Israel Defends Use of Cluster Bombs
Israeli military prosecutors have decided not to take any legal action over Israel’s use of cluster bombs during last year’s war in Lebanon, the army said Monday, closing an investigation into a practice that has drawn heavy criticism from the U.N. and international human rights groups. The investigation determined that Israel’s use of the weapons, which open in flight and scatter dozens of bomblets, was a “concrete military necessity” and did not violate international humanitarian law.
In a statement, the army said its chief investigator, Maj. Gen. Gershon HaCohen, determined “it was clear that the majority of the cluster munitions were fired at open and uninhabited areas, areas from which Hezbollah forces operated and in which no civilians were present.”
It said cluster bombs were fired at residential areas only “as an immediate defense response to rocket attacks by Hezbollah” and that Israeli troops did everything possible to minimize civilian casualties.
Israel To Show U.S. Nuclear Intel On Iran
Disappointed after failing to make their case on Iran and influence the outcome of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released this week, Israel’s Military Intelligence will present hard evidence on Iran’s nuclear program to the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff who is scheduled to visit the Jewish State over the weekend.
Admiral Michael Mullen will land in Israel Sunday morning for a 24-hour visit that will include a one-on-one meeting with IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, as well as with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Mullen will be met by an honor guard at the Kirya Military Headquarters in Tel Aviv and will sit through a day of presentations by IDF generals, including Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin and others.
Mullen’s visit will be the first time a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has visited Israel in the past decade.
Considering that Israel is in the same neighborhood as Iran, it’s not far fetched to imagine their intelligence on Iran to be more accurate than ours.
Israel’s intelligence service is among the best in the world, so it’s definitely in our best interest to hear them out. The NIE really does seem suspicious. It’s a known fact that certain factions of our intelligence community have sought to undermine the Bush Administration’s foreign policy since day one.
-Chris Jones
Israeli Officer Suspected Of Trying To Spy For Iran
A psychiatrist who serves in the IDF reserves is suspected of offering classified information to foreign intelligence officials, including those from Iran, police announced Friday morning.
45-year-old David Shamir, ranked as major in the army, was indicted on severe charges of attempted espionage, contacts with a foreign agent and perverting the course of justice.
He was arrested by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in cooperation with the Israel Police’s Serious and International Crimes Unit on November 14.
Israel Struck a Nuclear Project in Syria, Analysts Say
Israel’s air attack on Syria last month was directed against a site that Israeli and American intelligence analysts judged was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel, according to American and foreign officials with access to the intelligence reports.
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