Palestine Chronicle:
Selasa, 8/1/2002.

Yang Bernanah Di Lautan Merah

(Something Fishy in the Red Sea)

Ketika duta Amerika, Zinni, bermesyuarat dengan presiden Arafat dan beberapa pegawai tinggi Palestin yang lain, agensi berita Israel telah membuat pengumuman betapa mereka telah menahan sebuah kapal ('Karine-A' yang membawa muatan senjata seberat 50 tan) di Lautan Merah kira-kira 500 kilometer daripada pantai Israel antara Sudan dan Arab Saudi.

Lantas, Israel telah menuduh Pentadbiran Palestian terbabit dan mendakwa kapal itu bermula daripada Irfan dan mengikut para pegawai Israel menyeludup senjata kepada 'Palestinian Authority' (PA). Kapal itu telah ditahan dan diiringi oleh pasukan khas Israel untuk memasuki pelabuhan Elat pada malam Jumaat lalu.

Untuk kapal itu berlayar menuju pelabuhan Gaza, yang mengikut dakwaan Israel, adalah destinasinya, mereka terpaksa menyusuri Terusan Suez dan mengikut Menteri Luar Mesir, perkara ini adalah suatu usaha yang "tidak serba mungkin".

Perisik Amerika turut serta dalam memantau pergerakan kapal itu, yang dikesan ketika berada di tengah laut. Mengikut 'The New York Times' (akhbar milik Yahudi - penterjemah): "Seorang pegawai kanan berkata dia beranggapan (maknanya agak-agak sahaja - penterjemah) kapal itu bermula daripada Iran, tetapi dia memperakukan bahawa perisikan Amerika mula mengesan kapal itu di laut dan bukan daripada pelabuhan Iran."

Dakwaan Israel bahawa PNA (Palestine National Authority) membeli senjata Iran itu telah dinafikan oleh Kementerian Luar Iran dalam satu pengumuman khas, menolak sebarang kaitan kapal itu ataupun PNA dan menyebut betapa dakwaan Israel adalah "karut". Mengenai AS pula, kenyataan Iran menyatakan kesangsiannya terhadap pembabitan PA. Mengikut The New York Times: "para pegawai memberi ingatan betapa mereka tidak mempunyai sebarang bukti sewaktu itu bahawa senjata tersebut adalah ditujukan untuk PA, seperti yang didakwa oleh Israel, dan besar kemungkinnnya senjata itu dimaksudkan untuk kegunaan pasukan Shiite Hezbollah di Lubnan yang memang anti-Israel"

Lagipun, mengikut BBC dan akhbar 'Loyd's List' kapal 'Karine-A' yang sebelum itu dikenali sebagai 'Rim K'. telah dibeli daripada seorang warga Lubnan oleh seorang warga Iraq, Ali Mohammed Abas. Mengikut Loyd's List: "Adalah tidak mungkin kapal kepunyaan warga Iraq dapat diamanahkan membawa senjata Iran." Kecuali kapal itu dimiliki oleh pasukan pembangkang di Iraq yang membawa makna para penyeludup itu adalah sekutu AS. "Seandainya hak milik diperlakukan, ia akan menjatuhkan maruah dan tuntutan Mr. Sharon," kata akhbar itu lagi.

Namun demikian, dakwaan Israel itu menunjukkan tahap gelabahnya kerajaan Israel dalam percaturan peperangan propaganda. Kerajaan Sharon sedang mencuba menggunakan peristiwa ini untuk memperlekehkan usaha kedamaian Zinni dengan Palestinian Authority. Usaha haprak itu akan 'menghalalkan' satu lagi serangan baru terhadap PNA dalam usaha untuk menghancurkannya dan menyegarkan perbalahan itu semula mengikut keadaan masa.

Israel memang memperlekehkan segala usaha kedamaian di rantau itu dan mencuba membabitkan Iran dalam senarai negara yang menyokong keganasan. Seandainya Iran dapat dilibatkan sama, Israel akan menjadi pihak yang paling untung, kerana ia akan menjadi satu kuasa yang tidak tercabar di rantau itu. Dunia ini menjadi begitu terlalu lumrah dengan kerenah propaganda Israel, kerana setiap kali mereka melaungkan "serigala" berulang kali, seluruh dunia sudah menjadi mangli dengan dakwaan mereka.

Terjemahan: SPAR 10/1/2002.

Asal:

http://palestinechronicle.com/
article.php?story=20020108161822783

Tuesday, January 08 2002 @ 04:18 PM GMT

Something Fishy in the Red Sea

(Miftah.org): During the American envoy Zinni's meeting with Palestinian president Arafat and other Palestinian senior officials, Israeli news agencies announced that they had captured a boat (Karine-A carrying 50 tons of weapons) in the Red Sea about 500 kilometers from Israeli shore between Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

Israel was quick to accuse the Palestinain authority claiming that the vessel started off from Iran and was according to Israeli officials smuggling weapons to the Palestinian Authority. The ship was escorted by Israeli forces to Eilat where it docked Friday night.

For the ship to be able to reach the Gaza port which Israel claimed the ships destination is, they would have to cross the Suez Canal, the Egyption FM described that attempt as "improbable."

American intellegence took part in tracking the ship, which was spotted at sea. According to The New York Times: "One senior official said he assumed that the ship originated in Iran, but he acknowledged that American intelligence began tracking the ship at sea and not from an Iranian port."

The Israeli claims of PNA purchasing the weapons from Iran was denied in an announcement by the Iranian Foriegn Ministry, dismissing any ties to the ship or the PNA and describing the Israeli claims as "absurd." As for the US, it expressed doubt's at the Palestinain Authorities involvement.

According to The New York Times: "officials cautioned that they had no evidence at this point that the weapons were destined for the Palestinian Authority, as claimed by Israel, and that it was more likely they were headed for the anti-Israeli Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah."

Furthermore, according to the BBC and newspaper Loyd's List the ship Karine-A which was known as Rim K was purchased from Lebanon by an Iraqi Ali Mohammed Abbas. According to Loyd's List: "It is unlikely that the Iraqi-owned boat would be delivering Iranian arms." Unless the boat was owned by Iraqi opposition group which means that the smugglers are US allies. "If the ownership is confirmed, it could undermine Mr. Sharon's claim," the paper added.

If anything, these Israeli accusations express the level of desperation the Israeli government has reached with their propaganda war. Sharon's government is trying to use this incident to deliver another blow to the peace efforts of Zinni and that of the Palestinian Authority. This could legitimize another attack on the PNA in an effort to destroy it and the conflict back in time.

Israel is mocking all peace efforts in the region and is trying to add Iran on the list of countries supporting terrorism. If Iran would be added to the list, Israel would be the premier beneficiary, as it becomes the only unchallenged power in the region. The world is becoming familiar with the Israeli propaganda machine, they seem to have "cried wolf" one too many times, for the world has become skeptical of Israeli allegations.