FAIR: Weapons Deserve Scrutiny (Israel's cluster bombs, phosphorus)

[JackNewtown]

--On July 24, Human Rights Watch reported that Israel was using cluster bombs "in populated areas of Lebanon," which it said "may violate the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks contained in international humanitarian law." But despite the extensive media coverage of the current conflict in the Middle East, almost no U.S. outlets are reporting on these findings.

Yet this reference was the first time the paper's readers heard of the matter—at least when it came to Israel's arsenal. On July 19, the Times did report that U.S. and Israeli officials claimed that Hezbollah had altered some of their rockets by "attaching cluster bombs as warheads, or filling an explosive shell with ball bearings that have devastating effect."---

Excerpt 2:

--Weapons loaded with ball bearings would seem designed to be anti-personnel weapons, and their use has been condemned by human rights organizations because of their wide and imprecise blast range (Human Rights Watch, 7/18/06). But cluster bombs, which likewise have a wide and imprecise blast range, pose an even deadlier threat to civilians, as they can spread hundreds of "bomblets" that become "de facto antipersonnel landmines" (Human Rights Watch, 3/03). Amnesty International called the use of cluster bombs by the U.S. in civilian areas of Iraq "a grave violation of international humanitarian law" (4/2/03).

And some doctors and Lebanese officials believe that injuries in Lebanon indicate the use of incendiary weapons such as white phosphorus (Inter Press Service, 7/28/06; Agence France Presse, 7/30/06). White phosphorus causes severe and deep burns to the skin and cannot be extinguished with water; the New York Times once called it (3/22/95) one of "the worst chemical weapons" in existence. Israel's use of such weapons would not be without precedent; Human Rights Watch reported in 1996 (5/96) that there was "compelling" evidence that Israel used phosphorus weapons against civilians in its 1982 and 1983 attacks on Southern Lebanon. (The U.S. has admitted to using white phosphorus as a weapon in Iraq; see Extra!, 3-4/06--

Full article: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2931

Israel also apparently is using such weapons against the Palestinians.

It is good to see this progressive organization raising awareness of an important issue the Ministry of Truth hides from us (the same people who never mention all of Israel's military jets and helicopters are American while detailing Hezbollah's inventory and the origins of its weapons).

[magellan]

1. What is the result of saying we don't use these weapons

...when the "enemy" knows we do? Amoral equivalency? (sic)

We have no room to complain about terrorists using unguided rockets and suicide bombers against civilians when we show an equal disregard for life. The lunacy and lying has to stop.

[acmejack]

2. New improved cluster bomb!

$52.9M in Smart Cluster Bomb Kits to Oman
Posted 17-May-2005 05:41
Related stories: Bombs - Cluster, Bombs - Smart, Contracts - Awards, Lockheed Martin, Middle East - Other, Project Successes
Also on this day: 17-May-2005 »

WCMD Launched

Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Orlando FL received a $52.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 1,655 Production Phase Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) Tail Kits: 1,618 United State Government tail kits (with warranty), 15 United States Government tail kits (no warranty), 22 Foreign Military Sales tail kits, and 100 Production Phase Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser - Extended Range (WCMD-ER) kits. This effort supports foreign military sales to Oman.

The Wind Compensated Munitions Dispenser is an inexpensive tail kit that uses inertial guidance to steer cluster bombs from a known release point to precise target coordinates while compensating for launch transients, winds aloft, surface winds and adverse weather. The WCMD kit thus turns "dumb" cluster bombs into accurate "smart" weapons. Currently, the dispenser is achieving an accuracy of within 30 feet. Aircraft employ WCMD from a wide range of altitudes, in adverse weather, using various tactics such as level, dive, and toss bombing, and bombing on coordinates.

WCMD is designed for use with the 1,000 lb. CBU-103/CBU-87 CEM anti-personnel and CBU-105/CBU-97 SFW anti-armor cluster bombs, the 1,000 lb. CBU-104/CBU-89 Gator containing antitank and antipersonnel mines, and the CBU-107 Passive Attack Weapon filled with 3,700 nonexplosive penetrator rods, for use in an environment where warfighters need to disable a target without destroying its surroundings.

At the beginning of the WCMD program, U.S. Department of Defense officials originally predicted the dispenser tail kits would cost approximately $25,000 per unit. Through the application of an effective acquisition strategy by the Eglin WCMD team, however, the dispenser unit cost ended up being around $9,000 per unit.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/05/529m-in-smart-cluster-bomb-kits-to-oman/index.php

[mom cat]

3. Accuracy within 30 feet means nothing in a dense urban area.

[acmejack]

4. If you are done snarking me, I will explain...

Cluster bombs are prohibited weapons under the Geneva Cinventions, they are considered inhumane by the "Civilized Nations" who do not consider the Conventions "Quaint" or "Outdated". That was the intent of the posting, it was not an attempt to prove I was an ignorant ass. Grantedly, accuracy of something that slings it's contents over a wide area like a cluster bomb is completely irrelevant whether it is a residential block or a parking lot.

As Rummy would say, "My goodness..."

[mom cat]

5. I was not snarking at you at all. I posted what I did to highlight

something from your post.I totally agree with you when you say:
"Cluster bombs are prohibited weapons under the Geneva Cinventions, they are considered inhumane by the "Civilized Nations" who do not consider the Conventions "Quaint" or "Outdated". "

Sorry if I sound snarky. I am so enraged at the destruction of Lebanon. I did not intend to point that rege at you and I am sorry if what I said cams across that way.

[acmejack]

7. Sorry, I'm pissed off ,too!

I am feeling the same way. These are very trying times for us all.

[mom cat]

8. We are all fried. This is just so terribly wrong!

Can we be pissed off :pals:?

[JackNewtown]

6. So much for the "we're trying to minimize civilian deaths" myth nt