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Last update - 14:20 12/09/2006 IDF commander: We fired more than a million cluster bombs in Lebanon By Meron Rappaport "What we did was insane and monstrous, we covered entire towns in cluster bombs," the head of an IDF rocket unit in Lebanon said regarding the use of cluster bombs and phosphorous shells during the war. Quoting his battalion commander, the rocket unit head stated that the IDF fired around 1,800 cluster bombs, containing over 1.2 million cluster bomblets. In addition, soldiers in IDF artillery units testified that the army used phosphorous shells during the war, widely forbidden by international law. According to their claims, the vast majority of said explosive ordinance was fired in the final 10 days of the war. Advertisement The rocket unit commander stated that Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) platforms were heavily used in spite of the fact that they were known to be highly inaccurate. MLRS is a track or tire carried mobile rocket launching platform, capable of firing a very high volume of mostly unguided munitions. The basic rocket fired by the platform is unguided and imprecise, with a range of about 32 kilometers. The rockets are designed to burst into sub-munitions at a planned altitude in order to blanket enemy army and personnel on the ground with smaller explosive rounds. The use of such weaponry is controversial mainly due to its inaccuracy and ability to wreak great havoc against indeterminate targets over large areas of territory, with a margin of error of as much as 1,200 meters from the intended target to the area hit. The cluster rounds which don't detonate on impact, believed by the United Nations to be around 40% of those fired by the IDF in Lebanon, remain on the ground as unexploded munitions, effectively littering the landscape with thousands of land mines which will continue to claim victims long after the war has ended. Because of their high level of failure to detonate, it is believed that there are around 500,000 unexploded munitions on the ground in Lebanon. To date 12 Lebanese civilians have been killed by these mines since the end of the war. According to the commander, in order to compensate for the inaccuracy of the rockets and the inability to strike individual targets precisely, units would "flood" the battlefield with munitions, accounting for the littered and explosive landscape of post-war Lebanon. When his reserve duty came to a close, the commander in question sent a letter to Defense Minister Amir Peretz outlining the use of cluster munitions, a letter which has remained unanswered. 'Excessive injury and unnecessary suffering' It has come to light that IDF soldiers fired phosphorous rounds in order to cause fires in Lebanon. An artillery commander has admitted to seeing trucks loaded with phosphorous rounds on their way to artillery crews in the north of Israel. A direct hit from a phosphorous shell typically causes severe burns and a slow, painful death. International law forbids the use of weapons that cause "excessive injury and unnecessary suffering", and many experts are of the opinion that phosphorous rounds fall directly in that category. The International Red Cross has determined that international law forbids the use of phosphorous and other types of flammable rounds against personnel, both civilian and military. IDF: No violation of international law In response, the IDF Spokesman's Office stated that "International law does not include a sweeping prohibition of the use of cluster bombs. The convention on conventional weaponry does not declare a prohibition on [phosphorous weapons], rather, on principles regulating the use of such weapons. "For understandable operational reasons, the IDF does not respond to [accounts of] details of weaponry in its possession. "The IDF makes use only of methods and weaponry which are permissible under international law. Artillery fire in general, including MLRS fire, were used in response solely to firing on the state of Israel." The Defense Minister's office said it had not received messages regarding cluster bomb fire. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Sex, lies and videotape 3 kibbutz residents suspected of filming themselves sexually assaulting Danish tourists. Big brother is watching An IDF soldier has been jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook.   1.   War crime? 11:09  |  Lena 12/09/06   2.   Investing in Peace 11:14  |  Karim 12/09/06   3.   they deserved at least 3 million more!!! 11:16  |  Jane 12/09/06   4.   unlikely they fired innnacurate cluster bombs with the IDF in SL 11:18  |  paul 12/09/06   5.   To the Israeli People 11:24  |  gus 12/09/06   6.   And there you have it 11:24  |  Maral 12/09/06   7.   war crimes 11:27  |  Nasser 12/09/06   8.   more than a million crimes 11:34  |  raymond deane 12/09/06   9.   Jane is looking for Tarzan 11:37  |  Ali 12/09/06   10.   paul, you do not have to buy it, we do , lands are full of them 11:38  |  gus 12/09/06   11.   Its true, its true 11:40  |  Ali 12/09/06   12.   To Paul 11:41  |  Maral 12/09/06   13.   REVENGE FOR THOSE BALL BEARINGS? 11:43  |  NEUTERED OBSERVER 12/09/06   14.   Lena, thank you for your little words. 11:44  |  gus 12/09/06   15.   To No.3 - Jane 11:46  |  Stupor 12/09/06   16.   To Jane No. 3 - Hezbollah is Your Own Creation 11:51  |  Karim 12/09/06   17.   no morality in your chiefs 11:52  |  salim 12/09/06   18.   # 5 gus 12:07  |  Proud Israeli Jew 12/09/06   19.   israel can 12:10  |  mehmet 12/09/06   20.   I heard almost incessant firing into southern Lebanon 12:13  |  Judith 12/09/06   21.   and they will get away with it 12:15  |  Jihad 12/09/06   22.   HUMAN SHIELDS 12:15  |  vdH 12/09/06   23.   # 2 Karim 12:17  |  Proud Israeli Jew 12/09/06   24.   war crimes 12:21  |  ramona 12/09/06   25.   Ashamed 12:22  |  Itsik 12/09/06   26.   Depleted Uranim 12:23  |  Dav 12/09/06   27.   Cleaning up our act 12:23  |  sh 12/09/06   28.   IDF "commander" - Who? His name? 12:24  |  Pete 12/09/06   29.   Cluster Bombs 12:28  |  Samir 12/09/06   30.   Should have used tactical nuclear shells 12:31  |  Jerry 12/09/06   31.   # 19 Dav 12:33  |  Proud Israeli Jew 12/09/06   32.   To Judith 12:40  |  Maral 12/09/06   33.   Today`s top story 12:41  |  Boycott 12/09/06   34.   Kerim, Who is HZB. Don`t they are Lebanese 12:42  |  Aby 12/09/06   35.   To the Israeli posters who believe 12:44  |  Maral 12/09/06   36.   # 20 Judith 12:44  |  Igor 12/09/06   37.   Paul and Neutered Observer 12:44  |  Johnboy 12/09/06   38.   Cluster bombs = sheer evil. Shame on IDF terrorists 12:45  |  Stephen Murray 12/09/06   39.   Unexploded submunitions 12:47  |  Pete 12/09/06   40.   Israel, the dream is over 12:49  |  Margaret Porter 12/09/06   41.   Find out the truth of this matter 12:49  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/09/06   42.   Ali in Beirut 12:51  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/09/06   43.   #27 Pete - pull your head out, sonny... 12:52  |  Johnboy 12/09/06   44.   And jews were Whining About 12:54  |  Abe 12/09/06   45.   # 27 Pete 12:54  |  Proud Israeli Jew 12/09/06   46.   So What? 12:56  |  Pegasus 12/09/06   47.   To Ali, #5 12:58  |  Brian 12/09/06   48.   Margaret Porter 12:59  |  Justicia 12/09/06   49.   It did not take long 13:07  |  Mike 12/09/06   50.   To Proud Israeli Jew 13:08  |  Maral 12/09/06   51.   Million bombs or million bomblets? 13:17  |  Vital 12/09/06   52.   To Pegasus 13:29  |  Maral 12/09/06   53.   haaretz 13:30  |  nancy 12/09/06   54.   Ha`Aretz Now are you happy???? 13:32  |  Ari ben Yisrael 12/09/06   55.   Concerning "human shields" 13:35  |  Maral 12/09/06   56.   A voice from Labnon 13:37  |  Thanks Dav 12/09/06   57.   to KARIM 13:38  |  DON 12/09/06   58.   Igor it depends where you live in Haifa 13:39  |  Judith 12/09/06   59.   to GUS 13:43  |  DON 12/09/06   60.   maral is there a judith in algeria with an open mind? 13:44  |  fagin 12/09/06   61.   maral you are a hypocrite 13:46  |  fagin 12/09/06   62.   to MARAL 13:47  |  DON 12/09/06   63.   maral and blindness 13:49  |  fagin 12/09/06   64.   to NASER 13:49  |  DON 12/09/06   65.   all this posturing about cluster bombs 13:55  |  disraeli 12/09/06   66.   To Proud Israeli Jew No. 23 - I Thank God Everyday 13:56  |  Karim 12/09/06   67.   US sanctioned Terrorism 14:00  |  nathan 12/09/06   68.   To Aby No. 34 - I am Actually Celebrating 14:05  |  Karim 12/09/06   69.   Abe & Maral and blaming the Jews 14:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/09/06   70.   to jane... 14:13  |  alanM 12/09/06   71.   To fagin and Don 14:17  |  Maral 12/09/06   72.   To fagin and Don 14:17  |  Maral 12/09/06   73.