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Ear to the Ground

Israeli Bombing ‘Broke U.S. Arms Deal Terms’

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Posted on Jan 29, 2007
cluster bombs
hrw.org

A preliminary investigation by the State Department has found that Israel’s cluster bombing of civilian areas of Lebanon violated terms of an arms agreement with the United States. Israel receives roughly $2 billion annually in military assistance from the United States, but Washington places classified conditions on how American munitions can be used.


BBC:

The state department looked into Israel’s use of cluster bombs in civilian areas of southern Lebanon during its conflict with Hezbollah.

US-made weapons are sold to the Israeli military with restriction on their use.

Cluster bombs can scatter hundreds of small bomblets over a wide area, and their use has been widely criticised.

The International Committee of the Red Cross called for a ban on the use of cluster bombs in populated areas, because of the indiscriminate civilian deaths they caused.

And Amnesty International has criticised Israel for its use of cluster bombs in the final days of the conflict.

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By truth-full, January 30, 2007 at 11:13 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s remarkable that a website with the word truth in it’s name is so full of political correctness.  The word for truth is emes ( eh-mess ).  There, now there is some actual truth on truthdig.  sic

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By Big Al, January 30, 2007 at 10:14 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

They’ll get away withy it. They always do.

Just you wait: not only will they get off scot free, but they’ll push an aid INCREASE through Congress - just to show who’s boss.

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By gary296, January 30, 2007 at 9:19 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Ninety percent of the casualities in last year’s Israel/Lebanon war was civilian! They created a mine field for the future with those cluster bombs we gave them. They ran out of bombs and we had to give them an emergency supply of new ones! Don’t dare say a word about Israel or else you’re a nazi! Ask most any christian and they’ll tell you they are the chosen people. The whole reason the whole middle east hates us is our incredibly biased stance toward Israel. The United Nations always gets vetoed if they make a resolution against Israel. By us of course! The future war with Iran is on Israel’s behalf. If not a full fledged war than at least a strategic bombing. Iran and Israel are arch enemies! People of power have and will continue to give Israel whatever is necessary for their protection. Or, even domination. Look into the past, back to Germany or even before and you might start to understand why. The fact that Israel is even a country is because of a deal made with the english to get us into the war meaning world war two! Ironically the first use of United Nations troops ever was the establishment of Israel using mostly british in 1948, that’s why the United States people know hardly anything about it. Let’s face the truth, we’re in the middle east for two reasons, one is to defend Israel, two is for the oil and we’re not going anywhere until the battle of armageddon!!!

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By Robert, January 30, 2007 at 3:16 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

$3-5 billion dollars of American aid per year to Israel. More than $108 billion from 1948-2006 and on-going this very minute.

Who from our U.S. elected official “Dares” to speak out against Israel’s numerous violations of UN Resolutions, International Law, Geneva Conventions, weapon’s use restriction agreetments…and on…and on…?

Why do our American presidents back down when it comes to dealing with Israel?

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By faith, January 30, 2007 at 2:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

We are providing Israel with two billion dollars a year for bombs?  While America finds it necessary for private citizens to spend their own money to build military hospitals to provide medical care and rehabilitation for the amputees returning from Iraq?
While New Orleans remains a disaster zone?  While we have homeless and hungry in the U.S.? 

What is the matter with our nation’s people?  Have we lost all sense of morality and humanity?  I encourage you, readers, to write your congress representatives, write the news media concerning the above.  It is an outrage and it reflects poorly on our values as Americans.

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By CJ, January 30, 2007 at 12:46 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I read the article that says the U.S. gives about $2 billion annually to Israel. Uh, huh. The amount—in cash, goods and services—is probably closer to $5 billion. So, findings are not final, huh? Well, videos I’ve seen after Israel’s attack on Lebanon clearly show unexploded cluster bomblets strewn about. But then, video of the Rodney King beating didn’t convince a jury either.

At most, as was the case when this last happened (during the Reagan Administration), the Israeli government will be dealt a slap on the wrist. Only that much when the president of Israel looks more and more to be guilty of serial date rape, such that Hitchens’ claim that Clinton is a serial rapist seems silly by comparison, and I say that as no fan of Bill Clinton.

While it’s impossible not to be disgusted by fighting between Hamas and Fatah, one has to remember what is the root cause. If ever a state deserved economic sanctioning, Israel is that state, same as South Africa was. Economic sanctions work only in the case of relatively advanced industrial states, which can sustain themselves, though not without some minimal, or greater, suffering. Sanctions do not work in the case of states like Iraq, and would not work in the case of North Korea. But in the case of Israel, I expect effects would be not too different than in the case of South Africa.

All money, goods and services to Israel should be cut-off pending “good behavior,” meaning return to 1967 borders and establishment of an independent state of Palestine. Meanwhile, the International Court in The Hague might be the final arbiter re amounts of reparations to be paid the Lebanese (and Palestinians), as well as directing that Israeli troops begin removing every single unexploded cluster bomblet from Lebanese soil.

Course, sanctions, reparations, etc. won’t happen, even if the UN directs they be instituted. The U.S. will veto, as always, particularly given that America is equally guilty.

Sorry, I got carried away imagining a world wherein justice is taken seriously.

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By Rodney Matthews, January 29, 2007 at 7:49 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

As long as Israel are killing middle eastern men George Bush is a happy man. He will sell Israel any weapon we have as long as it can kill people who don’t comply with Israel or the U S policies. War crimes means nothing to our or Israel’s government. They don’t care who is killed as long as who is left alive submitts to their will. Israel wants land. The US wants oil. Who gets killed in the process doesn’t matter as long as they achieve their racist,imperealistic objective.

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By Jackie T. Gabel, January 29, 2007 at 7:03 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

RE: “...but Washington places classified conditions on how American munitions can be used…”

>>>> The mendacity, Big Daddy, the mendacity!

Billions in foreign aid goes out to despots all over the world, requisite on its being used to buy US arms, “...but Washington places classified conditions on how American munitions can be used…” while the despots’ security forces are trained in every torture and intimidation technique on in the book by US military and para military special forces… then loads of these arms end up in the hands of global terrorists… can you say AL CIA-DUH?

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By Quy Tran, January 29, 2007 at 7:02 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Bush/Cheney administration and Zionist government just play dirty games in front of the whole world. Every act made by Israel was given green light from Washington or vice versa.

The U.S. “prostitute” foreign policy has been denounced severely since the female chimpanzee taking care of it. We have to clean up from the top down to the floor. It means that from Bush/Cheney to toilet tanks !

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By Ron Ranft, January 29, 2007 at 5:27 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Surprise! Surprise! The Israeli’s violated the terms of use for cluster bombs. They invaded another country and killed hundreds of civilians. So what else is new?
Want another big surprise, The US will still continue to sell those same cluster bombs and other weapons to Israel and we will be told it is because they are fighting for their lives and it is necessary for us to ally ourselves with Israel because their fight is our fight!

I don’t buy it any more than I buy that Saddam was behind 911. The Government of Israel, and note I say the Government, is as an evil and corrupt entity as George and his friends! When will the people of Israel realize that these people do not have their best interest at heart and the Palestinians are not their enemies, their government is!

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