Use of Cluster munitions by Israel

Truth at Last

Published on January 30, 2007 By Bahu Virupaksha In Current Events

In the article whose link I have provided we had pointed out that Israel had used c luster munitions in civilian areas during the recebnt Lebanon-Israel-Hizbollah War. At that time several of those who wrote in response came after mw with vehemence. Once again I was right and now the US State Department will issue Report to the US Congress that Israel has violated its agreement by deploying Cluster Munitions against civilian targets. I have always believed that we have a responsibility to TRUTH and no matter how bitter it is, we must face up to it. Some even accused me of unspeakble prejudice. I repeat what I said then: I am an admirer of Israel and maintain that admiration should not make us blind to ground reality.

This point is important because, the USA plans to kick start the Palestenian-Israel peace process.

Comments

Larry Kuperman

on Jan 30, 2007

I am glad that you linked to your article on the bombing of civilian targets in Qana. Qana is the perfect example of how Israel's bombings were directed against hostile terrorist forces hiding behind civilians. Despite initial denials by the Sinoria government, four Hezbollah fighters were among the causalities, belying claims that this was a civilian target. It was a staging area for rocket attacks where civilians were used by Hezbollah as human shields.

Initial estimates of the casualty count were later revised downward from 50 to 26. The civilian casualties did not come as a result of the bombing, which took place at midnight, but as a result of the building collapsing at 8 AM. No evacuation was permitted by Hezbollah during this time, who controlled the area.Israel had issues warnings that the village was to be bombed as a military target and that civilians should leave. Hezbollah would not permit the evacuation. They wouldn't even allow the children to leave. Suspicion continues that, based on the delay from 12 AM to 8 AM, the cause of the buildings collapse was a Hezbollah rocket or explosives device.

Qana was also the site of the infamous staged photo of Salam Daher, better known as the Green Helmet Guy, and linked by some to Hezbollah. who was shown emerging from the rubble with a dead child. He was captured on film directing camera crews with the instruction "better images must be shot." Daher also appeared prominently in photos of the 1996 bombing of Qana. The Green Helmet photos were circulated by Reuters that later had to acknowledge that their photos of the bombing of Beirut had been created using Photoshop.

You really should read the transcript of Sean McCormack's press conference, which has been misreported to a great degree. See Link for the actual article. Let me quote from that transcript:

"Under the Arms Export Control Act there's language in there that says that if a country has -- likely has violated the terms of its agreements with the United States, then you -- then that triggers a report to the Congress. Now, the question then becomes what kind of agreements are you talking about. Well, anytime throughout the licensing process of selling armaments and weapons to foreign countries, the United States typically will negotiate along with the licenses various end use agreements and in some cases agreements that specify under what kinds of conditions those armaments and munitions can be used.

In the case of cluster munitions with Israel, we have in place one of those such agreements. And so the question then arises, which the Israelis themselves are investigating right now, as to in what way the munitions were employed and in the manner of their use, did that in some way contravene the agreement between the United States and Israel. So after looking into the matter in the wake of the Hezbollah-Israel war, we work cooperatively with the Israeli Government, take a look at the facts, take a look at the agreement that was in place and then take a look at the legal requirements as specified in the law. And it was the determination based on the facts that we in a preliminary finding -- I have to emphasize preliminary, it's not a final judgment -- that there may likely could have been some violations of that agreement. So under the law, we are required to report that to the Congress and that is the step that we are taking today. I think it's either already happened or this afternoon. We are forwarding that preliminary assessment to Congress."

That statement is quite different in tone to what the press has reported. Lets face it "Israel investigates itself to determine compliance with end-user arms agreement" isn't sensational enough. Nor is "Israel and US contribute millions of dollars for the removal of unexploded devices from Lebanon" which is also true.

To your last point, how do you see there being a relationship between what happened in Lebanon in August and current Palestinian-Israeli peace talks? Other than the fact that both Hamas and Hezbollah fire missiles into Israel, targeting civilian areas, they don't seem to have much in common.

Bahu Virupaksha

on Jan 31, 2007

Larry I read your response and I do appreciate your point of view. There are two fundamental issues here and since the Israeli-Palestenian issue is now coming into focus I will not dwell on it here. As for cluster munitions and its use, your suggestion albeit very subtly that it could be a military and not political decision may be the case, but that does not mitigate the gravity of the action. May I recall to you that in 1982 War with Lebanon when the infamous Satilla Massacre took place, the State of Israel used Cluster Bombs and Ronald Reagan was forced to apply a maoratorium on arm sales to Israel which lasted for 7 yeaRS.

mY POINT WAS ONLY TO state that there was evidence of the use of cluster bombs which was thewn denied. Now Israel will find itself in a tight situation once again, but then Israel can pull thfough.

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