So America is blameless?

(article NSFW or kids)

There IS a direct link between the U.S. and the war in Lebanon (not a ‘crisis’ or a ‘conflict’ or even a damn ‘police action’, it’s a war). Several sources I’ve found mention how the U.S. is and continues to supply weapons to the IDF. My points:

1) How can Iran be accused of trying to destabilise a region by supplying arms to Hezbollah and yet when America supports Isreal by suppling arms and supplies it is to: “keep peace and security in the region.” (source).

2) Why is the U.S. on one hand supporting the United Nations draft resolution for a cessation of hostilities, and at the same time supplying GBU-28 “bunker buster” laser-guided bombs to the Israeli military?

3) And what the hell about the sale of ‘wide blast area’ cluster munitions continuing considering the Administrations apparent dislike for the scale of Lebanese civilian casualties? This is what gets me more than anything. Isreal ‘deeply regrets’ the attacks that result in civilian deaths.

“David Siegel… said… that “as a rule, we obviously don’t fire into populated areas, with the exception of the use of precision-guided munitions against terrorist targets.” In such cases, Israel has dropped leaflets warning of impending attacks to avoid civilian casualties, he said.”

Really? Note the term ‘Precision-Guided Munitions.’

A description of the weapon we’re talking about here:

“The M26 rocket is launched from the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) to ranges of 32 to 38 kilometers and it creates a wide-area effect by dispensing 644 M77 submunitions. A typical volley of six rockets would release 3,864 submunitions over an area with a 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) radius. U.S. testing data puts the initial failure rate of M77 submunitions at anywhere between 5 percent and 23 percent. British military testing indicates an initial failure rate of between 5 percent and 10 percent. Both governments note that initial failure rates largely depend on ground conditions, range and other operational factors.

“The M26 rocket epitomizes a retreat from precision targeting,” said Roth. “It kills civilians across wide areas and leaves volatile submunitions scattered across the countryside that can kill civilians for years to come. This deadly weapon should never be used anywhere near civilians.”

Remember those instances in Afghantistan were the aid packages were little yellow packages, and the sub-munitions that come out of the M-26 were little yellow grenades? And how a lot of them didn’t explode immediately? Same brutal anti-civilian weapon.

But the Isrealis counter this, by saying that they don’t fire them at civilians:

“In the case of cluster munitions, including the Multiple Launch Rocket System, which fires the M-26, the Israeli military only fires into open terrain where rocket launchers or other military targets are found, to avoid killing civilians, an Israeli official said.”

Is that so.

“In the current conflict, Israel has already used artillery-fired cluster munitions against populated areas, causing civilian casualties. According to eyewitnesses and survivors of an attack interviewed by Human Rights Watch, Israel fired several artillery-based cluster munitions at the village of Blida around 3:00 p.m. on July 19. Three witnesses described how the artillery shells dropped hundreds of cluster submunitions on the village. The attack killed 60-year-old Maryam Ibrahim inside her home. At least two submunitions entered the basement that the Ali family was using as a shelter, wounding 12 people, including seven children.”

So while America continues to ship munitions off to Isreal “in the interest of peace and broader international security”, how are we making sure that they are being used properly? What kind of safegaurds are we putting in place to ensure that innocent people don’t get maimed, mutilated, decapitated? Is there any chance in light of the current situation that we may stop such a sale?

“State Department officials “are discussing whether or not there needs to be a block on this sale because of the past history and because of the current circumstances,” said the senior official, adding that it was likely that Israel will get the rockets, but will be told to be “be careful.”

Be careful.

Here’s the care:

Evidently, due to the carnage taking place right now, I think it’s safe to assume that ‘care’ is not something that the Isreali military are considering as a central doctrine.

Reminds me of a Pink Floyd line:

Her cold eyes imploring the men in their macs
For the gold in their bags or the knives in their backs.

America is condemning the violence and supporting it in the same breath. Such hypocrisy.