Is Israel Using Cluster Munitions On Urban Areas?

[DogPoundPup]

http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/2009/01/is-israel-using-cluster-munitions-on-urban-areas.html


http://www.newshoggers.com/.a/6a00d8345f80b469e2010536a85b5f970b-pi
The image above is captioned.in the London Times, as "Israeli artillery shells explode with a chemical agent designed to create smokescreen for ground forces." But last night the same picture was simply captioned as an artillery shell exploding over Gaza and other similiar images at AFP/Getty are similiarly captioned. One wonders why Murdoch's flagship newspaper decided to change the caption.

In two of those AFP/Getty images, here and here, you can clearly see impact explosions and fires begun by those impacts. Those are not chemical smoke shells. An ex-military officer friend tells me that the shells seen exploding in all these pictures are DPICM or Cluster Munition rounds. Identical cluster munitions were used in Lebanon by the IDF during the 2006 conflict and by both the UK and US during the invasion of Iraq. It's likely that the IDF are using US-made M483A1 DPICM artillery-delivered shells.

At the end of May, 111 nations including most NATO allies signed a treaty banning their stockpiling and use. neither the US nor Israel agreed to become signators. Although cluster bombs are not explicitly forbidden by the Geneva Law, the rules of war prohibit the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons or weapons that are incapable of being used in a manner that complies with the obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Those who use them in civilian areas therefore open themselves to charges of war crimes.


The impact of such indiscriminate tactics is immediate:

Eric Fosse, a Norwegian doctor there, said Hamas fighters were a small minority of the casualties brought in.

"This hospital has been filled up with patients," he added. This morning they bombed the fruit market. There were a large number of casualties.

"We became like a field hospital. There were two patients at a time in the operating rooms and we were operating on other people in the corridors. Some were dying before we could get to them."

Moawya Hasanian, the head of al-Shifa's emergency and ambulance department, said the hospital had taken in 33 dead and 137 wounded by lunchtime on Sunday.

Among those killed was an paramedic after his ambulance was hit by Israeli fire. Three of his colleagues were wounded.

"Only three of the dead are from Hamas, the rest are civilians," Hasanian said. "There are many children under 18. There are many in critical condition. We are working under pressure. It's not easy to work with bombs and air strikes everywhere. It's not easy for ambulances to move."

Read more: http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/2009/01/is-israel-using-cluster-munitions-on-urban-areas.html

[Duckhunter935]

1. Smoke Projectiles

Probably this one

(2) Burster-type white phosphorus. White phosphorus projectiles are available for 105-mm and 155-mm howitzers. They are bursting-tube type projectiles that can be fired with point-detonating (PD) or MTSQ fuzes. The projectile has an incendiary-producing effect and is ballistically similar to the HE projectile. Normally, shell WP is employed for its incendiary effect. The projectile also can be used for screening, spotting, and signaling purposes.

[soulcore]

2. Using White Phoshorus is urban areas is a war crime. n/t

[mod mom]

5. BBC: UK Ministry of Defence use of white phosphorus permitted in battle in cases where no civilians

Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 11:25 GMT


US used white phosphorus in Iraq

Falluja suffered great damage during the offensive
US troops used white phosphorus as a weapon in last year's offensive in the Iraqi city of Falluja, the US has said.
"It was used as an incendiary weapon against enemy combatants," spokesman Lt Col Barry Venable told the BBC - though not against civilians, he said.

The US had earlier said the substance - which can cause burning of the flesh - had been used only for illumination.

BBC defence correspondent Paul Wood says having to retract its denial is a public relations disaster for the US.



-snip

Globalsecurity.org, a defence website, says: "Phosphorus burns on the skin are deep and painful... These weapons are particularly nasty because white phosphorus continues to burn until it disappears... it could burn right down to the bone."

A spokesman at the UK Ministry of Defence said the use of white phosphorus was permitted in battle in cases where there were no civilians near the target area.

-snip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4440664.stm

[DogPoundPup]

8. Thanks for posting the BBC article!!!!

[Tesha]

11. Don't you get it? *NOTHING* we or the Israelis do is a "war crime". (NT)

[DogPoundPup]

6. That pic is quite different from the others...no fire flares showing in your shot

whereas the others from Getty Images have a lot of fire.

shame on you for deceiving!!!

[Duckhunter935]

9. As I stated

The projectile has an incendiary-producing effect and is ballistically similar to the HE projectile. Normally, shell WP is employed for its incendiary effect.

Here is the full link on smoke projectiles

Sorry I could not find a picture with fire for you

[Duckhunter935]

10. The image from globalsecurity

appears that the incendiary producing parts (flares) are already on the ground

[SoCalDem]

3. Perhaps that's a reason they won't allow any reporters in

Reporters would actually show what's going on..

Lebanon is LITTERED with cluster bomblets..kids & livestock still dying from them :(

some have "pretty little ribbons" attached to them, so of course a kid pulls on the ribbon...and then..well you know

[billyoc]

4. They used them in their last invasion, and neither they nor the U.S. signed the ban,

so unless they're run out of them, I'd say yes, they're using them.

[stillcool]

7. Fallujah + Dahr Jamail

graphic photographs, but you do have to click on a link
http://dahrjamailiraq.com/wpg2