RAF bomb count raises questions (was it legal?)

[JoFerret]

Just look at these numbers for ordnance dropped in Iraq

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1195695,00.html

The total tonnage of ordnance dropped by British aircraft on Iraq far exceeded the amount dropped during the Kosovo war, in about half the time, figures released today show, raising questions about the conduct of the war.
The RAF dropped 914 bombs between March 20 and April 30 last year, they show.

The Ministry of Defence says that the older armaments used, including cluster bombs, added up to nearly 350 tonnes: more than the figure for the entire Kosovo war.

....

But the official weights of these two devices appear widely on websites.

If they are taken into account the weight of bombs and missiles used amounts to more than 460 tonnes in 40 days.

This compares with 347 tonnes dropped by the RAF during the 78-day Kosovo war.

The munitions figures for Iraq were obtained by the Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, Sir Menzies Campbell.

Last night Sir Menzies commented: "These figures inevitably raise sharp questions as to whether the use of force was proportionate and in accordance with international law."

Among the bombs dropped by the RAF were 66 BL755s, which release 147 "bomblets" over a wide area, up to 10% of which fail to explode.

The figures do not include more than 2,000 Israeli-made artillery cluster shells used around the southern city of Basra.

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[Undemcided]

1. Seems to be an excessive use of cluster bombs.

With a 10% failure rate as well.

[aquart]

2. Our battle cry is "Flowers or Death!"

[UpInArms]

3. Operation Iraqi Liberation - O.I.L.

These murderous commanders should be imprisoned.

[daleo]

4. If anyone used cluster bombs on us

We would very quickly claim that one was too many, and a war crime.

[ex_jew]

5. So Israel helped liberate Iraq after all !

(via the cluster shells). Not the shirkers some claim them to be.