Images Suggest That Russia Cluster-Bombed U.S.-Backed Syrian Fighters

[Purveyor]

Source: Washington Post

Russian airstrikes targeted the base of U.S.-backed Syrian fighters near the Jordanian border earlier this week, according to U.S. defense officials, prompting the most aggressive response from the Pentagon since Russia began its air campaign over Syria last year.

New images released Friday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that has monitored the conflict since its start, reportedly shows the aftermath of the strikes on the base at At-Tanf, a small town near the borders of Iraq, Syria and Jordan. One of the pictures portrays what appears to be the tail section of a RBK-500 cluster munition, a type of bomb repeatedly seen being used by the Russia air force since the start of its mission in Syria. According to the rights group, the strikes killed two people and injured four.

“Russian aircraft have not been active in this area of southern Syria for some time, and there were no Syrian regime or Russian ground forces in the vicinity,” said a senior U.S. defense official, who spoke on the condition anonymity to discuss the recent attacks. “Russia’s latest actions raise serious concern about Russian intentions. We will seek an explanation from Russia on why it took this action and assurances this will not happen again.”

Speaking to reporters Friday, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter said that the United States was attempting to “clarify the facts” regarding the incident. On Saturday, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement that the Pentagon had “expressed strong concerns about the attack” during a video conference with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/06/18/images-suggest-that-russia-cluster-bombed-u-s-backed-syrian-fighters/

---

On the topic of 'cluster-bombs'...

Worried About “Stigmatizing” Cluster Bombs, House Approves More Sales to Saudi Arabiab

The House on Thursday narrowly defeated a measure that would have banned the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia, but the closeness of the vote was an indication of growing congressional opposition to the conduct of the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing coalition in Yemen.

The vote was mostly along party lines, with 200 Republicans – and only 16 Democrats – heeding the Obama administration’s urging to vote against the measure. The vote was 204-216.

“The Department of Defense strongly opposes this amendment,” said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., chairman of the House Committee on Defense Appropriations, during floor debate. “They advise us that it would stigmatize cluster munitions, which are legitimate weapons with clear military utility.”

Cluster munitions are large shell casings that scatter hundreds or thousands of miniature explosives over large areas – often the size of several football fields. Some of the bomblets fail to explode on impact, leaving mine-like explosives that kill civilians and destroy farmland decades after a conflict ends.

Cluster bombs are banned by an international treaty signed by 119 countries not including the United States. The United States opposed the treaty, and instead of signing it, adopted a policy that cluster bombs should never be used in concentrated, civilian areas.

Speaking in support of the amendment, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said Saudi Arabia has deliberately targeted civilians with cluster bombs. “Earlier this year, the Saudi-led coalition dropped cluster bombs in Yemen’s capital of Sanaa, specifically targeting known civilian neighborhoods,” he said. “One of the buildings hit was the al Noor Center for Care and Rehabilitation for the Blind, which also has a school for blind children. The destruction of the school and the injuries sustained by the children was unbearably gruesome.”

<snip>

read:https://theintercept.com/2016/06/16/worried-about-stigmatizing-cluster-bombs-house-approves-more-sales-to-saudi-arabia/

[newthinking]

1. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is a propaganda organ

It is amazing to see them still being quoted.

The purpose is to drill in an idea that Russians do war badly (but we do war goodly).

If we were really worried about Human Rights we would not be continually creating these kind of narratives that just work to drive towards another war. We would work together to end Isis.

A

[zeemike]

2. Yep

But this propaganda must continue in order to make Russia the new evil empire in time for the next war.

I'm tired of that shit...but I see nothing in our future that will change it.

[840high]

3. 100% agree.

[oberliner]

7. Are you actually claiming that Russia has not used cluster bombs in Syria?

Here is a report from February:

Report: Russia in 'daily cluster bomb attacks' in Syria

Over the past two weeks, Syrian government and Russian military forces have carried out daily air strikes using internationally banned cluster bombs in opposition-held areas across Syria, killing dozens of civilians, according to Human Rights Watch.

In a report released on Monday, the monitoring group said that the joint military operations launched at least 14 attacks with the weapons across five governorates since January 26, killing at least 37 civilians, including nine children.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/report-russia-daily-cluster-bomb-attacks-syria-160208134126502.html

[newthinking]

11. One of the War Narrative components is creating "HR" organizations to

put out a string of claims.

HRW often uses these as sources, AI is a little more careful.

In the report you linked again HRW relies on a shadowy group that could have other interests. CITTEAM looks to be a new player: apparently is US based but their domain is proxy'd and they don't include any information identifying who they are.

I have followed these types of internet groups to NeoCon think tanks before.

I don't know as much about this one so I cannot say for sure. But I certainly would expect the press and HR should require themselves to identify themselves before reporting these things as known facts. All the pictures are closeups that could be from anywhere. Even Elliott Higgen's report is based on this site.

So yes, in a highly propagandized situation where it is well established that groups are setting up false fronts to propagate war narrative, I suspect this is another part of that paradigm.

[newthinking]

12. If I might add

*even if they have used cluster munitions they (and the US by the way) are not signatories to the ban.

*The whole war narrative pushing to lable Russia's tactics as "evil" (compared to ours) is bullshit. If we were really wanting to end Human sufferring we would not be contiually throwing flames to the fire and would compromise and join Russia to end it. Russia has done far more to weaken ISI than the US in Syria.

*Longer term HR groups are becoming ineffectual and less trusted because they have compromised and accepted large grants from groups that have an agenda and it is showing. HRW has had heads of military on their boards in addition.

Be it as it may, if people are **really** concerned about lives then they should quit this "our team does war more politely" and end the warmongers power and create working groups to move to peace together with the other countries.

I won't even touch our blind eye to our ally SA.

[MisterP]

13. "nothing more than a lone clothes seller, living in Coventry, posing as an organisation with a

grandiose name"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Observatory_for_Human_Rights

[bemildred]

4. What I read was: they bombed them, we went F-15s to intercept,

the F-15s had to refuel after a while, and then they bombed them again.

[FairWinds]

5. Of course when the US uses or sells cluster bombs . .

it's quite OK.

The WaPo is a propaganda rag - especially when it
comes to issues of war & peace.

[Eugene]

6. U.S. seeks answers over Russian strikes on Syrian rebels

Source: Reuters

World | Sat Jun 18, 2016 3:54pm EDT

U.S. seeks answers over Russian strikes on Syrian rebels

The Pentagon said on Saturday it has questioned Moscow over air strikes against U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces earlier this week, saying Russian forces failed to heed U.S. warnings to stop the attack.

In a video call with Russian counterparts, the U.S. Department of Defense "expressed strong concerns" about the strikes that hit U.S.-backed Syrian rebels battling Islamic State near the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq on Thursday, it said in a statement.

According to the Pentagon, coalition-backed fighters in Syria were attacked in al-Tanf even though they were part of the "cessation of hostilities," an agreement aimed at creating a truce in the war-torn country.

The attacks continued even after the United States alerted Russian forces, the Pentagon said in the statement following what it called an "extraordinary session" with Russian counterparts.

"Department officials conveyed that Russia's continued strikes ... even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of on-going coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in the statement, using another acronym for Islamic State.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-strike-idUSKCN0Z40S0?il=0

[KoKo]

8. How many "Doctors without Borders" hospitals have WE bombed

killing doctors, civilians, patients when their coordinates and facilities were well known. We did it anyway.

This is what happens in war. But, we are told we (USA Citizens) are only "at war with ISIS/ISIL," as if we are totally innocent even when there is proof that we aren't.

[Crash2Parties]

14. Remember the war crimes Chelsea Manning exposed?

*Nothing* was ever done about those, either.

Apparently only our enemies commit war crimes.

[KoKo]

9. "Pot & Kettle" ....n/t

[phazed0]

10. International Treaties? Well..

.. the US has shown those are good for toilet paper. Leading by example, we are.

[Little Tich]

15. Cluster bombs should be banned and used by no one. n/t

[bemildred]

16. Russia says US failed to provide Syrian opposition locations

MOSCOW (AP) -- The Russian military on Sunday rejected the Pentagon's accusations that it had deliberately targeted U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces, arguing the U.S. had failed to warn about their locations.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said the area targeted in the strike was more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) away from locations earlier designated by the U.S. as controlled by legitimate opposition forces.

The Pentagon said it held a video conference Saturday with the Russian military to discuss Russian air strikes Thursday on the At-Tanf border garrison, which targeted Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State group.

"Russia's continued strikes at At-Tanf, even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of ongoing coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces," it said in a statement.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-06-19-05-54-13

[bemildred]

17. Russia says agrees with U.S. to improve military coordination in Syria

Russia said on Sunday it had reached an agreement with the United States to improve coordination between their military operations in Syria, where they are backing opposing sides of a civil war and launching air strikes.

Russia's defense ministry said it was pushing Washington to help produce a shared map of the positions of fighting forces to avoid incidents, a day after Washington accused Moscow of attacking U.S.-backed insurgents there.

Moscow's intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, alongside Western backing for rebel groups opposing him, has raised fears of a wider international confrontation in the war.

Russia's defense ministry said military officials from both countries had agreed on the need to improve coordination during a video conference. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-russia-usa-idUSKCN0Z508R