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An unexploded IDF cluster bomb in southern Lebanon. (AP Archives)
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Last update - 23:38 24/12/2007
IDF won't charge officers who fired cluster bombs in Lebanon war
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Tags: IDF, Second Lebanon War 

The Israel Defense Forces will not take legal action against senior officers who were involved in the firing of cluster bombs into populated areas in southern Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War, the Military Advocate General said Monday.

Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit acknowledged that cluster bombs were fired into populated areas, but said that this did not constitute a criminal violation.

Mandelblit also decided against taking any disciplinary action, in part because those involved, including Major General Udi Adam, GOC Northern Command during the war, have retired from the IDF. Mandelblit also said that the IDF shooting was conducted in an effort to stop the continued launch of Katyusha rockets against Israel's civilian population.
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Mandelblit is the third officer examining this issue, which focused on the legality of firing cluster bombs into populated areas. These probes were initiated following Lebanese claims, which the U.S. administration sought to verify, that many civilians became cluster bomb casualties.

In Beirut, a Lebanese government official rejected Mandelblit's decision, saying that the decision "indicates that there is no difference between the judicial authority and political authority in Israel. They all work to commit and cover up crimes which are against humanity."

The IDF used three main types of cluster munitions in the war: those dropped through air force bombs; others fired through artillery; and in rockets fired by the Multiple Launch Rocket System.

In the past Israel had promised to the U.S., which provided the ammunition, not to use cluster bombs against populated areas.

Wartime Chief of Staff Dan Halutz issued similar restrictions, on a number of occasions, to the Northern Command.

However, in practice the IDF fired thousands of cluster munitions during the war, some of which targeted populated areas.

During the IDF investigation it emerged that the air force did not violate the instructions, but the artillery and rocket batteries, commanded by the Northern Command officers, did fire into populated areas.

Most of the ammunition was used to target fields near populated areas, where Hezbollah was known to have bunkers and other positions used to launch Katyushas. However, in some instances, the batteries also fired into populated areas, contrary to Halutz's orders.

Mandelblit concluded that the use of cluster munitions is permissible under international law and noted that Western armies use this type of weapon.

Mandelblit said that cluster munitions are the sole effective means for countering the threat of the Katyusha rockets, in instances where ground forces are not used to take over the launch sites.

The advocate general says that the firing was executed in areas where the launch of Katyushas was identified with certainty, and that the shooting was not meant to disrupt the lives of civilians in the populated areas.

The violation from regulations occured, Mandelblit says, when the Northern Command did not obey the specific orders issued by the chief of staff.

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      1.   Did anyone doubt 19:05  |  Axel 24/12/07
      2.   the civilian who got blown-up last week agrees 19:09  |  POP 24/12/07
      3.   I think The Hague should decide. Send Dichter to Represent Israel 19:10  |  POP 24/12/07
      4.   War criminals rule that they`re not guilty of war crimes 19:12  |  Clickfool 24/12/07
      5.   The IDF should not be "ruling" 19:17  |  Mirqa 24/12/07
      6.   Describe WAR 19:18  |  Swanny 24/12/07
      7.   Palestinian use of kasam rockets = legal? 19:23  |  Dumb Brit 24/12/07
      8.   IDF says ue of cluster bombs legal 19:23  |  Citizen of the Worl 24/12/07
      9.   what do you expect from a CANGAROO COURT. 19:23  |  Karr 24/12/07
      10.   ZIONISTS-THE ONLY HUMANE PEOPLE ON EARTH- ARE ALWAYS RIGHT 19:28  |  JACKAL 24/12/07
      11.   The whole Lebanon war was a war crime 19:30  |  Wendy 24/12/07
      12.   surprise surprise 19:31  |  rm 24/12/07
      13.   maybe haaretz will print this for a change 19:33  |  edgar 24/12/07
      14.   and hitler ruled the Holocaust was legal 19:38  |  Labhras 24/12/07
      15.   In states of Law the purpetrator does not probe himself 19:39  |  Mark B. 24/12/07
      16.   Legality and Ethics 19:40  |  Alan 24/12/07
      17.   No Need For Any Israeli Bombs In Lebanon If ... 19:41  |  Lavi 24/12/07
      18.   Legal? Hell yes, it was a WAR they started 19:42  |  The Equalizer 24/12/07
      19.   # 6 swanny 19:47  |  Axel 24/12/07
      20.   Cluster bombs are illegal under international law 19:48  |  * BEN JABO 24/12/07
      21.   Cluster bombs 20:06  |  Paul 24/12/07
      22.   Cluster killings 20:11  |  John 24/12/07
      23.   Equalizer: Nothing was equalized!!! 20:12  |  JUDGE 24/12/07
      24.   To Citizen of the world# 8 20:15  |  JUDGE 24/12/07
      25.   To LAVI in Seattle - I Agree with you..but 20:28  |  JUDGE 24/12/07
      26.   Why So upset Arab Lovers? 20:34  |  Levi 24/12/07
      27.   WAR? I don`t think so. 20:41  |  Fred Locke 24/12/07
      28.   to #20 BEN JABO thier illegal????????? 20:41  |  Levi 24/12/07
      29.   Lobbing Rockets into centre of Israeli Towns&Villages is also Leg 20:42  |  Alan 24/12/07
      30.   Israel`s critics drool myopically over this news 20:42  |  Richard S 24/12/07
      31.   Axel - The ones that wants to see the truth won`t have a doubt 20:43  |  mj 24/12/07
      32.   Clicky-If you are looking for Warcrmes look no further than Iraq 20:45  |  Alan 24/12/07
      33.   The United Nations and human rights groups 20:45  |  eddie 24/12/07
      34.   I think with this news it is time to put aside this subject and 20:47  |  Yakir 24/12/07
      35.   aren`t zionist special? 20:49  |  proud joooo 24/12/07
      36.   POP Should be Institutionalized 20:56  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      37.   POP IS A BEDWETTER 20:56  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      38.   POP HAS DOODEE IN HIS UNDERPANTS 20:57  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      39.   POP is on Mommy`s Computer 20:58  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      40.   Cluster bombs in respnse to Kassams 20:59  |  judith 24/12/07
      41.   i am just trashing POP cause he is so much better than me 21:03  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      42.   LOL @ The Israeli TERRORIST State patting itself on the back 21:07  |  POP 24/12/07
      43.   # 31 mj 21:10  |  Axel 24/12/07
      44.   pop 21:10  |  alan 24/12/07
      45.   Pedophiles and Psychopaths also see no wrong in their crimes 21:14  |  anti-racist 24/12/07
      46.   Hi Tec Killer 21:19  |  Dav 24/12/07
      47.   Are there mirrors in Israel 21:20  |  Douglas Evans 24/12/07
      48.   NO MISSILES - NO RETALIATION 21:23  |  Iskander 24/12/07
      49.   Paul #21 21:29  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 24/12/07
      50.   Gee, that`s a surprise 21:32  |  newageblues 24/12/07
      51.   Hezbollah is to blame 21:33  |  Theodor 24/12/07
      52.   45. often the very same people 21:36  |  i ain`t lying 24/12/07
      53.   27Fred Locke In which Newspapers did you find your lies? 21:36  |  Rob 24/12/07
      54.   POP can`t even pretend he is me correctly 21:39  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      55.   40. to brain dead judith 21:40  |  i ain`t lying 24/12/07
      56.   Judith, and the Katushas started when? 21:41  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 24/12/07
      57.   CLICKFOOL 21:42  |  JOJO 24/12/07
      58.   The number of paid Arab propagandists grows fast. 21:42  |  Rob 24/12/07
      59.   If you cant stand the heat...stay out off the battlefield 21:44  |  SLAVO 24/12/07
      60.   For Judith # 40 21:46  |  Clickfool 24/12/07
      61.   Freisler would have been proud ... 21:48  |  Watcher 24/12/07
      62.   Could we have a photo of IDF Advocate General Avichai Mendelblit 21:53  |  Chanalau, Tova 24/12/07
      63.   DUMB BRIT #7 21:55  |  JOJO 24/12/07
      64.   I have only one a brief comment on the IDF`s ruling 22:00  |  Jozef 24/12/07
      65.   Angel`s eggs 22:00  |  jjvanka 24/12/07
      66.   Isreal should be ashamed of the Lebanon 2 war 22:06  |  Michael 24/12/07
      67.   POP what War crimes please give info on LAWS broken 22:11  |  Levi 24/12/07
      68.   What else would you expect from an IDF investigation? 22:13  |  Natallie Durson 24/12/07
      69.   Dear POP 22:16  |  leo 24/12/07
      70.   In defense of the IDF investigators 22:21  |  Veritas 24/12/07
      71.   To #47 Wrong Answer 22:23  |  Levi 24/12/07
      72.   What a lie 22:24  |  Mimmi 24/12/07
      73.   Just for Clickfool. 22:27  |  David Nigel Braham 24/12/07
      74.   Israel: "See what you made me do!!??" 22:27  |  Natallie Durson 24/12/07
      75.   AXEL 22:27  |  roland 24/12/07
      76.   axel 22:31  |  birgit 24/12/07
      77.   Clihfool,Brit war criminals aquitted themselves of torture 22:32  |  Absolute Sweden 24/12/07
      78.   Hit them harder next time! 22:38  |  rm 24/12/07
      79.   Hizbollah cannot buy publicity this good 22:45  |  Natallie Durson 24/12/07
      80.   #4 Clickfool the real fool 22:52  |  Shepherd