha Cohen and Max Blumenthal’s pieces on the subject). Nonetheless, Sherman insisted the group has “clear terrorist [...]
[...] The IHH having ties to al-Qaeda was an absurd accusation on its face. If they did, Turkey would never sanction them on any level and would much more likely be persecuting and arresting them. Americans and Israelis might think of al-Qaeda as primarily targeting them, but secular Muslim regimes are much more in their crosshairs than we are. And, indeed, Israel has quietly retracted the accusation. [...]
[...] mit Al Kaida zu tun, bereits nach nur einem Anruf eines kritisch nachfragenden Journalisten eingestehen. Angesichts dessen, dass nun die Namen und Berufe der neun von Israel bestätigterweise [...]
[...] Wait, is this the line they were pushing that Blumenthal knocked down? The one I mentioned earlier? Sure, I mentioned that this was going to be a [...]
[...] She is told by an Army spokesperson that “We don’t have any evidence. The press release was based on information from the [Israeli] National Security Council.” [...]
[...] She is told by an Army spokesperson that “We don’t have any evidence. The press release was based on information from the [Israeli] National Security Council.” [...]
[...] been truly amazing to watch the both defensively frenzied and shamelessly aggressive campaign of exaggerations and flat-out fallacies coming from Israel and its staunches defenders. But Glick took it to a whole [...]
[...] Max Blumenthal catches the IDF trying to quietly withdraw its absurd claim that the flotilla was linked to Al [...]
[...] Under Scrutiny, IDF Retracts Claims About Flotilla’s Al Qaeda Links http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/06/under-scrutiny-idf-retracts-claims-about-flotillas-al-qaeda-links/ [...]
[...] [...]
The Danish think tank’s report is proof of nothing. It bases its claims on the unsupported assertion by a French judge that the IHH has Al Qaeda ties and a motion that some lawyers filed in a French Court of Appeals (misrepresented in Israel Project publications as an “intelligence report”.
I’ve discussed this claim in detail here:
http://meldungen-aus-dem-exil.noblogs.org/post/2010/06/04/the-agricola-principle-how-israel-and-its-apologists-defend-the-indefensible
[...] battle, with possible links to Al Qaeda (an assertion so preposterous the Israeli government was forced to retract it under pressure of evidence) , on the one hand, but that simultaneously they were not prepared for a [...]
[...] Kessler reports the IDF’s discredited claim that numerous Mavi Marmara passengers were terrorist “mercenaries:” The activists [...]
[...] The IHH having ties to al-Qaeda was an absurd accusation on its face. If they did, Turkey would never sanction them on any level and would much more likely be persecuting and arresting them. Americans and Israelis might think of al-Qaeda as primarily targeting them, but secular Muslim regimes are much more in their crosshairs than we are. And, indeed, Israel has quietly retracted the accusation. [...]
[...] Kessler reports the IDF’s discredited claim that numerous Mavi Marmara passengers were terrorist “mercenaries:” The activists also [...]
[...] credible doubts have been raised about that assertion (see LobeLog contributors Marsha Cohen and Max Blumenthal’s pieces on the subject). Nonetheless, Sherman insisted the group has “clear terrorist [...]
[...] Max Blumenthal catches the IDF trying to quitely withdraw its absurd claim that the flotilla was linked to Al [...]
[...] Israel has no evidence that the activists were connected to al-Qaeda (a lie that was initially used and is now a smear that’s stuck). [...]
[...] to Max Blumenthal, when he and Lia Tarachansky, an Israel-based freelance journalist fluent in Hebrew, called the [...]
[...] Go read Blumenthal’s entire post, and then contact WaPo Ombudsman Andrew Alexander. Alexander can be reached at ombudsman@washpost.com or 202-334-7582. (You might also tell them that the bit about the flotilla being allied with al-Qaeda is a lie, too.) [...]
[...] behind this violent attempt to attack Israel. Of course, Al Qaeda was not behind the Flotilla (Israeli officials recently admitted as much) and the aid and political goals of the Flotilla were meant to help the people of Gaza – not [...]
[...] is a rehash of the same June 2 IDF allegations that the IDF had already partially rolled back four flipping days ago but which NPR’s crack staff apparently didn’t know or care were rolled back. [...]
[...] There was the claim that the ship’s passengers were “Al Qaeda mercenaries,” since retracted; the claim that Mavi Marmara passengers told an Israeli navy vessel to “go back to [...]
[...] There was the claim that the ship’s passengers were “Al Qaeda mercenaries,” since retracted ; the claim that Mavi Marmara passengers told an Israeli navy vessel to “go back to [...]
[...] about the flotilla’s terrorist links are challenged, the more they fall apart. Clip Source: maxblumenthal.com When placed under journalistic scrutiny, the IDF is being forced to admit that its claims about [...]
[...] comes after the Israel military was forced to admit it has nothing to substantiate its wild allegations that those on board the MM were Al Quada [...]
[...] Flotilla Audio; Press Reports As FactIsrael’s Crude Forgery of Tape Backfires | FDRadio on Under Scrutiny, IDF Retracts Claims About Flotilla’s Al Qaeda LinksIDF Retracts Claims About Flotilla’s Al Qaeda Links « socialbookmarkingrss.co.cc on Under [...]
[...] out? This comes after the Israel military was forced to admit it has nothing to substantiate its wild allegations that those on board the MM were Al Quada terrorists. And even more importantly. Why is the BBC [...]
[...] in the world that believes this. They claimed some on board had ties to Al Qaeda, then quickly retracted it when confronted by journalists asking for [...]
[...] Wir sind alle IHH Veröffentlicht am Juni 8, 2010 von alien59 Während und nach dem israelischen Überfall auf die Flotilla wurde ein immenser PR-Krieg gegen alle und alles mit den Hilfsschiffen und ihren Organisatoren Verbundene durchgeführt. Weite Teile der Medien übernehmen das nur zu gerne, wie z.B. gestern Abend Report Mainz. Das hilft der israelischen Darstellung – ungeachtet der Tatsache, dass zunehmen die Falschdarstellungen aufgedeckt werden. Wie z.B. über die IHH. [...]
[...] denies this; Washington says it has no evidence; the IDF conceded that: “We don’t have any evidence. The press release was based on information from the [...]
[...] mal paraitre les activistes humanitaires, de produire de fausses photos d’armes saisies et de faux liens avec l’Al-Qaïda pour faussement incriminer sa victime et justifier son terrorisme alors que ces photos datent de [...]
[...] Kessler reports the IDF’s discredited claim that numerous Mavi Marmara passengers were terrorist “mercenaries:” The activists also [...]
[...] Bluementhal, Max. June 3, 2010. “Under Scrutiny, IDF Retracts Claims about Flotilla’s Al Qaeda Links.” Accessed June 4, 2010: <http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/06/under-scrutiny-idf-retracts-claims-about-flotillas-al-qaeda-links/> [...]
Right – Pat Buchanan, the voice of reason and objectivity!!! The paragon of justice and fairness. And, above all, a close “friend” of Israel.