As with other promises Israeli governments have made to the U.S., in return for billions of economic and military aid each year, such as promises regarding settlement activity in the occupied west bank http://www.msnbc.msn.com/... and the use of F-16 helicopters http://www.commondreams.org/... Israel has felt free to disregard agreements regarding the use of cluster bombs sold to it by the U.S. Of course, don't expect anything more than a slap on the wrist. Israel has too much sway over congress and most of the executive branch for that to happen. And, after all, such violations are merely "technical" or "not substantial." ; )
http://www.nytimes.com/...
The Bush administration will inform Congress on Monday that Israel may have violated agreements with the United States when it fired American-supplied cluster munitions into southern Lebanon during its fight with Hezbollah last summer, the State Department said Saturday.
The finding, though preliminary, has prompted a contentious debate within the administration over whether the United States should penalize Israel for its use of cluster munitions against towns and villages where Hezbollah had placed its rocket launchers.
Cluster munitions are anti-personnel weapons that scatter tiny but deadly bomblets over a wide area. The grenadelike munitions, tens of thousands of which have been found in southern Lebanon, have caused 30 deaths and 180 injuries among civilians since the end of the war, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service.
Midlevel officials at the Pentagon and the State Department have argued that Israel violated American prohibitions on using cluster munitions against populated areas, according to officials who described the deliberations. But other officials in both departments contend that Israel’s use of the weapons was for self-defense and aimed at stopping the Hezbollah rocket attacks that killed 159 Israeli citizens and at worst was only a technical violation.
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The State Department is required to notify Congress even of preliminary findings of possible violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the statute governing arms sales. It began an investigation in August.
As to any sanctions, don't hold your breath.
Any sanctions against Israel would be an extraordinary move by the Bush administration, a strong backer of Israel, and several officials said they expected little further action, if any, on the matter.
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Another administration official said the investigation had caused "head-butting" involving the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department, as well as Pentagon arms sales officials. Some officials "are trying to find a way to not have to call this a substantial violation," the official said.