Cyprus-Forum.com

[B25]

Sotos,

regardless of who, what and when, the RoC took the damn stuff as it was obliged to do.

The problem arises of its poor management. Not doing the right thing cannot be excused because it was someone elses fault in the first place.

We took it, we should have PROPERLY dealt with it. It is as straight forward as that.

The buck stops with the President, unless it can be shown otherwise.

Theos makarisi tous oullous. Adika piasi, yiati kapios pezevengis den ekamen tin doulia tou sosta.

[Sotos]

I agree about the responsibility of the government once the explosives were here. They fucked up big time and I hope people are punished for this very soon. But I also hold responsible the Americans. The Americans send their own weapons to Turkey but then they say that the Syrians can not import weapons?

[SKI-preo]

However, it does seem rather coincidental that the explosions took place less than two weeks after Greece and the Republic of Cyprus took steps to prevent the flotilla sailing to Gaza, in part since it has been two and a half years since the cargo was seized. Hamas’ political elite in Syria strongly condemned Greece’s actions as “inhuman” Greece and Cyprus are of course very closely linked politically, and Greece is sending military assistance to Cyprus.

The connection between Hamas and the Gaza flotilla has been noted by numerous sources including Iranian state channel Press TV, which reported collusion between the flotilla organisers and a leading member of the terror group, and Dutch Newspaper De Telegraaf.

Is this bloke smoking crack?

http://propagandistmag.com/2011/07/12/b ... terrorists

[supporttheunderdog]

At last - some justice for some of the families of those that were killed at Mari.

Court awards compensation to families of Mari victims
“The Republic has shown criminal disregard for the lives of persons, including Andreas,” President of the Court Harris Malachtou said.

Based on the evidence the court noted that “it shows unequivocally and categorically that the Republic of Cyprus has grossly violated its obligation under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to protect the life of the deceased Andreas Papadopoulos.”

The court pointed out that in this case the “Republic of Cyprus in possession of a dangerous cargo proceeded in storing it in an inappropriate way that increased its risk. The storage method was an essential element that over time further increased the risk.”

http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/05/20/court-awards-compensation-families-mari-victims/
There is nothing here that we did already know, but a judge has come out and said it.

Nothing, no some of money, can ever replace a life, and the real tragedy?

It was all avoidable.

The Storage of the containers so close to each other in the sun was indeed criminal incompetence of the worst sort by those responsible for the storage.

[Sotos]

Personally I am not convinced that the munitions exploded because of the heat created by the sun. Some explosives will not explode no matter how you heat them (there was a Mythbasters episode were they tried, and failed, to make C4 explode using heat) but at the very least, even for less stable military explosives, you need a lot more heat than that to make them explode. The "heat from sun" argument becomes even weaker when you consider that the explosion happened at 5am, the coolest time possible. If heat from the sun was what caused the explosion then the explosion would have happened at noon or a bit after not at 05:00! To me it sounds more like sabotage by people who acted at night.

[Sotos]

Another thing to note is that the ammunition was destined for Syria to help the fight against ISIS. But the Americans didn't want that to happen, because at that time they were busy supporting the Islamist terrorists to overthrow the secular Assad government!

[supporttheunderdog]

I think the term heated by the sun is a simplistic way of describing long term storage in inappropriate conditions. Do not incidentaly underestimate the effects of insolation on a shipping container, but the stuff was probably deteriorating. It is not meant to be kept in shipping containers for so long; 20 months I think. The containers should have been opened, the contents checked and identified and then put into proper safe storage.

The block stowage was certainly not best practise.

The evidence of deterioration is that there was a picture circulating showing one container had bulged. That meant it given off a lot of gas. I heard The government set up a committee to decide what to do but in the meantime got the firebrigade to hose it down, as it was warm. That suggests some sort of spontaneous heating. That can generate a lot of heat, in some cases enough to make the product combust. That is why so many fireman were killed.

The contents were not on their way to fight ISIS. The conflict with ISIS started in November 2011, some months after the bang, and some two years after the containers had been brought ashore.

[GreekIslandGirl]

The conflict with ISIS started in November 2011, some months after the bang, and some two years after the containers had been brought ashore.

You're the only one stupid enough to think he can assign a month 'start date' for the ISIS revelations. But then, you are also one of the stupid ones who keep peddling outdated 'press reviews' on the demise of Greece.

[Sotos]

I think the term heated by the sun is a simplistic way of describing long term storage in inappropriate conditions. Do not incidentaly underestimate the effects of insolation on a shipping container, but the stuff was probably deteriorating. It is not meant to be kept in shipping containers for so long; 20 months I think. The containers should have been opened, the contents checked and identified and then put into proper safe storage.

The block stowage was certainly not best practise.

The evidence of deterioration is that there was a picture circulating showing one container had bulged. That meant it given off a lot of gas. I heard The government set up a committee to decide what to do but in the meantime got the firebrigade to hose it down, as it was warm. That suggests some sort of spontaneous heating. That can generate a lot of heat, in some cases enough to make the product combust. That is why so many fireman were killed.

The contents were not on their way to fight ISIS. The conflict with ISIS started in November 2011, some months after the bang, and some two years after the containers had been brought ashore.

Starting from your last point, the terrorist groups that later became ISIS were in Syria and Iraq long time before 2011. About the inappropriate storage I agree. But I am not convinced that this is what caused the explosion given the time that the event happened.

[Paphitis]

Another thing to note is that the ammunition was destined for Syria to help the fight against ISIS. But the Americans didn't want that to happen, because at that time they were busy supporting the Islamist terrorists to overthrow the secular Assad government!

It wasn't going to help the fight against ISIS.

The Assad Regime hardly ever fought ISIS, thus sparking speculation that Assad wanted ISIS to flourish in order to bolster support for his regime as the "lesser of 2 evils". ISIS was also fighting other anti Assad Insurgent Groups like the FSA so Assad probably thought they were useful.

The weapons would have been used to fight Sunni Insurgents like FSA (mostly Syrian Army defectors) and to repress Sunni People in areas such as Ghouta and Aleppo. In other words, it would provide the conditions for the rise of many anti Assad groups.

Plus, if Cyprus let the weapons get into the hands of Assad, your Government would be in very deep shit! Can you imagine letting these weapons through to kill Sunni Syrians?

Turkey would have a field day, and it would be very difficult for Cyprus.

Christofias was thinking about it, and don't think the West is stupid not to know it!

But Christofias is not a very bright person to say the least. The guy was a clear dumb arse, and during his Presidency even invited Assad on a State visit. Couldn't get anymore stupid than that!

Might as well invite North Korea's supreme leader.