UPDATE: One of the most thorough analyses of the background of the Flotilla, including a report from the Danish Institute on International Studies that reveals the terrorist nature of several Flotilla sponsors, is by Melanie Phillips.
Iran and Hamas--and Islamists in Turkey--have a keen sense of Western media and how to play them. The Peace Flotilla is a good example. The flotilla was trying to break a blockade, and that is dangerous by definition. Like 60s radicals in the U.S. confronting the police or military, the whole idea was to provoke a reaction from Israel and sympathy from Western media.
That they succeeded is too bad for them and, because of the crocodile tears of Western governments, unfortunate for Israel.
But instead of "deploring" the Israeli reaction, the West should be deploring the intentional provocation. To the extent that the U.S. fails to back Israel in its insistence on security terrorists will continue to probe. They are probing the resolve of the U.S. at the same time.
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Weapons Found Aboard the Vessel Mavi Marmara: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvS9PXZ3RWM
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