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Last update - 16:10 01/10/2008
Israel cuts U.S. cluster bombs for homemade self-detonating brand
By Reuters
Tags: Israel News, IMI 

Israel has cut purchases of United States-made cluster bombs, defense officials said on Tuesday, stocking up on supplies from a state-owned Israeli company rather than heeding calls for an outright ban.

The Israel Defense Forces want to avoid a repeat of civilian casualties from cluster bombs during and after the 2006 Second Lebanon war, the officials said. More than 100 countries have banned the bombs because they can kill indiscriminately.

Cluster bombs have a relatively high failure rate compared to more conventional explosive munitions, but are favored by armies as a way of hitting enemy combatants in areas where no precise targets can be located.
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The Israel Air Force and artillery showered south Lebanon with cluster shells, each containing dozens or hundreds of grenade-size bomblets, during the 34-day war against Hezbollah guerrillas two years ago.

Between 30 percent and 40 percent of the bombs failed to explode on impact, according to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMACC). Many of these were later detonated by accident, killing 20 civilians and wounding 195, it said.

IDF officials disputed the UNMACC's findings, putting the "dud rate" at less than 15 percent.

"But we recognize that this was a problem, caused by the fact that in the first week and half of the war we were relying, pretty much exclusively, on an arsenal of American ordnance that was likely to produce duds, either because of design faults or the fact it had been on the shelf so long," one official said.

"We were cognizant of the civilian costs of the war in Lebanon and the lessons learned from the cluster-bomb issue received especially close attention."

While no army wants to fire dud bombs in conflict, failed devices that later maim and kill civilians have created diplomatic pressures that Israel wants to limit.

The officials said Israel has since begun switching to the M85 cluster bomb made by Israel Military Industries' (IMI), which says the weapon includes a self-destruct fuse designed to blow up unexploded ordnance.

IMI claims a less than 1 percent dud-rate. A 2007 report on the M85 by Norwegian People's Aid, one of several groups campaigning for a ban on cluster munitions, rated it at more like 10 percent.

Critics say cluster bomb reliability can be impaired by tough terrain or by bomb container shells that fail to open properly - factors not always simulated in laboratory tests.

The Norwegian study confirmed that American cluster munitions used by Israel in Lebanon were less reliable.

"By far the most widely used bomblets were the older U.S.-produced.. These bomblets are known to be unreliable and, not surprisingly, a high proportion failed to function and were left unexploded across large areas of land," it said.

The United States, along with Israel and other major military powers such as China and Russia, has declined to join a global drive to ban the cluster bomb.

But the Pentagon said in July that it would require better safety standards in U.S.-made cluster munitions.


Related articles:
  • IDF commander: We fired more than a million cluster bombs in Lebanon
  • Cluster bomb blast kills man, wounds another in S. Lebanon
  • UN: Peacekeeper killed in south Lebanon cluster bomb explosion
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      1.   cluster bombs fro free 15:33  |  Imad 30/09/08
      2.   Self-destruction is only one benefit 16:09  |  Arie 30/09/08
      3.   Better give us back some of our money then... 16:44  |  Silvienne 30/09/08
      4.   suicide bombers and hiding behind innocent civillians can kill 17:28  |  terrornator 30/09/08
      5.   makes those who love Israel despair 18:55  |  Murray 30/09/08
      6.   Imad a simple lesson 19:40  |  Miche Norman 30/09/08
      7.   Cluster bombs soould be outlawed along with land mines! 19:43  |  Tom Clark 30/09/08
      8.   M85s in Georgia 19:47  |  Stephen 30/09/08
      9.   Opprobrium 20:03  |  Anthony 30/09/08
      10.   Inventing News 20:17  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/09/08
      11.   Thank you 21:43  |  Lebanese American 30/09/08
      12.   how does this rightous group know they have a 10% failure rate. 23:04  |  ralph 30/09/08
      13.   #7 however they are not and they are good weapon when they work 23:05  |  ralph 30/09/08
      14.   no cluster bomb dropped in raids on cities and villages is "safer 00:23  |  wahwahclickwahwahboo 01/10/08
      15.   Good idea 00:40  |  Mark Lincoln 01/10/08
      16.   How nice, but they are bombs 01:20  |  Fritz T. 01/10/08
      17.   As long as hezbollah has 40,000 rockets 01:26  |  Ron 01/10/08
      18.   what can i say, i`m thrilled 01:43  |  dp 01/10/08
      19.   #6 Perhaps look at the timeline, Michael Norman 01:44  |  Johnboy 01/10/08
      20.   way to go Israelis;use your own inovation on weapondry and on 01:50  |  glenna 01/10/08
      21.   GIVE ME A BREAK;GOVERNMENTALS OF ALL NATIONS SELL BACK AND FORTH 01:56  |  glenna 01/10/08
      22.   safer cluster bombs 02:26  |  schafe82 01/10/08
      23.   Mark of Lewistown #10 02:30  |  schafe82 01/10/08
      24.   #2 so what you are saying Arie is 03:36  |  just a thought 01/10/08
      25.   israel denies then admits 03:53  |  VIPER 01/10/08
      26.   Civilians as opposed to terrorists 04:06  |  Felix 01/10/08
      27.   It was a dark and stormy night... 04:16  |  Persian Kitty 01/10/08
      28.   yeah 04:43  |  Sure 01/10/08
      29.   yet another example of measure israel will take to cut down 05:09  |  jj 01/10/08
      30.   A question not a a criticism 05:56  |  D 01/10/08
      31.   Thank you Israel, for rejecting our crappie-duds 07:10  |  Pablo B 01/10/08
      32.   Why don`t Lebanese sue US 08:15  |  Palestinian 01/10/08
      33.   answer to #26 08:29  |  Paul 01/10/08
      34.   20/21 Shafe82 - OHSA 08:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/08
      35.   # 29, Here`s your answer 09:58  |  Michael 01/10/08
      36.   KUDOS to israel for finally buying a better product! 10:42  |  eric 01/10/08
      37.   When we have questions about American loans 11:05  |  x-ray 01/10/08
      38.   KUDOS to israel for finally buying a better product! 12:17  |  eric 01/10/08
      39.   Cluster Bombs to the Closet. 14:51  |  Stephen. 01/10/08
      40.   #31:Palestinian, Because they drew First Blood 15:19  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 01/10/08
      41.   #25 ASSVIPER 17:31  |  Ibn Musa 01/10/08
      42.   #32, Palestinian... 17:42  |  Silvienne 01/10/08
      43.   Cluster Bombs Make Good Neighbors 18:06  |  Baruch Gold 01/10/08
      44.   #3 Silvienne - No need to give back the $$$ 18:17  |  * BEN JABO 01/10/08
      45.   #32 Silvienne - Israel should be suing China 18:35  |  * BEN JABO 01/10/08
      46.   Israel trained Chinese Police for Olympics 18:37  |  * BEN JABO 01/10/08
      47.   Lewiston:You REALLY need to check you `facts` 19:02  |  Arie 01/10/08
      48.   #44, Ben Jabo... 21:54  |  Silvienne 01/10/08
      49.   #45, Ben Jabo... 21:57  |  Silvienne 01/10/08
      50.   #46, Ben Jabo... 21:58  |  Silvienne 01/10/08
      51.   #48 Silvienne - Weapons "PURCHASES" 22:34  |  *BEN JABO 01/10/08
      52.   #49 Silvienne - YOUR memory fails you 22:38  |  * BEN JABO 01/10/08
      53.   #50 Silvienne - You`re off topic again 22:39  |  * BEN JABO 01/10/08
      54.   Arie - I Have the Facts 23:29  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/08
      55.   #52, Ben Jabo..oh! but I did... 23:58  |  Silvienne 01/10/08
      56.   An unlovely legacy 01:27  |  Tony Price 02/10/08
      57.   #55 Silvienne - Your "work" computer is your problem 02:59  |  * BEN JABO 02/10/08
      58.   cluster bombs 04:27  |  Paul 02/10/08
      59.   I`m very pleased this has finally come! 11:36  |  Whiskey Rivers 02/10/08
      60.   Ben Ben Ben. How transparent you are, Ben Jabo 12:14  |  Whiskey Rivers 02/10/08
      61.   #57, Ben Jabo....3RD TRY 00:15  |  Silvienne 03/10/08
      62.   Cluster Bombs 01:32  |  Billclock 03/10/08
      63.   #60 Whiskey (your name speaks for itself) 16:07  |  * BEN JABO 03/10/08