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Containers aboard the Iranian vessel carrying arms for Hezbollah at the port in Ashdod on Wednesday.
(Ilan Assayag)
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Last update - 16:45 05/11/2009
Israel releases arms ship said destined for Hezbollah
By Jack Khoury, Barak Ravid and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel news 

Israeli security forces late Wednesday released a ship believed to have been carrying tons of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah, which it seized early Wednesday in Mediterranean waters, and allowed the ship to continue on its originally planned route.

The ship was set to continue to Turkey and then to Egypt. Israel completed unloading the cargo on Thursday morning and decided that the crew manning the vessel had no connection to the weapons found on board.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group on Thursday denied any connection to the 500 tons of weapons seized by Israeli commandos during a raid on the ship.
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"Hezbollah denies any link to the weapons that the Zionist enemy claims it removed from the vessel Francop," the group said in a statement. "At the same time it condemns Israeli piracy in international waters."

The Hezbollah response came after Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said reports that Iran had shipped weapons to Hezbollah were fabricated.

Israel's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, invited foreign ambassadors to the Ashdod port to view the tons of seized weapons.

The Francop was captured by Israel Navy missile boats and naval commandos before dawn Wednesday in an operation dubbed Operation Four Species.

The arms shipment began its journey about 10 days ago aboard an Iranian ship that sailed from the port of Bandar Abbas to the Mediterranean port of Damietta (Dumyat) in Egypt. The cargo - which, according to a ship manifest, was destined for Syria - was unloaded in Egypt, and then loaded three days later onto the Francop, a German-owned ship operated by a Cypriot company. The ship's crew reportedly did not know what the containers really held.

The navy, which tracks suspicious activity at sea along known smuggling routes in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, located the Francop shortly after it left Damietta on Tuesday on its way to Limassol, Cyprus, and thence to Syria. Toward evening, an Israeli navy missile boat made contact with the Francop and asked to conduct a routine inspection of its cargo. Israeli naval commandos boarded at around midnight on Tuesday, in rough seas, and met with no resistance from the ship's crew of 11.

The Israeli naval personnel checked the ship's manifest, which showed that the cargo was going to the Syrian port of Latakia, and began opening the containers. They found sacks of polyethylene near the opening and along the walls of the containers, but behind the sacks, they discovered numerous crates of ammunition and artillery shells. At that point, they ordered the crew to sail to Ashdod.

Upon the ship's arrival at the Israeli port, the lengthy process of unloading the cargo began. It was expected to be completed on Thursday morning.

The cargo included thousands of medium-range 107- and 122-millimeter rockets, armor-piercing artillery, hand grenades and ammunition for Kalashnikov rifles. Even with all the cargo not yet unloaded, the navy estimated that the haul included more than 3,000 rockets and a total of 300 tons of weaponry. This compares to only 40 tons seized in 2002 on the Karine A, whose weapons were destined for the Palestinians.

The rockets and artillery shells on the Francop were mostly manufactured over the past two years, and though they had English-language markings, intelligence officials believe that most were manufactured in Iran ¬ other than the 122-millimeter rockets, which are apparently of Russian manufacture.

Because of the manner in which the crates were hidden, the army is convinced that the weapons were destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Such a shipment would be a clear violation of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The cargo did not include rocket launchers or advanced weaponry that would alter the balance of power with Israel. Nonetheless, the army said, the rockets that were seized are the equivalent of about 10 percent of Hezbollah's existing stock, and could have been used for weeks of intensive shelling of northern Israel.


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      1.   Bambi has surrendered to Iran and Israel shouln`t count on 00:35  |  Absoute Sweden 05/11/09
      2.   I wonder how many Iranian ships are getting through 00:54  |  Yonatan 05/11/09
      3.   Israel is buying time for Iran 01:00  |  Siam Kerry 05/11/09
      4.   Well Done Israel-Bravo, Bravo 01:02  |  Paul 05/11/09
      5.   Is Israel in war with Syria? 01:04  |  Fritz T. 05/11/09
      6.   Is this what Netanyahu is wasting time on? 02:12  |  Carmen Farreira 05/11/09
      7.   This event will be forgotten faster than the setting sun 02:17  |  David Moshkovitch 05/11/09
      8.   if this was true 02:19  |  goofy123 05/11/09
      9.   Call Goldstone Immediately! 03:05  |  Ron 05/11/09
      10.   Israel wants "other" nations to honour UN Resolutions 03:15  |  Marc Leb 05/11/09
      11.   And what happens next? 03:19  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      12.   No proof 03:47  |  Fed up 05/11/09
      13.   Another storm of diplomatic rhettoric machines? 03:48  |  jim the mechanic 05/11/09
      14.   Hezbollah Has The Right 03:56  |  Ghassan 05/11/09
      15.   israel`s continious acts of war... 04:01  |  jc 05/11/09
      16.   How About Self-Defence Or Retaliation As Alternatives? 04:24  |  chet 05/11/09
      17.   Great case! 04:36  |  r cummings 05/11/09
      18.   If Iranian Arms 04:42  |  US Taxpayer 05/11/09
      19.   Some thing is fishy!! 05:06  |  Paul 05/11/09
      20.   THE WORLD YAWNS 05:15  |  Jason 05/11/09
      21.   One may not ask 05:30  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      22.   The other point which must be censored 05:33  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      23.   ANOTHER REASON TO GIVE SYRIA THE GOLAN FOR PEACE 05:33  |  Steve of Mevaserret 05/11/09
      24.   Armchair terrorists, having a bad day? 05:33  |  Dan 05/11/09
      25.   Johnboy, having a bad day? 05:34  |  Dan 05/11/09
      26.   Israeli pirates board ship in Int. Watrs and confiscate cargo 05:34  |  lydia 05/11/09
      27.   Chris Lintwait, having a bad day? 05:35  |  Dan 05/11/09
      28.   Marky of Luiston, having a bad day? 05:36  |  Dan 05/11/09
      29.   Armchair terrorists, is that all you got? 05:37  |  Dan 05/11/09
      30.   Please support armchair terrorist; they are having a bad day 05:38  |  Dan 05/11/09
      31.   Dealing with reality if Israel is right 05:39  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      32.   International pressure? Wake up United States...Wipe iran off the 05:39  |  Al 05/11/09
      33.   Answer to #1 - 05:57  |  Col [Res] Cohen 05/11/09
      34.   Answer to #1 06:02  |  Col [Res] Cohen 05/11/09
      35.   Another charade to divert attention from the Goldstone report? 06:07  |  Caligula 05/11/09
      36.   New Facebook group: Support Armchair Terroristss 06:20  |  Please help them 05/11/09
      37.   Lincoln, being absurd 06:28  |  SDHD 05/11/09
      38.   Iran uses Hamas and Hezbollah to torpedo any movement towards ... 06:58  |  B. Gold 05/11/09
      39.   Mark, we are all aware of the issues you raise 07:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/11/09
      40.   Goofy bashers here 07:21  |  Oy Vey 05/11/09
      41.   What`s with some of these Australians? 07:36  |  Stephen in New York 05/11/09
      42.   Mark Lincoln-more than 1 way to skin a cat 07:39  |  AGM-142 05/11/09
      43.   #12 Dan asks...... 08:02  |  Johnboy 05/11/09
      44.   #1 UNSC resolution 1701 on terror activities of Hizb 08:18  |  Mark 05/11/09
      45.   #18 The importance of an existencial threat 08:27  |  Oggy 05/11/09
      46.   Direct pressure on Iran -what pressure? 08:34  |  DT 05/11/09
      47.   Israel`s Hypocrisy 08:46  |  Joe 05/11/09
      48.   Sorry to say, but as a "neutral" observer, I really fail to see.. 08:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/11/09
      49.   GHASSAN HEZB is defending nothing.They started a war 08:59  |  PETER SM 05/11/09
      50.   Surprise Iran Arms Shipment 09:10  |  Charlie 05/11/09
      51.   Only Syria is threatening Lebanon`s sovereignty 09:28  |  Purple Canary 05/11/09
      52.   Chet - let me remind you 09:37  |  Purple Canary 05/11/09
      53.   #.27 .Dino, there is a difference. 10:12  |  Stephen. 05/11/09
      54.   israeli arms shipment 10:18  |  paul 05/11/09
      55.   CHET in " All M.E.conflicts"?? Egypt invades Yemen? 10:24  |  PETER SM 05/11/09
      56.   less weapons in beirut is better 10:42  |  Fadi 05/11/09
      57.   Israel hardly a credible source of facts or criticism 10:47  |  Stephen L 05/11/09
      58.   # 35 That`s a good point, Stephen, the only question is..... 10:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/11/09
      59.   Hezbollah denies connection to arms Israel seized from Iran ship 11:09  |  Alon 05/11/09
      60.   Dino, you`re about as `neutral` as Nasrallah 11:27  |  Nemesis 05/11/09
      61.   MMmmm SO the containers with the weapons were top loaded... 11:51  |  CJ 05/11/09
      62.   There is no sun, only an illusion of sun 12:06  |  Nora Tel Aviv 05/11/09
      63.   Is this piracy? 12:56  |  jens 05/11/09
      64.   Swiss (Dino) #37 Neutral ??? 13:12  |  shtarka 05/11/09
      65.   Yes, Dino, you are "neutral" as Switzerland in WWII, "neutral" 13:23  |  Israeli citizen 05/11/09
      66.   High-tech reconnaissance of Iranian ports 13:33  |  allang 05/11/09
      67.   More blabber 13:45  |  Nati Hans 05/11/09
      68.   arms ship 13:48  |  AS 05/11/09
      69.   Hezbollah arms shipment. 13:51  |  David Nigel Braham 05/11/09
      70.   Israeli accusation 13:55  |  Harold 05/11/09
      71.   Another failed attempt by Israel o divert attention from UN Reprt 14:02  |  Masai 05/11/09
      72.   Iran shipping arms to Hezbollah? - entirely inconceivable! 14:05  |  ivo 05/11/09
      73.   Mark Lincoln 14:10  |  Walid 05/11/09
      74.   To all peaceniks 14:15  |  Moshe 05/11/09
      75.   Swiss (Dino) 14:16  |  Walid 05/11/09
      76.   Yemen seize iranian ship 14:33  |  James 05/11/09
      77.   Seized Ship? 14:36  |  Bob Van den Broeck 05/11/09
      78.   Another Iranian ship seized 14:38  |  Solomon 05/11/09
      79.   Answer to #56 (Is this piracy?) 14:39  |  Richard 05/11/09
      80.   Israel trying to undermine the United Nations 14:45  |  Ivor Biggun 05/11/09
      81.   NYT:"no evidence to support those claims" 14:47  |  Scott Hunter 05/11/09
      82.   Dino, the use of quotes is right ;O) 14:48  |  Uri 05/11/09
      83.   "they had English-language markings" 14:53  |  Claus Himmer 05/11/09
      84.   Harold`s Thinking 14:58  |  Reasoned Thinker 05/11/09
      85.   AS -- Er... Israel didn`t EXIST in the 1800`s 15:02  |  CJ 05/11/09
      86.   # 69 Walid, sorry, but unfortunately I can`t....:) 15:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/11/09
      87.   # 76 Uri (and Nemesis,shtarka,Israeli citizen etc.) 15:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/11/09
      88.   Israel releases arms ship 15:35  |  Willoughby Lloyd 05/11/09
      89.   BRAVO! 16:09  |  Petra 05/11/09
      90.   Don`t be sucker, Ivor 16:21  |  Johnny 05/11/09
      91.   There`s a certain desperation about Israel on this one. 16:34  |  Michael 05/11/09
      92.   Ghassan 17:00  |  Arnold 05/11/09
      93.   Shipping 101 for Walid 17:13  |  Jacob Blues 05/11/09
      94.   Um Klaus, they were in Iranian shipping containers 17:15  |  Jacob Blues 05/11/09
      95.   To Fritz T 17:19  |  ottomatik 05/11/09
      96.   No world coverage Michael? 17:22  |  Jacob Blues 05/11/09
      97.   Not Piracy 18:21  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      98.   #2 Yonatan 18:29  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/11/09
      99.   Ghazzam, the sovereignty of Lebanon 18:35  |  Lola 05/11/09
      100.   And where did the ship last move cargo? 18:35  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      101.   Swiss (Dino) - Hezbollah occupying Lebanon? What nonsense, they 18:37  |  Victor 05/11/09
      102.   #.83.Claus Himmer. "Really"?? 18:41  |  Stephen. 05/11/09
      103.   #98 Chris Linthwaite, re Yonatan assuming he is still awake 18:49  |  H 05/11/09
      104.   arms ship 19:15  |  henri25 05/11/09
      105.   Hezbullah does not defend itself it is a terror 19:27  |  Josef 05/11/09
      106.   Mark Lincoln and the Syrian Army 19:33  |  Jacob Blues 05/11/09
      107.   Yonatan - the Igloo White problem 19:51  |  Mark Lincoln 05/11/09
      108.   # 101 Victor, would Hezbollah give up their weapons..... 20:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/11/09
      109.   #103 H of london 20:32  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/11/09
      110.   Chris Linthwaite (#109) How Blind Can One Get 23:53  |  Gil 05/11/09
      111.   Piracy? Google PSI treaty 23:57  |  Eric 05/11/09
      112.   Hmmmm, here`s an interesting question 23:59  |  Johnboy 05/11/09
      113.   anti-Semitism 00:15  |  samir 06/11/09
      114.   CARGO was loaded in Iran,had Iranian markings destined for Syria 00:25  |  PETER SM 06/11/09
      115.   israel releases arms ship 00:30  |  Bonnie 06/11/09
      116.   Has the right? Yeah right! 00:33  |  David 06/11/09
      117.   my theory is 06:58  |  Chuckles 06/11/09
      118.   #61, CJ, here`s something to think about 08:27  |  VIPER 06/11/09
      119.   #112 What`s interesting in seeing a frustrated Madrassa graduate 14:13  |  Josh 06/11/09
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