(Ha'aretz) The Israel Navy's internal probe of the flotilla raid has concluded that the Israeli commando unit was inadequately prepared and lacked sufficient intelligence when approaching the activists on the Mavi Marmara, Israel Radio reported on Sunday. "The soldiers wanted to wear their ceremonial (dress) uniforms, they expected to engage in conversation with the passengers, and that was a defect," a military official said. "The major defect in the preparations and gathering of intelligence was that we did not know that we would be coping with tens of rioters," the top military commander involved in the attack told Ha'aretz. "This was not disorderly conduct that deteriorated," he said, "This was a planned terrorist attack." Another commander involved in the attack said: "I still lie awake at three a.m. every morning and ask myself: Damn it, how did we not know more?"
2010-06-21 10:03:47Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive