The Wackiest Ship in the Jihad

So, that Russian ship that's been anchored off Cyprus under high security has been searched and according to the Agence France Presse the Cypriot government has declared that it is not...repeat...NOT carrying arms. And because it is NOT carrying arms, they confiscated all 90 containers.

So why did they confiscate it? Because the Cypriots, according to Reuters, said the ship was loaded with "weapon related material."

Reuters went on to add that Iranian foreign spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told reporters at a news conference, "What they initially said, that it was weaponry and so on, it is not true." Well, yeah, technically, they aren't weapons till you put them together. And according to one unnamed source, the containers were all marked, "Some Assembly Required."

In any event, wherever it was headed, it is not headed there now. However, stay tuned, because you know there is another ship on the horizon.

Cyprus is hopping!

So...the suspected arms ship is still tied up off Limassol in Cyprus. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Israeli government has asked the US and EU navies to "change the mandate of their fleets operating in the Red Sea and Mediterranean to allow them to board and detain vessels shipping weapons to Hamas in the Gaza Strip."

The US Navy stopped a ship last week and inspected it, but let it continue because they didn't have legal reasons to confiscate the weapons. According to Reuters, "the officials declined to say what kind of weapons were found or how many. They also would not be specific about where or when the incident occurred."

Well gee guys....why NOT say what was on the ship? It's not like no one knows you checked it out. What possible reason do you have for not telling the world? Come on...inquiring minds want to know.

Like I said, this is really juicy stuff.

And according to the Middle East Times, the ship is still there and man oh man...you know the folks in the Cyprus government really wish this whole thing would disappear. They haven't said anything, and for that matter, a whole lot of folks aren't saying anything.

But hold on....now, another incident is brewing. According to AFP religious figures and activists sailed from Tripoli in Lebanon aboard a Togolese ship heading for Gaza carrying aid. They are going to Cyprus to have the ship searched first and then will continue on.

I'm telling you...it's a real international fun fest with players from Iran, Togo, Russia, the US, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus...

And amazingly, most of the world's media is doing a pretty good job of ignoring it. Even the American media is silent. Oh...wait a minute, that's right. We're still recovering from our collective Super Bowl coma. And what makes the news? Denny's free breakfast giveaway. Well...I suppose its newsworthy. Those breakfasts can be lethal too. And so it goes.

Stay tuned kids...

There's never a pirate around when you need one

So there is this ship that is causing a lot of headaches in the Middle East. According to reports, it's a Russian cargo ship, flying a Cyprus flag, carrying Iranian arms.

Stay with me, because this is really juicy international relations stuff.

Right now, the Cypriots have detained the ship near Limassol, the port in Cyprus, per a request from the United States.

Now the Cypriots, which are currently ruled by the Communists, are searching the ship and they're doing this because they want better relations with the United States. And there is a UN resolution that prohibits arms trafficking in the area.

So what's on the ship?

According to Israel's Ha'aretz there are Iranian arms on board destined for Hamas and Gaza. Other reports say the arms are going to Syria. The Russians claim it's just cargo.

One thing that IS certain is that everyone wishes the whole situation would disappear.

Oh...we'll be following this very closely. This could turn into the first big international incident for the Obama administration.

Who wants to start a pool that the ship never makes it any further? Any takers on an "accidental sinking?"

Whaaaat? Hey, stuff happens.