What really happened in the raid on the Freedom Flotilla

(Crossposted to DK)

Via Craig Murray, a video of what really happened on the Mavi Marmara in the Freedom Flotilla running the Gaza Blockade, from film smuggled out by journalists. This film was produced by Cultures of Resistance [Update: this appears to be the clip from about 39:00 onward in a longer version of the video below]:

Israeli Attack on the Mavi Marmara, May 31st 2010 // 15 min. from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

A commenter claims that a Norwegian voice states that the red liquid seen early on is not blood. The video also does seem to show commandos descending without the use of teargas, flash grenades, or live weapons fire. Since the film begins in the middle of events, they could have been used earlier [update: and may well have been. See the longer film below].

Here is film from before the attack:

Israeli Attack on the Mavi Marmara // Raw Footage from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

The Israelis come alongside ca. 32:00. They fire something around 36:00 and what looks to be a cloud of gas appears. There could also be gunfire at this point; one can’t tell. Someone throws something, maybe a tear gas canister at the boat at about 37:20, and it bounces off near the windscreen. There is the reddish material running down near the ship ladder to the upper deck at ca. 38:00. Someone says, “This is blood.” and repeats it. Someone else, who sounds Norwegian, says it’s a paintball. A laser sighting dot appears on the deck at about 39:30 and the Norwegian (?) says something about “live ammunition”. Commandos come down at 41:30, so this appears to be the same/similar film as in the first tape. One of the passengers appears to be holding a stick at 42:00. A young man shoots a slingshot at the helicopter; he is joined by another. The helicopter takes off. Sounds that could be gunshots. At 43:25, a wounded man is brought by. There are sounds that are probably gunfire. A ship warning chime sounds three times. It seems that the wounded man is an Israeli soldier in civilian clothes, since papers are shown and said to be “from the Israelis” that are said to show who they wanted to get. In this film, the pictures are at first wiped out by glare, but then the man shows them slowly. There are people on the Challenger -1 and -2. These are the ones on the Mavi Marmara (photo sharpened to try to read the writing):

I don’t recognize the people. But most of them look a little elderly to be terrorists. After 45:00, one man apparently dies and others are shown with wounds.

Now if the Israelis will only release the rest of the film they confiscated, there can be a real investigation of what happened.

Somebody Apparently Wants To See The Iraqi Shiite Truce With US Forces Meet A Bloody End

Because that’s what would happen if Israel and the (ultra-Sunni) Saudis were allowed to go ahead with this really stupid move:

“The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,” said a US defence source in the area. “They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.”

Sources in Saudi Arabia say it is common knowledge within defence circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing,” said one.

[…]

Passing over Iraq would require at least tacit agreement to the raid from Washington. So far, the Obama Administration has refused to give its approval as it pursues a diplomatic solution to curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Military analysts say Israel has held back only because of this failure to secure consensus from America and Arab states.

Ai-yi-yi.