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A pod of unexploded cluster bombs fired by the IDF into Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War. (AP)
Last update - 00:00 02/07/2007
U.S. Senate bill would restrict Israel's use of military aid to buy cluster bombs
By Shmuel Rosner and Meron Rapoport, Haaretz Correspondents

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate version of the Foreign Aid legislation for 2008 includes a clause that would restrict Israel's ability to use American military aid to purchase cluster bombs, in the wake of Israel's controversial use of the deadly weapon in the Second Lebanon War.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the bill late last week. Read the full story on Rosner's Domain.

Israel's use of cluster bombs during last year's Second Lebanon War was highly criticized by human rights organizations, and the U.S. has opened an investigation into whether Israel breached its agreement with the U.S. over the circumstances under which it is permitted to use the weapon.
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Information presented to the U.S. by the Foreign Ministry indicates that Israel did indeed violate the agreement. According to the United Nations demining unit, 30 civilians have been killed and 180 wounded by unexploded bomblets since the cease-fire went into effect.

During the war, Israel made use of American-made cluster bombs that left behind thousands of unexploded bomblets, even though Israel Military Industries produces cluster bombs that leave nearly no unexploded munitions.

The main reason for the use of the U.S.-made weapons: Israel uses American military aid funds to purchase cluster bombs from the U.S., and in order to buy IMI-made bombs, the Israel Defense Forces would have to dip into its own budget.

"The consideration is budgetary," a defense related source said. However, each IMI-made cluster bomblet costs a mere $10.

In the 1990s, following injuries to Israeli soldiers by unexploded clusters, a decision was made to develop better munitions at IMI. According to globalsecurity.org, the rate of duds in cluster bomblets made by IMI ranges from 0.2 percent to 1 percent - compared to between 30 and 40 percent in the American-made weapons.

To date IMI has manufactured some 60 million such bomblets, designated M85, and has exported them to many armies throughout the world.

The foreign aid clause, sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy and Dianne Feinstein, would restrict the sale or transfer of cluster bombs such that no military funds will be used for such bombs unless "the cluster bombs have a failure rate of one percent or less."

The clause also states that "the sale or transfer agreement specifies that the cluster bombs will be used only against clearly defined military targets and not where civilians are known to be present."

The clause, however, is absent from the version passed by the House of Representatives. Therefore, should the Senate pass its current version, a joint committee will decide whether the clause remains in the version of the bill that is sent to President George W. Bush for his signature.

The U.S. imposed a ban on the sale of cluster bombs to Israel in the 1980s, after a congressional inquiry found that Israel used the ammunition during the first Lebanon War. That ban remained in effect for six years.

Haaretz has also learned that Leahy, who chairs the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, tried last week to downgrade American aid to Israel by changing the language of the bill - for instance by replacing every reference from "Israel shall receive aid" to "Israel should."

Leahy ultimately failed when other members of the committee told him the changes he introduced were unacceptable to them.
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  1.   It`s about time 17:20  |  Uncle Sammy 02/07/07
  2.   israel bought us cluster bombs cz of us funds instead of israeli 17:26  |  ralph 02/07/07
  3.   US Senate Bull 17:40  |  ottomatikus 02/07/07
  4.   This is good 18:12  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 02/07/07
  5.   Israel gets what it deserves in this issue 18:33  |  Shai 02/07/07
  6.   thats what you get when you buy second best and do not trust your 18:37  |  ralph 02/07/07
  7.   Thankfully they have responded to my posts 18:45  |  Natallie Durson 02/07/07
  8.   I`m in Chelm again! 18:55  |  Ronnie 02/07/07
  9.   Even America`s disgusted with Israeli thuggery 18:59  |  Clickfool 02/07/07
  10.   #1--absolutely right, kill them with conventional explosives 18:59  |  Paul Freedman 02/07/07
  11.   Waiting 19:01  |  Observer 02/07/07
  12.   Israel should pay for its own wars 19:02  |  Taxpayer 02/07/07
  13.   Uncle Sammy- will the Senate limit sales to itself? 19:02  |  David 02/07/07
  14.   Weaponry 19:04  |  Don Quinne 02/07/07
  15.   Suggested compromise with the Senate bill 19:09  |  Tosefta 02/07/07
  16.   Talk about hypocrisy 19:13  |  Josh 02/07/07
  17.   US Position on Cluster Bombs 19:13  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/07/07
  18.   Ronnie in Chelm 19:20  |  Guy From NYC 02/07/07
  19.   "General" Natallie 19:35  |  Oren Ritterband 02/07/07
  20.   Just remember... 19:39  |  Webster 02/07/07
  21.   Time running out 19:39  |  Not in my name 02/07/07
  22.   Ronnie from Chelm and Guy from NYC 19:50  |  Tosefta 02/07/07
  23.   What a class act Israel is! 19:52  |  Tim 02/07/07
  24.   What was the number of civilians the US killed again...? 19:53  |  Dan 02/07/07
  25.   IF Lebanon REMOVED HEZBALLAH, there would be NO SUMMER WAR, NO... 19:55  |  Vittorio 02/07/07
  26.   Dan of Haifa - Look for Same to Apply to US 20:02  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/07/07
  27.   Uncle Sammy - F**K U, its plain and simple. 20:07  |  X 02/07/07
  28.   The party that brought the Iranian revolution. They should be ash 20:10  |  jeff 02/07/07
  29.   16 Josh - How Many Israeli Casualties? 20:11  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/07/07
  30.   Democrats are a real threat to Israel and Democracy. They should 20:12  |  Jack Weinberg 02/07/07
  31.   It`s About Time 20:18  |  Gary 02/07/07
  32.   Clickfool - #9 20:23  |  David Israel 02/07/07
  33.   #9: Click, right as rain, hardly professional 20:25  |  Paul Freedman 02/07/07
  34.   #12: true, and without the strings 20:28  |  Paul Freedman 02/07/07
  35.   #23, provide a for instance 20:31  |  Paul Freedman 02/07/07
  36.   time to produce own weapons 20:35  |  David 02/07/07
  37.   Israeli war crimes go unpunished! 20:35  |  Oracle 02/07/07
  38.   CLUSTER BOMBS ARE CRIMINAL. PERIOD. 20:35  |  Patriot 02/07/07
  39.   when we have the alternative we should always buy israeli made we 20:53  |  ralph 02/07/07
  40.   The would-be London bombings - an update 20:57  |  Clickfool 02/07/07
  41.   JUST A SMALL NEWS. "THE LOBBY" IS TOO POWERFUL 21:05  |  JACKAL 02/07/07
  42.   To #29 -- I agree with you 21:06  |  Josh 02/07/07
  43.   For Jack Weinberg # 30 21:06  |  Clickfool 02/07/07
  44.   Very good decision!!! 21:09  |  Nilham 02/07/07
  45.   Israeli`s, what a laugh 21:10  |  Gilgimesh 02/07/07
  46.   It`s our fault 21:11  |  yankee 02/07/07
  47.   Denial of cluster bombs - America with a backbone? 21:16  |  William 02/07/07
  48.   No problem -Chinese will sell clusters hapilly 21:17  |  Sal 02/07/07
  49.   Dan #24 21:17  |  Gilgimesh 02/07/07
  50.   #30. you are very right and include leftists of all stripes 21:19  |  ralph 02/07/07
  51.   Tim#23 - there`s nothing free about it 21:21  |  William 02/07/07
  52.   #9 - Disagree with Clickfool 21:34  |  Double Click 02/07/07
  53.   cluster bombs 21:45  |  richard mallin 02/07/07
  54.   Part of the reason why israel is unable/unwilling to provide maps 21:53  |  lakshmi 02/07/07
  55.   What The Matter The AntiIsrael People Don`t Like Cluster Bombs 22:01  |  Shepherd 02/07/07
  56.   They didn`t work anyway 22:06  |  Efox 02/07/07
  57.   # 7 Wishfull thinking..... 22:08  |  misha 02/07/07
  58.   Stop Using Inferior U.S. Munitions 22:10  |  J of Hollywood 02/07/07
  59.   Just how do you know if a terrorists is a civilian? 22:12  |  Efox 02/07/07
  60.   #12 I agree 22:12  |  TOBIA 02/07/07
  61.   re: Taxpayer 22:16  |  Efox 02/07/07
  62.   re: Shai 22:19  |  Efox 02/07/07
  63.   re: Mark of Lewiston 22:24  |  Efox 02/07/07
  64.   Does US have a position on Arab nail bombs? 22:26  |  Chick 02/07/07
  65.   #24 Say Dan, don`t try to weasel out of responsibility 22:26  |  ballistic 02/07/07
  66.   re: Tosefta 22:27  |  Efox 02/07/07
  67.   About bl##dy time too! 22:28  |  Don Camillo 02/07/07
  68.   re: Jack Weinberg 22:29  |  Efox 02/07/07
  69.   #28 Jeff - "thank God Bush is in power" 22:30  |  ballistic 02/07/07
  70.   #30 Well Mr. Weinberg, afraid not everybody 22:32  |  ballistic 02/07/07
  71.   re: Not in my name 22:33  |  Efox 02/07/07
  72.   CLICKFOOL...WHO STARTED THAT WAR? WHAT THUGGERY DO U MEAN?? 22:36  |  SLAVO 02/07/07
  73.   Dear America: New Rules for The Patriot Anti-Missile System 22:40  |  Efox 02/07/07
  74.   re: J of Hollywood 22:47  |  Efox 02/07/07
  75.   We should design new unexploding cluster bombs 22:49  |  efox@nmt.edu 02/07/07
  76.   maybe the richest people and nation of the world 22:50  |  another poor america 02/07/07
  77.   Drop Dead Israel Haters 22:51  |  Steve 02/07/07
  78.   HOGWASH! Jack Weinberg. George W. Bush has made Israel 22:55  |  George 02/07/07
  79.   $4 Shlomo of TA 22:55  |  * BEN JABO 02/07/07
  80.   #9 Clickfool, we too are disgusted with your deceit 22:57  |  * BEN JABO 02/07/07
  81.   #7 Natallie - you flatter yourself, nobody cares 23:00  |  * BEN JABO 02/07/07
  82.   Clickfool 23:01  |  BRL 02/07/07
  83.   Clickfoo,a Brit national front freak and arab Tosefta join hands 23:01  |  Absolute Sweden 02/07/07
  84.   #15 Tosefta - How Israel spends it`s 23:02  |  * BEN JABO 02/07/07
  85.   Dear America: Efox, what arrogance. i guess your 23:03  |  pizzed up! 02/07/07
  86.   This is actually an increase in US "aid" to Israel 23:08  |  Joseph 02/07/07
  87.   Efox - Read Up 23:09  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/07/07
  88.   Cluster Bombs/Conventional Bombs 23:09  |  Damon Besinsky 02/07/07
  89.   KEEP THE BLOOD OFF OUR HANDS 23:13  |  matt 02/07/07
  90.   Dear Evox 23:14  |  American 02/07/07
  91.   Rediculous 23:29  |  S. Black 02/07/07
  92.   July War 23:32  |  amiratlanta 02/07/07
  93.   Re: Chick - Arab nailbombs 23:35  |  amiratlanta 02/07/07
  94.   #75 efox@nmt.edu 23:54  |  Boycott 02/07/07
  95.   #78 Ben Jabo 23:57  |  Boycott 02/07/07
  96.   about time... 00:14  |  samos 03/07/07
  97.   too little too late 00:19  |  Jeff 03/07/07
  98.   #67 Camillo/Click - don`t concern yourself 00:26  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  99.   It ain`t gonna happen 00:28  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  100.   78Ben the major difference between the clusters and the katushkas 00:46  |  lakshmi 03/07/07
  101.   #35 Paul Freedman..Here`s your answer 00:47  |  Tim 03/07/07
  102.   Appropriate decison 00:55  |  TT 03/07/07
  103.   EFOX - You have to be kidding? 00:55  |  Taxpayer 03/07/07
  104.   Efox - Israel can`t dictate...it still receives handout 00:56  |  Man 03/07/07
  105.   Cluster BOMBS, WHY? 01:26  |  Mc Carthy PJ 03/07/07
  106.   If the enemy next time use cluster Bombs. 01:32  |  Moshe 03/07/07
  107.   # Taxpayer. Totally agree with your post 01:39  |  Josh 03/07/07
  108.   re: Man 01:54  |  Efox 03/07/07
  109.   To Vittorio #25 02:03  |  Mike 03/07/07
  110.   re: Josh 02:15  |  Efox 03/07/07
  111.   #80 Moshe 02:18  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  112.   re: Moshe 02:20  |  Efox 03/07/07
  113.   re: Mike 02:31  |  Efox 03/07/07
  114.   #79 lakshmi - the major reason is you don`t 02:44  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  115.   re: Taxpayer 02:50  |  Efox 03/07/07
  116.   #76 America, etc. 02:52  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  117.   #5 Shai - Ra`anana 03:06  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  118.   to taxpayer 03:09  |  h.m 03/07/07
  119.   Hey Taxpayer 03:13  |  Boss Hog 03/07/07
  120.   Hey Patriot 03:20  |  Boss Hog 03/07/07
  121.   #79-2 Lakshmi 03:25  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  122.   Better way to keep Hezb rockets away from Israeli towns: NAPALM! 03:30  |  Dr. L. Brnd 03/07/07
  123.   To Efox - You`re Sick 03:42  |  Mike 03/07/07
  124.   Hey Mike from sydney 03:45  |  Boss Hog 03/07/07
  125.   The US`s Flattery of Israel as "Model State" 03:50  |  Joseph E . 03/07/07
  126.   #7&9 04:02  |  Moshe 03/07/07
  127.   #12 04:06  |  Moshe 03/07/07
  128.   #18 04:27  |  Moshe 03/07/07
  129.   @69, ballistic, your part in american civilization is to peddle a 04:43  |  vladimir 03/07/07
  130.   #82 04:49  |  Moshe 03/07/07
  131.   @82, taxpayer, yes sell phones, yes, hez2 system, yes messenger, 04:49  |  vladimir 03/07/07
  132.   cLUSTER BOMBING HIZBULLIES 05:21  |  tWOGUNZ 03/07/07
  133.   It`s for show only. 05:29  |  Thomas Jackson 03/07/07
  134.   cluster bombs are GOOD 05:52  |  vik 03/07/07
  135.   re: Mike 06:48  |  Efox 03/07/07
  136.   re: Taxpayer 06:58  |  Efox 03/07/07
  137.   Who is going to restrict the Hesbala cluster bombs?? 07:01  |  PETER. S.M 03/07/07
  138.   UNCLE SAMMY Thye human rights branch of Hesbala is grateful 07:07  |  PETER SM 03/07/07
  139.   To Gilgimesh 08:08  |  Dan 03/07/07
  140.   TIM it is called military AID nobody pretends it is anything else 08:12  |  PETER. S.M 03/07/07
  141.   Israel abortion of USA making ! 12:51  |  jojo 03/07/07
  142.   Cluster bombs used in civilian areas 15:34  |  kal 03/07/07
  143.   #84 to ben, from the ballot box 17:00  |  devin 03/07/07
  144.   re: kal 21:18  |  Efox 03/07/07
  145.   re: devin 21:23  |  Efox 03/07/07
  146.   re: pizzed up! 21:27  |  Efox 03/07/07
  147.   re: Mark of Lewiston 21:30  |  Efox 03/07/07
  148.   re: American 21:31  |  Efox 03/07/07
  149.   #143 2nd try Ballot Box - just one vote 21:33  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/07
  150.   re: Boycott 21:34  |  Efox 03/07/07
  151.   #144 efox 21:57  |  devin 03/07/07
  152.   Time to Produce Own Weapon 01:11  |  David 04/07/07
  153.   re: devin 03:10  |  Efox 04/07/07
  154.   re: David 03:19  |  Efox 04/07/07
  155.   #125 HUH? 05:06  |  warmapril 04/07/07
  156.   #151 Devin 08:02  |  * BEN JABO 04/07/07
  157.   Failure rate of cluster bombs 07:01  |  Wallace E. Brand 06/07/07
  158.   Product 21:33  |  Ze 11/03/09
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