-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [sfbayview] URGENT! Boat carrying Cynthia McKinney to Gaza attacked - take action immediately! Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:28:36 -0800 From: SF Bay View <[email protected]> Organization: San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper
From the Free Gaza Movement: > (This is the sixth boat that the Free Gaza movement has sent to Gaza > ... in a symbolic effort to end the seige of Gaza. These are small > boats, and they do not cross into Israeli waters at all. This Israeli > attack on the boat, which occured in international waters, cannot be > described as 'self defence' by any stretch of delusional imagination. > CNN has report on this--it helps that one CNN reporter is on board-- : > http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/12/29/penhaul.gaza.bpr.boat.cnn > ) > > =============================================== > URGENT! Israeli Navy Attacking Civilian Mercy Ship! TAKE ACTION > IMMEDIATELY! > > The Dignity, a Free Gaza boat on a mission of mercy to besieged Gaza, > is being attacked by the Israeli Navy in international waters. The > Dignity has been surrounded by at least half-a-dozen Israeli warships. > They are firing live ammunition around the Dignity, and one of the > warships has rammed the civilian craft causing an unknown amount of > damage. Contrary to international maritime law, the Israelis are > actively preventing the Dignity from approaching Gaza or finding safe > haven in either Egypt or Lebanon. Instead, the Israeli navy is > demanding that the Dignity return to Cyprus - despite the fact that > the ship does not carry enough fuel to do so. Fortunately, no one > aboard the ship has yet been seriously injured. > > There are 15 civilian passengers representing 11 different countries > (see below for a complete list). At approximately 5am (UST), well out > in international waters, Israeli warships began surrounding the > Dignity, threatening the ship. At 6:45am (UST) we were able to > establish brief contact with the crew and were told that the ship had > been rammed by the Israeli Navy in international waters, and that the > Israelis were preventing the ship from finding safe harbor. We heard > heavy gunfire in the background before all contact was lost with the > Dignity. > > It is urgent that you TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION! > > CALL the Israeli Government and demand that it immediately STOP > attacking the Dignity and endangering the lives of its passengers! > > CALL Mark Regev in the Prime Minister's office at: > +972 2670 5354 or +972 5062 3264 > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > CALL Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence at: > +972 33697 5339 or +972 50629 8148 > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > BACKGROUND INFORMATION > The Dignity departed from Larnaca Port in Cyprus at 7pm (UST) on > Monday 29 December, bound for war-devastated Gaza with a cargo of over > 3 tons of desperately needed medical supplies donated by the people of > Cyprus. At our request, the ship was searched by Cypriot Port > authorities prior to departure, to certify that there was nothing > "threatening" aboard - only emergency medical supplies. > > TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY TO STOP THE ISRAELI NAVY FROM ENDANGERING THE > DIGNITY AND ITS PASSENGERS! > > Civilians aboard the Dignity being threatened by the Israeli military: > > (UK) Denis Healey, Captain > Captain of the Dignity, Denis has been involved with boats for 45 > years, beginning with small fishing boats in Portsmouth. He learned to > sail while at school and has been part of the sea ever since. He's a > certified yachtmaster and has also worked on heavy marine equipment > from yachts to large dredgers. This is his fourth trip to Gaza. > > (Greece) Nikolas Bolos, First Mate > Nikolas is a chemical engineer and human rights activist. He has > served as a crewmember on several Free Gaza voyages, including the > first one in August. > > (Jordan) Othman Abu Falah > Othman is a senior producer with Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain > in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught. > > (Australia) Renee Bowyer > Renee is a schoolteacher and human rights activist. She will remain in > Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting. > > (Ireland) Caoimhe Butterly > Caoimhe is a reknowned human rights activist and Gaza Coordinator for > the Free Gaza Movement. She will be remaining in Gaza to do human > rights monitoring, assist with relief efforts, and work on project > development with Free Gaza. > > (Cyprus) Ekaterini Christodulou > Ekaterini is a well-known and respected freelance journalist in > Cyprus. She is traveling to Gaza to report on the conflict. > > (Sudan) Sami El-Haj > Sami is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, and head of the human > rights section at Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain in Gaza to > report on the ongoing military onslaught. > > (UK) Dr. David Halpin > Dr. Halpin is an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, medical professor, > and ship's captain. He has organized humanitarian relief efforts in > Gaza on several occasions with the Dove and Dolphin. He is traveling > to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics. > > (Germany) Dr. Mohamed Issa > Dr. Issa is a pediatric surgeon from Germany. He is traveling to Gaza > to volunteer in hospitals and clinics. > > (UK/Tunisia) Fathi Jaouadi > Fathi is a television producer and human rights activist. He will > remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting. > > (USA) Cynthia McKinney > Cynthia is a former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia, and the 2008 > Green Party presidential candidate. She is traveling to Gaza to assess > the ongoing conflict. > > (Cyprus) Martha Paisi > Martha is a senior research fellow and experienced human rights > activist. She is traveling to Gaza to do human rights work and to > assist with humanitarian relief efforts. > > (UK) Karl Penhaul > Karl Penhaul is a video correspondent for CNN, based out of Bogotá, > Colombia. Appointed to this position in February 2004, he covers > breaking news around the world utilizing CNN's new laptop-based > 'Digital Newsgathering' system. He is traveling to Gaza to report on > the ongoing conflict. > > (Iraq) Thaer Shaker > Thaer is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera television. He will remain in > Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught. > > (Cyprus) Dr. Elena Theoharous, MP > Dr. Theoharous is a surgeon and a Member of the Cypriot Parliament. > She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict, assist with > humanitarian relief efforts, and volunteer in hospitals. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1868 - Release Date: 12/29/2008 > 10:48 AM > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
