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http://gazafreedommarch.org 'Rachel Corrie' may sail within weeks THE IRISH-owned MV Rachel Corrie may sail from the southern Israeli port of Ashdod within weeks after Irish activists who last month attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza onboard the vessel were told it was ready to be released. The news comes as Irish and other activists plan a similar effort to breach the blockade in the next months. The Rachel Corrie has remained in Ashdod since early June, following its interception by Israeli forces in international waters off the coast of Gaza. The activists onboard were transporting humanitarian aid to the territory. The Rachel Corrie was the last remaining vessel of an international aid flotilla attempting to breach the blockade. Nine Turkish activists were killed on one of the boats during a raid by Israeli commandos the previous week. The 11 activists on board the Rachel Corrie included former UN assistant secretary general Denis Halliday, Nobel laureate Maireád Corrigan Maguire, Dundalk film-maker Fiona Thompson, and first mate Derek Graham and his wife Jenny, both from Mayo. They were joined by several members of the Malaysia-based Perdana Global Peace Organisation. Mr Graham said he was told late last week that the vessel was ready to be released. Yesterday, he received an e-mail from the port agent at Ashdod informing him of the procedure to enable sailing of the vessel. This included the provision of an official appointment letter from the owners or operator; confirmation that the vessel can safely sail and has sufficient provisions to enable sailing to the next port; notification of next port of call; the arrangement of a crew with valid passports; and handling fees of $3,000. “We’re not sure exactly where to send [the Rachel Corrie ] next,” said Mr Graham. It is unlikely that it will return to Ireland, where it set sail from Dundalk in mid-May. Mr Graham said he hoped the vessel would depart Ashdod “in the next fortnight” and that possible destinations included ports in Greece and Italy. He said it was possible that some of the original crew – but not any of the 11 activists – would sail the boat from Ashdod. Earlier this month Mr Graham, his wife and Denis Halliday attended a conference in Kuala Lumpur hosted by the organisation, which was chaired by former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mr Graham said that it was agreed at the gathering that the organisation would “work closely” with the Irish activists with a view to organising similar attempts to break the Gaza blockade in the future.
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