Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Israel admits the Use of Banned Weaponry

By the first week of the July War, Doctors and Human rights demanded that Israel should stop using Phosphoric bombs (UN prohibited weaponry) while in the war the IDF staff and Olmert's government members "gave their word" that they are just hitting Hezbollah with non-banned weapons. The US congress blocked the attempt of transforming Cluster bombs to banned weaponry. Lebanon currently (in the South) is a grave guard for unexploded cluster bombs of over 1.2 million, of which over 80% were littered and scattered in the last three days of the war. Already over 181 Lebanese civilian were wounded/killed post-war due to cluster bombs and after the rain, the Lebanese army anticipates that it would require at least two years to clean the bulk of cluster bombs.
As for me, I have been extensively busy going to the South and checking on the wounded who need daily attention. One of our reports gave a scary number and an anticipation (which came true regarding cluster bombs) that they will not detonate under rain which would make city of Tyre threatened that the cluster bombs would be pushed by the rain towards the inside of the city. Aita el Shaab (a village in the South) will be totally demolished because the Israeli destroyed 90% of the village, our members have been assisting the refugees in camps while we all slept in tents under heavy rains (actually half of the tents broke down). Our members mostly have been active with pulling kids out of the trauma or anger of the war (unlike what Israel teaches its children to send hatred messages written on missiles to our children). All of our progress reports have been issued here.The Article below taken from here.
Israel admits using deadly incendiary during summer war
Army 'made use of phosphorous shells'
Rym Ghazal

BEIRUT: Israel acknowledged on Sunday that it had used the white phosphorous bombs in South Lebanon during the summer war, partially confirming Lebanese allegations for the first time. The Jewish state also said its almost daily violations of Lebanon's airspace would continue in order to monitor what it claimed was ongoing weapons smuggling to Hizbullah.

"The [Israeli military] made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hizbullah in attacks against military targets in open ground," Minister for Government and Parliamentary Relations Yakov Edery told lawmakers last week, the Haaretz daily said Sunday.

Media reports on Israel's use of phosphorous bombs during the 34-day war in Lebanon continue to emerge, as cases of severely burned victims pile up at hospitals across the South.

As the war was raging, the Lebanese government accused Israel of dropping phosphorous bombs and until the announcement by Edery, who was speaking on behalf of Defense Minister Amir Peretz, there were no confirmed reports.

"The Israeli Army holds phosphorous munitions in different forms," Haaretz quoted Edery as saying. However, he did not specify where or against what types of targets the phosphorous bombs were used.
Edery said international law does not ban the use of such weapons. However, many international human rights groups, including the Red Cross, have pushed for them to be outlawed.

"Under international law, the use of white phosphorous (WP) as an incendiary would fall under Protocol III of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, which prohibits use of incendiaries to attack civilians or military targets in civilian areas," Human Rights Watch (HRW) representative in Lebanon Nadim Houry told The Daily Star.
Houry added that it is generally acceptable to use WP not as an offensive weapon, but to provide illumination or to produce smoke for concealment.

Houry added that although Israel is "not party" to the protocol, many of the rules in Protocol III are accepted international standards.

"I would say this is a case where international law may be lagging behind international public opinion," he said.

White phosphorous is a translucent wax-like substance with a pungent smell that, once ignited, creates intense heat and smoke.

"White phosphorous ammunition can have a devastating effect if it is used in the anti-personnel role," said Houry.

In addition to the toxicity of the smoke, burning fragments can stick to the skin and clothing to cause severe burns, and fragments of phosphorous can become buried in wounds.

"The fact that white phosphorous was used is certainly worrisome to Human Rights Watch, and it is incumbent upon Israel to give more information on when, where, why and how it was used, rather than just saying it was used against military targets in open areas. This is not sufficient to assess whether it has indeed spared civilians harm," said Houry.

There have been numerous accusations of Israeli forces using phosphorous against civilians. This was especially true during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon and the 1993 shelling of villages in the South.
Also on Sunday, Peretz said Israel would continue its controversial overflights. He said they were necessary because Hizbullah was still receiving smuggled arms.

"The Lebanese government is falling short of carrying out its commitment under UN Security Council Resolution 1701," the Defense Ministry quoted Peretz as telling the weekly Cabinet meeting. "Increasing intelligence indicates a growing effort to pass weapons into Lebanon.
"As long as these attempts continue, the legitimacy of our flights over Lebanon increases," Peretz added. "As long as Resolution 1701 is not carried out, we have no intention of stopping the flights over Lebanon."
Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said Lebanon is "committed to 1701" and all the violations have been by Israel.

"Israel continues to violate, defy the international community and cause tension in the area but accuses Lebanon of violations," he said.
Israel continued to carry out flights over Lebanese territory on Sunday, with reports of "heavy" activity over the towns of Nabatieh, Marjayoun and Khiam.

The flights have been increasingly criticized by the international community, with France, which currently heads the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, warning last Friday that it might use force the violations. - With agencies.Marxist From Lebanon

30 comments:

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

OH THE SHOCK OF IT!

SAY IT AIN'T SO!

LeftyHenry said...

What a suprise. Who would've guessed?

roman said...

Great one-sided description of prohibited munitions use in the Isreali/Hezbollah war. Curious how there is no mention made of the deliberate targetting of Isreali civilians with munitions packed with ball bearings to insure a maximum possible amount of death or disfigurement.
Also, the following:
"Our members mostly have been active with pulling kids out of the trauma or anger of the war (unlike what Israel teaches its children to send hatred messages written on missiles to our children)."
This cryptic description of dubious varacity has got to be the crudest attempt to win over sympathy to Hezbollah's cause yet. The author insults his readers' intelligence and ability to discern factual assesment from this oversimplified and obviously biased attempt at anti-Isreali propaganda.

Tina said...

Combine this with the info in the Guardian UK from last week that tissue samples taken from Gaza victims seems to indicate that Israel used Dime (Dense Inert Metal Explosive) weapons (which of course Israel vehemently denies using also) and you have to wonder, why is it perceived as anti-Semitic if you simply expect Israel to obey international law?

MarxistFromLebanon said...

For starters Roman, unlike what your beloved Israel invents, this was what happened, so deal with it, you support a terrorist nation.

Second of all, the casualties inflicted by Hezbollah were most of the time military, unlike your "democratic" buddies

Third, why anyone who formulates critiques of Israel is directly anti-semite or a terrorist? I do believe that Israel just admited it is a terrorist nation, so deal with it.

Fourth, Israel has the largest record of murders in its record, so prime time to drop your superiority complex and see the truth as it is. (pethatic CNNish attitude)

Fifth, can Chomsky be nominated Prime Minister of Israel (lol/joking)

So you got a country admiting it is using prohibited weaponry roman, aren't you gonna organize something about it? (and I do not mean sending donations...)

Graeme said...

Color me shocked!

Frederick said...

Willie Pete is some nasty shit, of course if Uncle Sam didn't hand this stuff out like candy...

roman said...

MFL,

You said: "For starters Roman, unlike what your beloved Israel invents, this was what happened, so deal with it, you support a terrorist nation."
Answer: The state of Israel is not my "beloved" and as far as I know it is not a "terrorist nation". How does my effort for an even-handed appraisal of this conflict make me a supporter of one side over the other?

YS: "Second of all, the casualties inflicted by Hezbollah were most of the time military, unlike your "democratic" buddies"
A: An unguided missile packed with ball-bearings fired into a town or city does not constitute a military objective, it is clearly a terrorist tactic. Again, they are not my "buddies" and thank God that they are democratic. If they were a Stalinist style communist entity, the ME would have been a smoldering nuclear wasteland by now.

YS: "Third, why anyone who formulates critiques of Israel is directly anti-semite or a terrorist? I do believe that Israel just admited it is a terrorist nation, so deal with it."
A: I did not call anyone anti-Semitic or a terrorist. Please review my comment, I said inti-Israel.
YS: "Fourth, Israel has the largest record of murders in its record, so prime time to drop your superiority complex and see the truth as it is. (pethatic CNNish attitude)"
A: If I projected a superiority complex in my comment, it was totally unintentional. My only intent here is to express an honest critique of your post.

YS: "Fifth, can Chomsky be nominated Prime Minister of Israel (lol/joking)

So you got a country admiting it is using prohibited weaponry roman, aren't you gonna organize something about it? (and I do not mean sending donations...)"
A: Noam as PM? Not likely... Also, no country should use prohibited weaponry and as such BOTH sides should be criticized, not just one.

Anonymous said...

Steve Cohenhas a long article up at Engage. Steve describes himself as an anti-zionist Zionist. He opposes all nationalism - including Jewish nationalism - and therefore refuses to single it out from any/all other competing nationalisms, and attacks the ideological inconsistencies, lies and malicious obfuscations of anti-Semitic 'anti-imperialists'. His materialist critique takes account of actually existing conditions and actually occurring history. The following gives some of the flavour of his article, but it is really worth setting aside some time to read the whole thing.

Over a century ago August Bebel, the German Marxist, coined the phrase "the socialism of fools" to describe those early socialists who equated world capitalism and world Jewry. In my view much modern anti-Zionism contains caricatures and myths which are equally foolish and equally dangerous. They are both a slur on Jews, all Jews, and do nothing whatsoever to advance the absolutely justifiable struggle of the Palestinians to become free of Israeli hegemony. And yes I think anti-Zionism and anti-semitism should be conceptually and politically kept absolutely apart. However it is the result of the dominant discourse on the modern left that they have crashed into each other and joined up. This discourse is joined up anti-politics at its most grotesque.

.....

In fact I regard the very idea of a Jewish state as quite ludicrous. Can a state be circumcised? Can it eat kosher meat? Can it be barmitzvahed? And I feel the same way about the idea of a Muslim state – such as Pakistan. And I guess this is where we start to differ. I refuse to exceptionalise Israel. I am against exclusivist states. But all states are exclusivist, certainly all bourgeois states. It is their nature. They cannot be otherwise. The British state is a prime example. It is defined, and defines itself, by its immigration laws – who can come and who can stay and who has what rights (if any) dependent on immigration status. Want to define Israel as an apartheid state? Fine – as long as you are prepared to do the same for the UK. Want to organise a boycott of Israeli universities? Fine - as long as you are prepared to do the same for British universities, who are up to their necks in the enforcement of immigration controls. ... Want to demand the "dismantling" (whatever that means) of the Israeli state? Great! I'm for the smashing by the workers of all bourgeois states and their replacement with workers democracy. This is elementary Marxism. Which is why I am for unity between Palestinian and Jewish workers against their own rotten (mis)leaders. What I am not for, what I am against, are clerics waving Kalashnikovs in their attempt to recreate another theocratic monstrosity. ... This exceptionalisation of Israel is anti-enlightenment. It is spiralling political debate and practice into the most obscurantist period of history. It is replacing politics by religion of the most mindless variety (is there any other?). As a traitor of the Jews I am also an atheist – and therefore opposed to Jewish religious practice in any guise. But who are paraded (like puppets) at the head of marches organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign? It is (male) members of the Naturei Karta sect. Sure these people are opposed to Israel. Why? Because the messiah, the real one, the Jewish one, has yet to arrive – and until he arrives then a Jewish state is sacrilege! ... And all this identification with religious obscurantism is supposed to pass as modern politics? And all this lauding of religious fundamentalism is supposed to be beyond criticism?

As an opponent of Israel I will not exceptionalise Israel And as an opponent of Zionism I do not, will not, demonise Zionism. Demonisation reverts to the popular inspired myths of medieval Europe. It is the dark side of theology – and ultimately there is no other side. It is anti secular. It is anti Semitism. Jew as the hidden hand of history. Jew as the devil. Jew as the killer of god. The demonisation of zionism simply transfers this to the killer of all god's people. It is the twenty first century equivalent of the blood libel accusation – the Jew as the murderer of Christian children and the drinker of their blood in order to acquire super-natural powers. This fantastic accusation has been responsible for a thousand years of pogroms.


The *morons* (I'm being polite) who post comments here should also read thisin full. That's correct - I'm fucking telling you to do it. Now get busy with something useful and shut your fucking cakeholes idiots.

Anti-Semitic rantings by schoolchildren are still that - even if uttered by anti-Semitic schoolchildren who identify as the 'social alternative'.

Also, as part of your ongoing education in Marxist analysis of the real world (historical and dialectical), critique which is 'immanent' and praxis (which should go without saying but needs so very obviously to be said, that is 'humanistic') you are also instructed to study this article.

Now grow the fuck up you little freaks.

troutsky said...

Is Will saying all commentors on this site are moron freaks? Because, well, Im commenting here and I just don't see myself as a moronfreak.
Isnt he promoting the Third Way weve been talking about? Before he got so angry.

MarxistFromLebanon said...

I got news for ya, why not reading Origin of the Jews by Yossi Schwartz (www.marxist.com) or Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem (Revisited) by Benny Morris, both are Israeli scholars.

Second you can dump the article because the author argues he is against all forms of Nationalism? Well got news for ya Zionism transformed Judaism from a monothiest religion to a racist ideology.

Hence Jews are a race, and like I said, didn't Israel admit the use of phosphoric bombs? Who is terrorist, no matter what, you can Never justify the killings of civilians. If you give Israel, little willy, that excuse, you are no different than Hitler. Point taken.

MFL

Graeme said...

Will sounds like an ex-leftist that has seen the light! Trying to justify an illegal occupation, like Hitchens. I wish they all would go the way of Horowitz.

Puppeteer said...

Will this debate ever end? Good link, Revolutionary.

Frank Partisan said...

MarxistfromLebanon: Saying Jews are a race, is a big jump. Jews are an ethnic group, comprising several races, nationalities and cultures. Zionists are a faction in the group.

Will: Zionism is for the most part secular. Religious Jewish people, are their least enthusiastic supporters. It is true also that Israel never will be bar-mitzvahed. Zionism gives special priviledges to the ethnic group Jews, based on their religion at birth or religious conversion. A Jewish state is not much different in practice than an Islamist state, which is so opposed by the people you are quoting.

I wonder where the supposed leftist position of opposing all nationalism came from? I think and even know, Marxists have different agendas than nationalists. Nationalism is not something that can be ignored, or can we act like it doesn't exist. The Marxist position is more nuanced in practice, than "opposing all nationalism".

I think only a secular, socialist Israel, that recognizes equally Hebrew and Arabic speaking workers rights, is feasible, to bring peace.

roman said...

Will,

You said: "That's correct - I'm fucking telling you to do it. Now get busy with something useful and shut your fucking cakeholes idiots."

Hey, relax and take a stress pill. You're never going to influence anyone with such an emotional outburst. Your links are interesting and informative, though, and I thank you.

IG said...

Sup RE, just hittin you up to tell you that we are still around. Just busy as hell like a revolutionary should be. Power to the People. Great post by the way.

Reidski said...

Ren - not popped in for a chat in some time. Just wanted to say, great post and liked your comments directed to Will and marxistfromlebanon. On the discussion about nationalism v socialism, I'll always be on the side of James Connolly on that one, which is: be on both sides! It's one of the reasons why I've never been a Trotskyist now that I think about it.

And great to see that your energy for debating never looks like waning - keep it up, my man!

beatroot said...

Yeah, Roman, Will sounds raving. And I really hate this teenage SCREAMING Will, gives me a headache and is not debating something. Yeah, Will: I am ordering you to calm down and try and formulate an argument. OK?

But there is nothing like the Israel thing to bring out the nutters. And you are right Roman: ‘hit and hope’ Hezbollah specials are terrorist by nature because they have no real knowledge of who they are going to blow up.

And yes, Israel’s stupid, counter productive, overreacting, destructive response to Helzbollah’s kidnapping (something that Tel Aviv does regularly) was a massive blow to a struggling Lebanon state, Israel, and Middle East in general. It certainly made Hezbollah much stronger politically, something that I have argued since day one of the war.

But the screaming and ignorance from badge wearing lefties about Israel I find as nauseating as our friend Will.

steven rix said...

The use of white phosphorous in Fallujah (Iraq) was not even covered by the US media, nada, zippo, nicht. On the other hand, the DOD never denied that they used white phosphorous in Fallujah. Since the US sold its patent to Israel (war criminals) I suspect, innocent until guilty, that it may be the same crime in Palestine despite many many arabic articles about this problem.

Honestly, let's think about that one. If Israel or the US use white phosphorous, which is a terrorist act, I beleive, then why do you think we have terrorists in this world? And who in the eels do you think you are, both of you? Oh yes they are good Israelis and good Americans, but in the sharp eye of the so-called enemy they hate our guts and our democracy because we elect leaders that behave like nazis, this is why they don't give a shite about us.


I am somewhat familiar with Lebanon and Palestine. I am familiar with Palestine because I was born in a french city that launched the 1st crusade in Palestine, and I am familiar with Lebanon, because Lenanonese, are still our brothers, despite french colonization.


Long life to Hamas. Hamas is not a terrorist organization, they are the seeds of the muslim brotherhood from Egypt; they used islamist philosophy against Israel, because of the crual acts from Israel in 1948 against Palestine. Today we are in the 21st century, Palestinians need to go back to their lands, the shift of power does not belong to the UN, and belongs less to the US.


BUSH KATEL (arabic).

Frank Partisan said...

Reidski: I hope you'll come back to the fight. He had some passionate disagreements, particularly against a certain nudist, that make great reading.

Will: Steve Cohen doesn't oppose all nationalisms equally, he actually supports every nationalism equally.

politiques: Hamas was an Israeli subsidized alternative to secular, and in its early days revolutionary Fatah.

Angry Anarchist said...

the latest report says that israel has used radiation-emitting weaponry (depleted uranium or some other form of it), along with some very strange material... they have also been using the same in gaza.. could it be that israel was developing these weapons to test them on HezbAllah during Al-Quds day rallies? note that these have a small radius but great destructive power, so perhaps the intention was to minimize "collateral damage" at the same time effectively wiping out the bulk of HezbAllah fighters (or at a minimum its leadership)..

Baconeater said...

Hezbollah used cluster bombs on civilians. Of course, what else would we expect from lesser humans. It has to be forgiven.

Israel is supposed to do no wrong. They are supposed to be morally superior. At least that is what the Arabs and their supporters use as a premise.

As far as those using Arab rhetoric here. There is no such thing as Palestinian land. Land has no DNA. It is either owned and/or goverened.
Demographics change everywhere and until sovereign, might makes right. That is how every country started.

The Palestinians can say the earth is made of green cheese too until they are out of breath, but that won't make it true.

Israel was not sovereign until 1948 and the West bank and Gaza are still not sovereign and thus up for grabs.

The Palestinian mentality is mind numbing. No problem accepting Arab immigration to sovereign nations around the world, but when it comes to Jews going to the Palestinian region prior to 1948 they show their true hypocricy.

Baconeater said...

Hamas is not a terrorist organization?

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Have you seen their charter?
Sure it started out as a humanitarian organization, but in 1987 Rantisi changed the parties goals. They are as terrorist an organization as there is.

You revisionists are funny.

steven rix said...

If you think that Hamas is a terrorist organization, then we need to put other elected democratic governments on the terrorist list :) It is not revisionnism it is called reality.

أنت حمقاء

steven rix said...

Hey Bacon from Ontario where are you in Ont? I lived in Ontario before, in Rockland, London, Paris, Sault Sainte Marie, Ottawa, Niagara and Toronto.

MarxistFromLebanon said...

Athiest Jew, immigrating is one thing, but kicking out a whole set of people is another, so spare me the drama (Palestine 1919: 5% Jew who lived in perfect harmony with other sects... no issue of gaining independence... should ring a bell for you).

Second, Hezbollah and cluster bombs, even the Israeli government didn't mention that even though they love to bullshit the public (specially bombing 'Hezbollah' only).

Third, now Israel other than facing banned Phosphoric bombs, is about to recieve a new war crime accusation: Harvested Uranium used on civilians. Bravo... who is the terrorist again?

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article1935945.ece

Dahlia said...

Hi R-Eye - Great post and discussion.

As I wrote in an earlier post on Just Dahlia, ...when Israel bombs and kills over 1,200 civilians, decimates homes and destroys basic infrastructure needed by the civilian population to survive, in order, according to its own declarations, to root out less than 100 Hezbollah combatants, Israel may be held to account for contravening the laws of war - both proportionality and discrimination. The applicable terms are war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

The terrorizing and killing of innocent civilians is defined as terrorism, perpetrated by terrorists. Israel has placed this label on Hezbollah. However, righting the wrong that Israel claims does not come about by descending to the same level and sinking even further into moral deficit and legal delict. Shame!

steven rix said...

clap clap Dahlia, I am proud that you stand for yourself against these mean people that support wars.

MarxistFromLebanon said...

Politique USA, are you sure you and Puppeteer are not relatives or something, you almost got the same characters man.

:D

MFL

steven rix said...

Politique USA, are you sure you and Puppeteer are not relatives or something, you almost got the same characters man.

She is free to think on the land of freedom, and so am I. It does not mean we do agree on everything, it is called respect. Come on she is a nice muslim married woman :D