Vessel Intercepted by U.S. Was Likely Carrying Arms to Hizbullah
The captain of a ship that the U.S. Navy recently intercepted and searched has said his vessel is now en route to Syria.
The boat was initially believed to be carrying arms destined for Hamas, though sources say the weapons will likely be delivered to Hizbullah, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday.
Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ship intercepted in the Red Sea was determined to have been destined for Syria, a leading supplier of Hamas and Hizbullah.
Mullen said, however, that the U.S. could not legally hold the Cypriot-flagged ship.
"The United States did as much as we could do legally," he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. The vessel is expected to dock in Syria this week, he added.
Officials also said the arms could not be shown to violate U.N. weapons sanctions against Iran.
Haaretz quoted U.S. sources as saying that the job of monitoring the ship became Israel”s the moment it reached Mediterranean waters.
One source, according to Haaretz, holds that the weapons on board are apparently Katyusha rockets.