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| Home Front: Politix |
| No cluster bombs to Israel |
| 2006-08-15 |
| In recent days, Israel appealed to the US government to speed up a shipment of cluster bombs, which they claim will help the IDF in their fight against Hizbullah . These are M26 rockets, each containing thousands of ball bearings that scatter over large areas. The sale of these cluster bombs to Israel was approved prior to the July 12th outbreak of fighting in Lebanon , although the final delivery was not executed. Israel intended to accumulate the bombs to prepare for the possibility of war with Arab nations. With the onset of the battle with Hizbullah, the need for them became urgent in order to deal with the organization's rocket launchers. However, in Congress, which needs to approve the final delivery, voices of dissent have made themselves heard, claiming that such weaponry will increase civilian casualties. Congress is reevaluating their decision regarding the shipment and, in the event that it is approved again, delivery of the cluster bombs will come with a warning for Israel to be extra-careful in their use in Lebanon. |
| Posted by:leroidavid |
| #8 WEll, DonM, we both do it because it's effective. It spreads the energy out in a larger area, rather than overkilling a single point. If you are aiming at a rocket launcher (the US targets), then you have a good chance of damanging or destroying the launcher, the rockets, and the people manning them. Or at least, getting some damage in. If you are targeting children (the Islamic way), then rather than blow one to smithereens, you can wound and maybe kill dozens. So, yes, the weapons technologies and intents are similar. The US and Nazis in WWII had many similar technologies, too. It's the use to which they are placed that matters. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2006-08-15 22:07 |
| #7 Thanks Shieldwolf, I appreciate the info. But it still doesn't explain the reference to "thousands of ball bearings". It reads, to me, that the author is trying to establish an Israeli equivalency to the Hiz b' Arabs use of ball bearings in their rockets and suicide belts. |
| Posted by: DonM 2006-08-15 17:54 |
| #6 It seems Congress or at least the bigotted "humanitarian" Dem's there are really keen on pushing Israel towards actually manufacturing their own critical munitions, because it is becoming obvious that we cannot rely on help from Congress when our necks are on the block. |
| Posted by: Elder of Zion 2006-08-15 16:20 |
| #5 It is an artillery rocket for the MLRS system. The rocket is a cargo round : it launches, arcs to the target, at a preset height it detonates the carrier shell, and the cluster munitions are spread over the impact area. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-08-15 16:18 |
| #4 Please correct me if I'm wrong here but aren't cluster bombs designed to open above ground releasing a large number of bomblets that explode on impact? Very useful against runways and as an antipersonnel weapon. And, if it's a cluster "Bomb" why refer to it as an M26 rocket. This doesn't add up and looks like sloppy reporting to me. |
| Posted by: DonM 2006-08-15 13:16 |
| #3 I will say again - the cluster munitions are to suppress anti-tank fire and kill the gunners. The "civilians" that are co-located with the missleers and gunners are probably not innocent. If you stay next to one of these, you get a Darwin Award. CA is correct. We need a roll-call vote. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2006-08-15 09:36 |
| #2 I notice that no names are cited in the article. Let's have an up/down vote in the House and the Senate, I'll bet there will be a different outcome. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-08-15 00:46 |
| #1 Congress what a bunch of hypocritical assholes. |
| Posted by: djohn66 2006-08-15 00:12 |