'Wallander' author tells of ordeal on Gaza convoy

[EFerrari]

snip

Mr Mankell, whose father-in-law was the late film director Ingmar Bergman, said commandos wearing masks and brandishing machine guns stormed their ship while most of the passengers were gathering on the bridge.

"They got very aggressive and ordered us to come down. There was one older man who was a little slow, so the Israelis attacked him with an electric stun gun. He was in a lot of pain. So was another passenger who was covered in paint after being hit with a paint ball missile," the author recounted.

The commandos searched the ship thoroughly and emerged waving a razor and a metal-box cutting tool, which they claimed were "weapons" intended to be used against them. All the passengers were then herded into a group, with armed guards standing watch as the ship was taken to Israel.

"When we got off... we were made to walk down a corridor of armed commandos who filmed all of us with cameras. They stole my mobile phone, my money, my clothes and my credit cards," Mr Mankell said. The author said he was held in a cell for 24 hours along with an MP from Sweden's Green Party, and then deported "without his socks".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/wallander-author-tells-of-ordeal-on-gaza-convoy-1991109.html

Mr. Mankell, also not on the Marmara.

[madrchsod]

1. as long as the usa provides cover for the religious fundamentalists in israel

and in usa nothing will ever be done to reign in israeli violence against the palestinians.

[EFerrari]

2. Imho, it's not even to do with religion.

As long as our government sponsors the hard right in Israel, we are all at risk.

The world community has a lot of momentum right now on this issue. We will try to drag it down but we will fail. The world has had enough. It's a sad day for American "leadership" but a good day for the world, imo.

[LakeSamish706]

3. Well it wasn't the Palestinians that they messed with this time, so lets hope that this

does not end here without the Israeli's being brought to justice on this.

[Ignis]

4. What's the appropriate response, but the US will never, ever allow?

He said the time had come to introduce sanctions on the Jewish state. "We've tried many other things but the Israelis refuse to listen. I think we should use our experience from South Africa. We know the sanctions had a great effect. It took a long time but it worked."

[EFerrari]

5. We should never wait for our government's agreement.

They didn't agree with the South Africa boycott, either.

[ave]

6. Sarah Colborne is an eyewitness from the Mavi Marwara

During a pressconference British Sarah Colborne tells of Israeli assault on Gaza aid ship Mavi Marwara
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jun/03/british-survivor-gaza-aid-floatilla

There is an article about that pressconference in The Independent too, but their website seems to be down at the moment.

[EFerrari]

7. Thank you, ave, and welcome to DU.

[ave]

8. Thank you

[ave]

9. Here is an AUDIO with Mankell - 11+ min

Henning Mankell on Gaza flotilla attack: 'I think they went out to murder'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/03/gaza-flotilla-attack-henning-mankell

Audio is embedded in the article. 11:27 minutes