BREAKING: Israel Sabotaged Iranian Ship, Caused Massive Oil Spill on Own Shores

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BREAKING: Israel Sabotaged Iranian Ship, Caused Massive Oil Spill on Own Shores
https://www.richardsilverstein.com/2021/03/12/breaking-israel-sabotaged-iranian-ship-caused-massive-oil-spill-on-its-own-shores/

Today, US officials reported that Israel had been mining Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for similar Iranian attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf:

Since late 2019, Israel has used weaponry including water mines to strike Iranian vessels or those carrying Iranian cargo as they navigate toward Syria in the Red Sea and in other areas of the region.

The US reports did not offer details about specific attacks.  But a high level Israeli government official told me that Israel not only had done this, but he offered details on one of the attacks.  But before saying more about this, some background is in order.

A few weeks ago, an unknown tanker deposited 1,000 tons of oil into the Mediterranean close to Israeli shores.  The oil eventually washed up on Israel's beaches causing the worst environmental disaster in the country's history.  Sea animals were coated in sludge and turtles and a whale died as a result.  Thousands of Israeli volunteered to clean up the mess. Israel's famous beaches have been off limits for weeks.

At first, Israel blamed a Greek oil tanker which had been in the vicinity of the original oil spill.  But later it admitted that this identification was wrong.  Then the Israeli environment minister, Gila Gamliel, blamed Iran for the catastrophe. She purportedly did so without consulting Israeli intelligence officials, .  She claimed that a vessel, the Emerald, had left an Iranian port loaded with oil. Its destination was Syria, which maintains regular trade with Iran.  Because of international sanctions, Iran's ability to sell its oil is limited and it must resort to these sorts of ad hoc commercial relationships.

When Gamliel pinned the blame, there was something like consternation within the Israeli intelligence apparatus.  Officials told the press they knew nothing about her claim and that she hadn't consulted with them.  It made her look lame and I reported as such here.  But my Israeli source tells me that she was indeed correct.  The Emerald did cause the oil spill.  But how did it happen?

This was not a deliberate attack by Iran on Israel as Gamliel claimed.  In fact, Israel's naval commando unit, Shayetet 13 (they were the ones who murdered 10 Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara) covertly attached a mine to the Emerald.  The intent was to cause minor damage that would send a message to Iran that its own attacks on Gulf shipping would bring a cost.

However, the commandos didn't realize that the Emerald was a rusty old hulk in desperately ill-repair.  Here's how the Wall Street Journal characterized some of the ships used to skirt Iran sanctions:

Shippers often declare false destinations, use old, rusted tankers to avoid notice, and sometimes transfer oil from one ship to another at sea to avoid detection, regional military officials said. 

The Israeli mine, which was supposed to cause minor damage, actually ripped a hole so big that much of the contents of the ship's hold leaked. This is what caused the Israeli environmental disaster: Israel itself.

The WSJ article in fact, whether intentionally or unintentionally, referred implicitly to the Emerald oil shipment and the sabotage:

In an episode last month, suspected Israeli operatives attached a limpet mine to attack an Iranian vessel as it anchored near Lebanon to deliver Iran oil to Syria, according to the first shipping professional. Israel's military declined to comment on the incident.   

It's worth nothing that Gamliel, in pointing the finger of blame at the Iranians and the Emerald said that after its oil leaked into the sea it continued on to a Syrian port. After which, it returned to Iran.

My Israeli source characterized the story.:

"Yes, Israel is responsible for its own environmental catastrophe. Like the Beirut explosion  https://www.richardsilverstein.com/2020/08/04/breaking-israel-bombed-beirut/  a planned "small" sabotage operation ended in a disaster. Shayetet 13 sabotaged The Emerald intending to cause a small hole that would prevent it continuing on its way to Syria, but Israeli intelligence had no idea about how old and rusty the tanker was. The result: a giant oil spill that hit Israeli -and also Lebanese – shores."   

Israeli intelligence is supposed to be among the best in the world.  But remember the Lillehammer fiasco, where Mossad assassins murdered an innocent Moroccan waiter instead of the intended target, an alleged Palestinian plotter of the Munich massacre.  There, Israeli hubris and determination to exact revenge against its enemies led to false assumptions and eventual disaster.  So regarding Iran, Israeli intelligence has an incessant need to thump its chest to show, like a gorilla, dominance over the rest of the pack.  This hubris led to the oil spill disaster.

It's worth emphasizing as well, that this story would never have leaked without the involvement of US intelligence, which presumably is the source of today's story.  This is the second such leak which is damaging to the Netanyahu government.  Biden knew that eventually the media would connect the dots and tie the story leaked today to the Emerald itself.  He knew it would damage Israel's reputation and discredit the Israeli prime minister's entire rejectionist approach to Iran.

Though the US hasn't exactly been Johnny-on-the-spot in terms of fulfilling its promise to return to the JCPOA, it knows that when it does so it will face a ferocious backlash from Republicans and from Israel.  This leak is a pre-emptive attack.  Such a scandal will set Netanyahu back on his heels.  It will also potentially embarrass in the run up to the elections happening in the next two weeks.

If my suggestion about US motives is wrong and it was instead intending to threaten Iran, and remind it that this country continues to support Israel in its barely concealed war against it, then this leak (in both senses of the word) will be quite damaging to that effort.

[abduLMaria]

The Jew Cries out in Pain as it Strikes You.