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  • SUNDAY OCTOBER 22 2006 2:00 PM

Israel Admits Using Phosphorous Weapons

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by legionnaire

Tags: Israel, phosphorous, geneva conventions, Hezbollah

During Israel's fight against Hezbollah troops in southern Lebanon this past summer, the Israeli army faced the daunting task of trying to pinpoint military targets that were peppered within civilian areas. The result was incredible carnage as collateral damage claimed the lives of civilians on both sides of the conflict, with Hezbollah indiscriminately attacking areas with civilians and Israelis killing Lebanese where Hezbollah troops were operating. Despite claims that the army worked to pinpoint strictly military targets, Israel now admits to having used white phosphorous based weapons, incendiary devices capable of inflicting massive burns during the conflict, raising the question of how strictly their counterassaults were directed against military centers of operation.

Cabinet minister Jacob Edery confirmed the bombs were dropped "against military targets in open ground".

Israel had previously said the weapons were used only to mark targets.

Phosphorus weapons cause chemical burns and the Red Cross and human rights groups say they should be treated as chemical weapons.

The Geneva Conventions ban the use of white phosphorous as an incendiary weapon against civilian populations and in air attacks against military forces in civilian areas.

Mr Edery says he confirmed during a parliamentary session last week on behalf of Defence Minister Amir Peretz that the weapons were used in fighting.

"The Israeli army made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hezbollah in attacks against military targets in open ground," he said.


The usage of phosphorous in warfare against civilian targets is restricted by the 1980 UN Convention on Certain Conventional weapons, to which Israel is a signatory party, in an attempt to minimize the significant collateral damage these weapons are capable of creating.

The Israeli government is insisting that while the weapons were used, they were operating within the allowable treaty guidelines. Certainly the nature of the military operations against Hezbollah made it exceedingly difficult to distinguish between military and civilian targets (is an apartment building with a Hezbollah sniper inside a military or civilian structure?) However, the civilian recipients of these bombs might have argued for a more judicious use of these munitions.

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heresy2007

heresy2007

New Paltz, NY
July 2004

OCT 22, 2006 03:48 PM

SpectreInTheUK said:
Willy Pete shouldn't be banned anyways. Good stuff it is.



So glad to know that we have intellegent people in our armed forces.

This comment is being recorded for all future warcrimes trials.

I'll be using it as a quote of how compassionate our armed forces are.

Thanks

SockPuppet

SockPuppet

I'm lost
July 2006

OCT 22, 2006 03:49 PM

Vampiresoldier said:

DavidAwood said:
Ok, my question is, what happens if the UN or another governing body desides that Isreal used these waepons inlawfully? Does anything happen, or does someone walk up and say, bad boy! Real bad boy!



When was the last time anything that the UN did was really taken into consideration? The UN has lost a lot of its credibility, it seems is just there because it has to be. When the US doesn't care what the UN says, the rest of the world sure as hell won't care either.



Should the US be caring a bit more, then? (I'm not snarking, I'd really like to know.)

I do think the UN is there because it is needed. Small nations need a global voice, and the UN is the only one they have.

heresy2007

heresy2007

New Paltz, NY
July 2004

OCT 22, 2006 03:50 PM

Vampiresoldier said:

DavidAwood said:
Ok, my question is, what happens if the UN or another governing body desides that Isreal used these waepons inlawfully? Does anything happen, or does someone walk up and say, bad boy! Real bad boy!



When was the last time anything that the UN did was really taken into consideration? The UN has lost a lot of its credibility, it seems is just there because it has to be. When the US doesn't care what the UN says, the rest of the world sure as hell won't care either.



That is a little short sighted,
but some what accurate in regards to the UN. A little less accurate in regards to the US, and the "rest of the world" though.

darwinsjoke

darwinsjoke

Virginia Beach, VA
July 2003

OCT 22, 2006 03:59 PM

Vampiresoldier said:

DavidAwood said:
Ok, my question is, what happens if the UN or another governing body desides that Isreal used these waepons inlawfully? Does anything happen, or does someone walk up and say, bad boy! Real bad boy!



When was the last time anything that the UN did was really taken into consideration? The UN has lost a lot of its credibility, it seems is just there because it has to be. When the US doesn't care what the UN says, the rest of the world sure as hell won't care either.


I take it you don't remember our dear leader hyping various UN resolutions before we kicked off Operation Iraqi Liberation? Hell, he even used it in the State of the Union address before we attacked.

MetaTag

MetaTag

United Kingdom
September 2002

OCT 22, 2006 04:41 PM

Dead_Ringer said:
Every word in this "piece" is antisemtic. I don't have to back that up in any objective manner, by the way, because 9/11 excuses me from such obligations.



Arabs are Semites too. So what you really mean is against Israel's interests as you see them, which seems to be (in your mind) to fight using any means, however cruel, whoever is hurt and without regard for Internationally agreed standards of conduct.

Take a look at yourself, if you remember how.

Oh, and by the way, I do not in any way support Hezbollah or there tactics.

pumpkinfire

pumpkinfire

Oakland, CA
June 2003

OCT 22, 2006 05:09 PM

catdad said:

DavidAwood said:
Ok, my question is, what happens if the UN or another governing body desides that Isreal used these waepons inlawfully? Does anything happen, or does someone walk up and say, bad boy! Real bad boy!



Anything the UN would try to do would be blocked by the good ol' USA. It's god's will, you know.



pumpkinfire

pumpkinfire

Oakland, CA
June 2003

OCT 22, 2006 05:22 PM

it seems that our government is afraid that if they are not on Israel's team. that they will be called nazis. I for one (as a citizine and tax payer) wish that our country/ government, would stop supporting isrial, and just stay out of it. I think that there is a connection between this and 9/11, and that connection is our lame ass forign policy, and our seemingly unconditional support for isrial.

ps. please don't jump up my ass for writing the above. I am no antisemite or nazi, this is just my opinon.

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

OCT 22, 2006 05:25 PM

MetaTag said:

Dead_Ringer said:
Every word in this "piece" is antisemtic. I don't have to back that up in any objective manner, by the way, because 9/11 excuses me from such obligations.



Arabs are Semites too. So what you really mean is against Israel's interests as you see them, which seems to be (in your mind) to fight using any means, however cruel, whoever is hurt and without regard for Internationally agreed standards of conduct.


Of course that's what I mean. But to be fair, it is not only Israel that has the right to fight the Islamofascists on its her own terms. All states have the right, ney the responsibility to use whatever means necessary to kill them all where they sleep. I don't know about you, but I don't want my grandchildren speaking Islamic when they are my age.

Take a look at yourself, if you remember how.


I'm on the side of defending freedom and what God put on this Earth - America and her ally, Israel. Anyone not fighting this fight is no better than the Islamofascists.

Oh, and by the way, I do not in any way support Hezbollah or there tactics.


Criticising Israel is a funny way of showing that you "do not support Hezbollah."

mamet

mamet

Charleston, SC
March 2005

OCT 22, 2006 05:32 PM

catdad said:

DavidAwood said:
Ok, my question is, what happens if the UN or another governing body desides that Isreal used these waepons inlawfully? Does anything happen, or does someone walk up and say, bad boy! Real bad boy!



Anything the UN would try to do would be blocked by the good ol' USA. It's god's will, you know.



We foot the bill, we make the rules! Woohoo!

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

OCT 22, 2006 05:39 PM

oyaji said:

Dead_Ringer said:

unapathetic said:
Dead Ringer: You're fucking kidding me, right? How is being critical of Israel's tactics "anti-semetic"? Are you saying that Israel should be able to do whatever they want, because anyone who disagrees hates Jews? Give me a fucking break. And what does 9/11 have to do with any of this? Somehow 9/11 gives Israel the right to do anything? You've got some serious mental problems if you think that's a logical connection.


Antisemite. Just like I said. And yes, we are at war, and everyone needs to remember that if we don't fight the Islamofascists over there by any means necessary, even those means that subvert our own values, they will come over here and force you and me to enroll in shari'ia schools. Israel has the right to fight the Islamofascists. Blame the Islamofascists for hiding in civilian areas if they don't want babies to be burned alive by sparklers and WP.



Man, you're the fascist! I bet you hate America, too. Thank's for doing osama bin laden's work for him. Terrorist! mad


LOL You libs are hilarious - drawing a moral equivalence between America, and the Islamofascists. When Nancy Pelosi is in charge, I bet you'll set up special luxury suits in hotels near Ground Zero for them to stay until the war against the Islamofascists is over - at tax payer expense!

pb

pb

USA
December 2003

OCT 22, 2006 05:42 PM

what a convoluted way of saying, "i think war is bad, Israelis are war criminals, and all militaries want to kill civilians because it gets their rocks off." there's nothing about this piece which can be considered objective and therefore cannot really construed as news. i'm no neocon, but i believe transparently biased pieces such as this actually hurt the neocon opposition.

for the record, in war, a sniper in a building makes that building a military target just as a mosque would be in the same situation. the fault lies in Hezbollah's use of civilian areas as battlefields. using civilians as shields is written into almost every terrorist SOP there is.

legionairre, we get it. you're anti-war. stop beating us over the head with it.

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

OCT 22, 2006 05:44 PM

painbearer said:
what a convoluted way of saying, "i think war is bad, Israelis are war criminals, and all militaries want to kill civilians because it gets their rocks off." there's nothing about this piece which can be considered objective and therefore cannot really construed as news. i'm no neocon, but i believe transparently biased pieces such as this actually hurt the neocon opposition.

for the record, in war, a sniper in a building makes that building a military target just as a mosque would be in the same situation. the fault lies in Hezbollah's use of civilian areas as battlefields. using civilians as shields is written into almost every terrorist SOP there is.

legionairre, we get it. you're anti-war. stop beating us over the head with it.


Very well put.

pb

pb

USA
December 2003

OCT 22, 2006 05:51 PM

heresy2006 said:

SpectreInTheUK said:
Willy Pete shouldn't be banned anyways. Good stuff it is.



So glad to know that we have intellegent people in our armed forces.

This comment is being recorded for all future warcrimes trials.

I'll be using it as a quote of how compassionate our armed forces are.

Thanks



a truly enlightened individual, such as you purport to be, would realize the opinion expressed above is that of a single person and in all probability not indicative of a large group of people. true liberals resist making blanket statements about certain demographics, which otherwise can be called "prejudice."

you show yourself to be merely the flip side of the same coin with your reaction to this.




NickFaust

NickFaust

USA
April 2004

OCT 22, 2006 05:52 PM

Dead_Ringer said:

painbearer said:
what a convoluted way of saying, "i think war is bad, Israelis are war criminals, and all militaries want to kill civilians because it gets their rocks off." there's nothing about this piece which can be considered objective and therefore cannot really construed as news. i'm no neocon, but i believe transparently biased pieces such as this actually hurt the neocon opposition.

for the record, in war, a sniper in a building makes that building a military target just as a mosque would be in the same situation. the fault lies in Hezbollah's use of civilian areas as battlefields. using civilians as shields is written into almost every terrorist SOP there is.

legionairre, we get it. you're anti-war. stop beating us over the head with it.


Very well put.



Okay - you now offically need a sarcasm switch - we need to know when it is on and when it is off.

Andvari

Andvari

Calgary, AB
April 2005

OCT 22, 2006 05:54 PM

Vampiresoldier said:

DavidAwood said:
Ok, my question is, what happens if the UN or another governing body desides that Isreal used these waepons inlawfully? Does anything happen, or does someone walk up and say, bad boy! Real bad boy!



When was the last time anything that the UN did was really taken into consideration? The UN has lost a lot of its credibility, it seems is just there because it has to be. When the US doesn't care what the UN says, the rest of the world sure as hell won't care either.



The UN will have credibility when the member nations want it to. By itself the UN has no power.

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