US: Israeli use of Cluster Bombs in Lebanon may be an Agreement Violation
LA Times
from Reuters
Jan. 30, 2006
WASHINGTON — The United States said Monday that Israel probably violated an agreement on its use of U.S.-made cluster bombs in July’s war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
“There were likely violations,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
The State Department said it had delivered a classified preliminary report to Congress on Monday. McCormack declined to say how Israel violated U.S. rules, contending that such information was classified.
UN Denounced Israel cluster bombs
from BBC
The UN’s humanitarian chief has accused Israel of “completely immoral” use of cluster bombs in Lebanon.
UN clearance experts had so far (as of August 31, 2006) found 100,000 unexploded cluster bomblets at 359 separate sites, Jan Egeland said.
Mr. Egeland continued
…”What’s shocking and completely immoral is: 90% of the cluster bomb strikes occurred in the last 72 hours of the conflict, when we knew there would be a resolution,”
…”Cluster bombs have affected large areas - lots of homes, lots of farmland. They will be with us for many months, possibly years.
“Every day, people are maimed, wounded and killed by these weapons. It shouldn’t have happened.”