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Okay, now back to the original topic! Cluster bombs used against Lebanon.

kanelli wrote:Shaf, by the way, what is IDF? I'm reading the Human Rights Watch report and they mention IDF without writing out in full what it actually is. The report is definitely saying that they can find little to no evidence of Hezbollah launching attacks from some areas where Israel dropped bombs.

As Freza said, IDF is the name of the Israeli Army - 'Israeli Defence Force'.

Having read the HRW report, has your opinion changed in anyway?

The use of cluster bombs is questionably a war crime, but the attack on civilian infrastructure is unquestionably war crimes (as defined by international law).

Chocs - From a social perspective, we do have laws governing actions during wars that countries have signed up to. This is because the countries agree that there are certain acts which can never be condoned and that should be collectively punished if undertaken. This is just an extension of having national laws that say define the difference between a murder and manslaughter and justifiable homicide. Everyone agrees that killing is wrong, but we still have these laws.. by extension the same argument can be used for have 'rules of engagement'.

Cluster bombs were used in Lebanon, and HRW is saying (see original article) this was against international law.

Is anyone any the clearer

Cheers,
Shafique

Yes, Shaf, it has changed. That was the first time that I had seen a report that said that there was no evidence at some of the Israeli bombed places to support the idea that Hezbollah had attacked from there. It is very disappointing to see Israel lie like that, and for the media to be downplaying or ignoring the human rights groups' reports.

Agree with you Kanelli - it is sad.

Just read the news story about the Israelis hitting a Reuters car and injuring a journalist in Gaza. The initial excuse from the IDF was that the car was not marked as 'Press' and that they are sorry for this. On the face of it, it sounds plausible - I heard this news on the radio coming in to work this morning.

Then you look at the photos of the car - and it's eblazoned Press, in English, Arabic and Hebrew, painted white - and the missile has gone through the 'R' of 'reuters'.
It makes as much sense as the assertion that they mistakenly shelled the UN outpost for 10 hours and eventually killed 4 peacekeepers!

The cynics may argue that Israel is targetting the press in Gaza to keep them from reporting from there.

So, either they are lying, are incompetent or are deliberately targetting journalists in Gaza. As you have seen from the report, Israel is not above lying..and being caught out in lies is what is fueling the enmity the whole world is showing towards Israel.

Sad.

Cheers,
Shafique