Since Hosni Mubarak appointed Omar Suleiman as the Vice President of Egypt there has been a lot of coverage of him in the media. One thing that I have never seen mentioned in the U.S. or European media is his involvement in the events preceding the Israel IDF attack on the Mavi Marmara and the other vessels in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31st, 2010.
The Gaza Freedom Flotillas’ aims are to deliver aid to the people of Gaza, bring attention to their desperate situation, and bring an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza. There are, however, two aspects of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The major one is Israel’s imposition of the blockade and the other is Egypt’s cooperation with Israel in the blockade by closing the short border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
As a result an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza and an end to Egypt’s cooperation with Israel in the blockade are both important objectives for the flotillas' organizers and participants.
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The following information is from statements made to the Turkish Commission which is investigating the IDF attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and the information is included in its report to the U.N. commission which is also investigating the same events.
The statements were made by Turkish government officials, IHH officials, flotilla organizers, and passengers and crew members on the Mavi Marmara.
This information was also reported by Turkish newspapers and television channels including two of the largest Turkish newspapers, Milliyet and Hurriyet, and CNN Turkey.
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For two months before the Gaza Freedom Flotilla the organizers of the flotilla and the governments of Turkey, the U.S., Israel and Egypt were involved in intense talks about how the flotilla could reach Gaza safely.
The formula finally agreed on was that the flotilla would sail to El-Arish, Egypt on the Sinai Peninsula about 45 km (30 miles) from the Gaza Strip. Then the flotilla’s aid and passengers would continue on to Gaza from El-Arish.
It was also agreed that the flotilla would be challenged off the coast of Gaza in international waters by the Israeli navy and then sail on to El-Arish.
However, a final agreement couldn’t be reached. The problem was Omar Suleiman, who at the time was the director of the Egyptian intelligence service. He refused to allow the flotilla to sail to El-Arish.
The Turkish intelligence service (MIT) finally, at the last minute, convinced Mr. Suleiman to agree to this plan on May 27th, 2010. However, he insisted that the flotilla’s vessels could not sail to El-Arish together. The vessels would have to sail into the port one at a time.
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The Mavi Marmara set sail from Antalya, Turkey soon after midnight on Friday, May 28th, 2010.
That same morning the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey went to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a meeting with Turkish Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu. At this meeting Ambassador Jeffrey was informed of Mr. Suleiman’s finally agreeing to the plan. The Undersecretary emphasized that Israel did not need to use any force and the Ambassador stated that the U.S. would inform Israel and emphasize this point to Israel.
Following this meeting Ambassador Jeffrey contacted the U.S. Ambassador to Israel in Tel Aviv James Cunningham and informed him. Ambassador Cunningham then informed the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A short time later the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yossi Gal called Turkish Undersecretary Sinirlioglu to confirm the information.
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The Gaza Freedom Flotilla was boarded and seized in international waters more than 130 km (70 NM) from the coast of Israel in the early morning on Monday the 31st of May, 2010 and nine passengers on the Mavi Marmara were killed.
On the 29th and 30th of May, 2010 the vessels of the flotilla met up at a point in the Mediterranean between Cyprus and Lebanon.
Then on May 30th they started to sail southwest, away from land, until about 11:30 p.m. that night when they changed course to sail almost directly to the south. This course would have taken them to El-Arish if the IDF had not boarded and seized the flotilla.
This course would have also kept the flotilla more than 74 km (40 nm) from the coast of Gaza.
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In the broadcasts which were made from the Mavi Marmara during the attack I was always struck by the surprise at being attacked which was shown by those speaking during the broadcasts.
There was also one part of the broadcasts where Bulent Yildirim, the president of IHH, made a very unusual statement. When you take into account the agreement which had been made for the flotilla to sail to El-Arish, the meaning of the statement made by Mr. Yildirim during the IDF attack on the Mavi Marmara becomes clear.
This statement can be seen between 6:08 and 6:38 in this video.
This is a translation of what Mr. Yildirim says.
They have used weapons.
They have attacked with knives.
They have used gas.
Right now we don’t know what has happened to the other vessels.
There is definitely nothing that could be called humaneness.
What happened to ‘it would be a quiet (peaceful) operation’?
What happened to ‘they would agree with us; talk with us’?
There is nothing (This didn’t happen).
They have declared outright war.
And now they are throwing bombs too. I’m not running away from them. They can do whatever they want.
Whatever happens next is in the hands of the people of Turkey.