U.S. seeks ship to move arms to Israel

[ensho]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE50875320090109


The U.S. is seeking to hire a merchant ship to deliver hundreds of tons of arms to Israel from Greece later this month, tender documents seen by Reuters show.

The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) said the ship was to carry 325 standard 20-foot containers of what is listed as "ammunition" on two separate journeys from the Greek port of Astakos to the Israeli port of Ashdod in mid-to-late January.

A "hazardous material" designation on the manifest mentions explosive substances and detonators, but no other details were given.

"Shipping 3,000-odd tons of ammunition in one go is a lot," one broker said, on condition of anonymity.

"This (kind of request) is pretty rare and we haven't seen much of it quoted in the market over the years," he added.

-snip-

The request for the ship was made on December 31, with the first leg of the charter to arrive no later than January 25 and the second at the end of the month.
-snip-
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may bad weather keep them in port

[jaxx]

1. Nothing like taking sides.

It's about as fair and balanced as Fixed Noise.

[ensho]

2. I'm for keeping any ship filled with ammunition in port forever

I don't care whose ammunition it is, it should stay in port.

[Occam Bandage]

3. ...

[Occam Bandage]

4. ...

[jaxx]

5. Yep it should.

[TahitiNut]

6. Gaza has tunnels and Israel has U.S. shipping

Hamas would be every bit as justified in blowing up such a ship as the IDF is justified in bombing the tunnels - perhaps more so, since the ship isn't carrying food and medicine.