Security
Mideast: Hezbollah denies links to seized arms ship
Beirut, 5 Nov. (AKI) - Militant Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah has denied any links to the arms ship seized on Wednesday by the Israeli navy which claimed it was heading to Syria or Lebanon from Iran. "Hezbollah denies any link to the weapons that the Zionist enemy claims it removed from the vessel Francop," the group said in a statement, quoted by Israeli media.
"At the same time it condemns Israeli piracy in international waters."
Israel's foreign ministry issued a document to Israeli embassies and consulates around the world to publicise the seizure of the ship and direct international pressure towards Iran.
In addition, Israel's hardline foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman has summoned foreign ambassadors to the Israeli port of Ashdod - where the arms ship was taken after seizure - to see the cache of weapons.
Lieberman also told Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth that the seizure of the ship was really the "smoking gun" that proved weapons were being delivered from Iran to Hezbollah.
"There is more than a smoking gun here. Here we have, unfortunately, a gun that is firing. It is firing in Afghanistan, it is firing in Pakistan, it is firing in Iraq, it is firing in Gaza and it is firing in south Lebanon," said Lieberman.
According to Israeli media reports, the arms shipment set out 10 days ago from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas and then headed to the Egyptian port of Damietta in Egypt.
The cargo was then reportedly unloaded in Egypt and then loaded three days later onto the Francop, a German-owned ship operated by a Cypriot company.
Special forces of the Israeli navy located the Francop after it left Damietta on its way to the city of Limassol, in Cyprus, and thence to Syria.
A fleet of smaller ships approached the vessel early on Wednesday, and asked to carry out an inspection of the cargo and boarded it. Israeli media said the 11 crew members offered no resistance.
The ship's log showed that the cargo was going to the Syrian port city of Latakia.
The cargo reportedly included thousands of medium-range rockets, armor piercing artillery, Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades and mortar shells. Because the cargo was hidden in crates inside the containers, the Israeli army said it believes the weapons were destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
After the seizure of the ship and its containers, the vessel was escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
"At the same time it condemns Israeli piracy in international waters."
Israel's foreign ministry issued a document to Israeli embassies and consulates around the world to publicise the seizure of the ship and direct international pressure towards Iran.
In addition, Israel's hardline foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman has summoned foreign ambassadors to the Israeli port of Ashdod - where the arms ship was taken after seizure - to see the cache of weapons.
Lieberman also told Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth that the seizure of the ship was really the "smoking gun" that proved weapons were being delivered from Iran to Hezbollah.
"There is more than a smoking gun here. Here we have, unfortunately, a gun that is firing. It is firing in Afghanistan, it is firing in Pakistan, it is firing in Iraq, it is firing in Gaza and it is firing in south Lebanon," said Lieberman.
According to Israeli media reports, the arms shipment set out 10 days ago from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas and then headed to the Egyptian port of Damietta in Egypt.
The cargo was then reportedly unloaded in Egypt and then loaded three days later onto the Francop, a German-owned ship operated by a Cypriot company.
Special forces of the Israeli navy located the Francop after it left Damietta on its way to the city of Limassol, in Cyprus, and thence to Syria.
A fleet of smaller ships approached the vessel early on Wednesday, and asked to carry out an inspection of the cargo and boarded it. Israeli media said the 11 crew members offered no resistance.
The ship's log showed that the cargo was going to the Syrian port city of Latakia.
The cargo reportedly included thousands of medium-range rockets, armor piercing artillery, Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades and mortar shells. Because the cargo was hidden in crates inside the containers, the Israeli army said it believes the weapons were destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
After the seizure of the ship and its containers, the vessel was escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
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