WMDs on demand
August 31st, 2006 by Wil Robinson
On Thursday the Washington Post reported on the tens of thousands of unexploded “cluster bombs†dropped by Israel in Southern Lebanon – supplied via rapid delivery by the United States ahead of a pending ceasefire – that are continuing to kill civilians almost three weeks after the end of armed conflict.
The Post story was likely in response to Wednesday’s press conference by United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland, who deplored Israel’s prolific use of cluster bombs within the last 72 hours of fighting, calling it “completely immoral.†He noted that the UN Action Coordination Centre, currently attempting to remove the estimated 100,000 unexploded bomblets, reported that 90 percent of the cluster bombs used by Israel during the war against Hezbollah were dropped during the last three days of fighting.
The ceasefire was brokered on Aug. 11, 2006 by the UN Security Council and hostilities ended on Aug. 14, meaning that Israel dropped most cluster bombs between Aug. 10 to 13. The dates of use and source of the weapons is relevant, as are most events in the Middle East.
Cluster bombs, widely used by the United States beginning in the Vietnam War, are controversial to say the least. A large shell comes apart mid-air and spreads hundreds of small AA-battery sized bombs across a wide area. One shell may contain hundreds or even thousands of these small “anti-personnel†bombs, and the failure rate is conservatively estimated at 10 percent.
The failure rate is estimated by human rights groups and anti-mine non-governmental organizations to be as high as 70 percent, but even 10 percent can have a huge impact. One shell containing just 300 bomblets, considered small by cluster bomb standards, with a 10 percent failure rate means 30 bombs will be scattered across the ground, waiting for anyone to stumble across.
It may be an enemy fighter that finds and unexploded bomblet – but history in Laos and Cambodia has shown that civilians – usually children curious about the small brightly colored metal objects – are the typical victims. Those that lose a limb but survive are considered lucky.
While the US has continued to use the cluster bomb in recent conflicts, including the first Gulf War and the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there have been certain rules applied to their use in attempts to minimize the affect on civilian populations. In accordance with the Geneva Convention, the US says it does not drop cluster bombs on civilian areas. After Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the US imposed six years of weapons sanctions after it was found that Israel misused the cluster bombs provided by the US.
So now, after sweeping just a small portion of the area in Southern Lebanon, the UN and humanitarian NGOs found that as many as 250,000 Lebanese refugees are unable to return to their homes because of the danger of unexploded bomblets – at an estimated 400 different locations. Egelund was particularly upset about 90 percent of the cluster bombs being dropped in the last 72 hours because, according to the UN press release, this was “when everybody knew that there would be an end to hostilities.â€
Maybe someone forgot to tell the US and Israel there was a truce being negotiated.
The New York Times reported on Aug. 11 that Israel was asking the US to “speed delivery of short-range antipersonnel rockets armed with cluster munitions.†Apparently there was some need to rush the order of WMDs – surely it wasn’t the impending ceasefire agreement. The article quotes several US officials stating that approval was likely…though there has been no public follow up as to whether the weapons were delivered. Another great job of reporting by the allegedly “liberal†media.
Now the US claims it is “investigating†Israel’s use of cluster bombs during the conflict.
It’s like selling heroin to a teenager and then reprimanding them for shooting up. Heroin is for drug addicts – and cluster bombs are for indiscriminate killing.
The ceasefire may be in effect – and tenuously holding – but Israel is still doing damage. The UN report for Aug. 30 showed unexploded ordnance caused 13 deaths and 46 injuries after the ceasefire.
This is on top of the 1,183 Lebanese killed during the war – compared to 157 Israelis. And the disproportionate response just keeps on climbing, even after hostilities have ceased.
Maybe this is what President Bush warned about when he warned on July 27 to be wary of a “fake peace†in Lebanon.
How long will Americans continue to buy into the idea that Islamic fundamentalists “hate us for our freedom,†and not because of the US government’s biased military support for despotic, totalitarian regimes and the Israeli war machine that has illegally occupied Palestine for nearly 40 years?
Long enough to start a war with Iran?
Tags: War of Misinformation
Soldiers cannot be “kidnapped.” The term is only accurate in reference to civilians.
Soldiers, who wear the uniforms of their countries and who are sworn to fight, can be captured, however, and frequently are in conflicts.
Hizbollah didn’t start the bombing, though they did certainly provoke the Israelis by attacking and capturing two of their soldiers.
Hisbollah offered, in the beginning, to negotiate with Israel over the return of the two captured soldiers. Israel refused negotiations and sent in the bombers. Their reaction was far, far out of proportion to the provocation.
By using cluster bombs in the three days leading up to the cease-fire, Israel acted dishonorably. Dropping cluster bombs, which they knew without a doubt would continue to kill and maim not only Hizbollah soldiers but also Lebanese civilians long after the cease-fire took effect, ensured that the cease-fire would be undermined and eventually fail.
With the help of their American allies, they have also ensured that the War on Terror can never end, because for each civilian that’s killed, there’s a friend, a brother, a father or sister who will take up arms in their names to exact revenge on those who perpetrated the senseless death.
All this ploy did was ensure that there will be more terrorists, more conflict, more death in an endless spiral of destruction. What Israel did had nothing to do with peace. Will is right. They’re provoking nuclear war — and the end to that will bring about their own annihilation along with those they hope to annihilate themselves. In helping them, America has brought its own eventual destruction upon itself.
God help us all.
Hezbollah was living with the Lebanese population, making it impossible for Israel to fight just the militants. Cluster bombs are effective against rocket sites, and since these were in neighborhoods, civilian casualties couldn’t be avoided. It is Hezbollah that is responsible for these civilian deaths.
Hezbollah provoked Israel by kidnapping 2 soldiers and directly targeted Israeli civilian neighborhoods with their katyusha rockets, killing many innocent Israelis and forcing many from their homes. Defending Israel by whatever means available was the only choice.
After finding the point halfway through, I think it’s valid, but it takes to long to get there! Link to stories and give a brief description, or write two articles.
Let’s talk about the US supplying weapons to Israel. Let’s talk about the US supplying weapons.
Let’s talk about why Israel even exists.
[...] 3) Expedited arming Israel with cluster bombs, 90 percent of which were dropped in the last three days of the war with Lebanon, after a peace agreement had already been drawn up. (Many of the cluster bombs were dropped in civilian areas, 10-20 percent of which tend not to explode on impact but rather lie in wait until some small child picks it up.) [...]