Most of the 50 tons of weapons uncovered onboard the S.S. Victoria cargo vessel last weekend were produced in Iran, according to a report released by Israel's Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
According to the report -- obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police in the United States --the cargo ship was intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea last week by Israel Defense Force naval forces about 200 miles off the Israeli coast. The Liberian-flagged vessel was en route from the Mersin Port in Turkey to the Alexandria Port in Egypt when it was boarded by IDF naval commandos.
After the weapons were unloaded, the ship was allowed to continue on its way without incident.
According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report, around 50 tons of weapons intended for delivery to terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were found onboard the Victoria. The weapons were located in three containers, hidden behind cotton bales and sacks of lentils. The assortment of weapons, most of which were Iranian-produced, included 60mm and 120mm mortar shells, C-704 anti-ship missiles and ammunition for Kalashnikov assault rifles.
The presence of the C-704 anti-ship missiles was notable, as it marked the first time that anti-ship missiles destined for terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip have been seized. The report states that such weapons, which have a range of 35 kilometers, would have threatened Israeli shipping, both military and civilian, as well as strategic targets in the Ashdod and Ashkelon areas.
The report notes that the anti-ship missiles were accompanied by instruction manuals written in Farsi. Insignia of Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were located on the covers of the manuals.
Earlier in March, British soldiers intercepted a shipment of Iranian arms in Afghanistan. Also, Egypt recently foiled an arms shipment from Sudan that was likely intended to reach terrorist groups in Egypt or the Gaza Strip.
The report goes on to state that the smuggling of weapons on the Victoria represented a violation of both United Nations sanctions on Iran as well civilian naval security and transportation regulations governing the shipping of dangerous materials.
According to the report, the weapons found onboard the Victoria included: 230 120mm mortal shells manufactured in Iran; 2,270 M-61 60mm mortar shells accompanied by a range table (according to the table the type of fuse involved was the AZ111-A2, developed and manufactured by Iran); six C-704 anti-ship missiles manufactured in Iran as well as two naval radars and operating stations for the anti-ship missiles; 66,960 7.62 caliber bullets for Kalashnikov assault rifles; and instruction manuals in Farsi and range cards for operating the systems.
GAZA FLOTILLA
Free Gaza sponsored the flotilla that engaged in deadly clashes with Israeli special forces troops and among its members were Weather Underground founders William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn -- who perpetrated a series of terrorist attacks in the U.S. -- as well as Jodie Evans, the leader of the radical activist organization Code Pink. Besides the U.S. radicals, Islamic groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood contributed to the flotilla.
As is well-known in the United States, Ayers and Dohrn were close associates of President Obama for years in Chicago. Meanwhile, Jodie Evans was a fundraiser and financial bundler for Obama's presidential campaign. In fact, one of Obama's fundraisers was held in the home of Ayers and Dohrn.
Evans recently worked on Attorney General Jerry Brown's successful run for the governorship of California.
"Ayers' and Dohrn's continued activities appear to elude the attention of the people responsible for reporting the news without bias. They are terrorists, plain and simple, so why would anyone be surprised to discover their connection to an anti-Semitic organization that supports terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and even al-Qaeda?" asks former New York Police detective Michael Snopes.
The passengers reportedly included 100-plus members of various Muslim Brotherhood chapters, at least 20 of whom taped al Qaeda-style "martyr" videos before embarking on their anti-Israel mission, according to terrorist expert Steve Emerson, founder of The Investigative Project on Terrorism
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
