Irish group doubts independence of aid-ship 'sabotage' probe

An Irish group involved in an aid flotilla to Gaza has said it is concerned about the impartiality of an investigation into how their boat was damaged at a port in Turkey last week.

Campaigners claim the M.V. Saoirse was sabotaged by Israeli operatives.

The captain of another boat, also bound for Gaza, was last night arrested in Greece and faces charges of trying to leave port without permission and endangering the lives of passengers.

Laurence Davis of the Irish Ship To Gaza campaign said the group was calling for an independent investigation of the incident of "apparent sabotage which put the Irish passengers' lives in danger".

He added that in the context of Turkish-Israeli negotiations "it would be far from politically expedient to declare that Israeli operatives had attacked an Irish boat in Turkish waters", and that therefore an independent investigation was required.