Wednesday, August 30, 2006

UN Condemns Cluster Bombs

UN condemns Israel's use of cluster bombs in Lebanon.


Financial Times reports:


The United Nations on Wednesday described as “shocking and immoral” the fact that Israel dropped well over 90 per cent of its cluster munitions in Lebanon during the last three days of the conflict – when it was already clear there would be a cessation of hostilities.


...


The UN said it had identified 359 cluster bomb-strike locations, and that 102,000 unexploded small bombs continued to maim and kill people every day.


“Civilians will die disproportionately again, after the war,” he [i.e. Jan Egeland, UN humanitarian chief] said. “This should not have happened. It’s an outrage.”


He added that countries which had supplied Israel with the munitions, including the US, should take the matter up with the Israeli government.