Israel askes Bush admin to "hasten delivery of short-range rockets"

[Human Torch]

A view of Khiam village during Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, August 10, 2006. (Karamallah Daher/Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israel has asked the Bush administration to hasten delivery of short-range anti-personnel rockets armed with cluster munitions, which it could use to strike Hizbollah missile sites in Lebanon, The New York Times reported on Friday.

Sourcing its report to two American officials, the newspaper said the request for M-26 artillery rockets, which are fired in barrages and carry hundreds of grenade-like bomblets that scatter and explode over a broad area, is likely to be approved shortly.

But the newspaper said some State Department officials want to delay approval because the rockets, while likely effective against hidden missile launchers, would also likely cause civilian casualties if used against targets in populated areas.

The United States has already approved the sale of the M-26 rockets, but the weapons had not been delivered when the Lebanon crisis erupted. Israel needs the rockets now, officials said, because it has been unable to suppress Hizbollah's Katyusha rocket attacks by using bombs dropped from aircraft and other types of artillery. The shipment might be approved along with a directive to Israel that it must be especially careful about firing the rockets into populated areas, a senior official told the paper.

:spray:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060811/pl_nm/mideast_israel_rockets_dc

[gula]

1. The sad truth

http://tinyurl.com/zs3jv

[OwnedByFerrets]

2. PLEASE HURRY!!!!

We are running out of stuff to KILL people with.:puke:

[godai]

3. Obviously they are already being 'especially careful'

That wording has absolutely no impact. Might they reject the missiles since they object to being especially careful? Whatever they do with them, they are sure to say that they were 'especially careful".

It's like the rules of engagement in Iraq. Define them to fit the massacre that just occurred and apparently you can sleep better. 'We were only following orders, I mean, the rules of engagement'.

[NVMojo]

4. aren't we blessing the invasion of Lebanon with this?

[Human Torch]

5. If we send rockets, we're in it. Pure and simple.

:patriot:

[Cobalt-60]

6. They want more?

Maybe they should buy Hesbolla's (SP?) stockpile.