UNITED NATIONS — The United States accused Iran Tuesday of violating a U.N. arms embargo by secretly sending weapons to Syria in a cargo ship seized by Israel, a U.S. official said.
Britain took a softer line in the U.N. Security Council, expressing "very serious concern" at suggestions that Iran was caught illegally exporting weapons but saying it was waiting for more information about the ship's origin, destination, cargo and seizure.
The weapons seized on the ship amounted to some 500 tons , enough to last Hezbollah for a months' worth of fighting against Israel. Containers aboard the ship were owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines Group.
The United States told the council that the concealed arms shipment, "clearly manifested from Iran to Syria" in violation of a March 2007 arms embargo, provides "unambiguous evidence of the destabilizing proliferation of arms in the region," the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the council meeting was private.
The United States also called on Syria and Iran to end their "material support" for Hezbollah and other militias in Lebanon, which violates the 2006 cease-fire resolution, the U.S. official said.
http://www.google.com/...
Iran violated UN Resolution 1701 which forbids the arming of Hezbollah, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 1747, which forbids Iran from selling or supplying arms.
Syria's UN ambassador flew off the rails yesterday in response:
"I think -- and many people think with me, with Syria -- that all these are (the) usual Israeli outrageous concoction of lies to justify their act of piracy."
http://www.reuters.com/...
Yes, all these tons of weapons displayed for the international press is just a mere illusion! This outrageous statement from Syria comes on the heals of it's claim that the ship was indeed filled with Syrian cargo, but contained no weapons. The Guardian took a sly swipe at Syria's foreign minister, Walid al-Muallim, who made the statement by questioning how that squared with the pictures of them broadcast around the world.
Muallim confirmed the Israeli navy had seized a ship with Syrian cargo but denied it was carrying arms. It was not clear how this squared with pictures of the cargo broadcast around the world.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
zing!
In any event, Israel today released evidence that the ship came from Iran.
On Wednesday, the military released what it said was a manifest stating that the ship originated in Isfahan, Iran. Another document showed contents that were allegedly handled by "Islamic Republic of Iran's Shipping Lines." Israel also showed what it says is a customs form stamped by Iranian Armed Forces.
http://www.google.com/...
"Hidden among the dozens of other containers on board, and disguised as civilian goods, the ship contained a consignment of 36 shipping containers with 500 tones of arms en route via Syria to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Lebanon," the army and foreign ministry said in a statement.
"A total of about 9,000 mortar bombs of different types were seized, along with about 3,000 Katyusha artillery rockets, 3,000 recoilless gun shells, 20,000 grenades and over half a million rounds of small arms ammunition," the statement said.
It was accompanied by photos showing the ship's manifest, containers bearing the logo of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines and cargo with Iranian armed forces customs labels
Among the weapons seized were 2,124 Iranian-made 107mm artillery rockets and thousands of AZ111-A2 fuses manufactured only in Iran, the statement said
http://www.google.com/...
So where does it go from here?
UN diplomats said no immediate action on the matter was expected from the full council, but that it would likely be referred to a council committee charged with monitoring compliance with a council resolution that bans Iranian arms exports.
http://www.haaretz.com/...
Great. Let's see some action.
swish