Sneh: Cluster bomb use was a mistake

[bemildred]

Israel made a mistake when it used cluster bombs during the Second Lebanon War, deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh told the BBC in a documentary on last summer's war in Lebanon set to be broadcast on the Radio 4 network in the United Kingdom on Tuesday and internationally on the BBC world service and Web site later this week.

Sneh became the first Israeli government representative to apologize for using cluster bombs, according to a transcript of the documentary obtained exclusively by The Jerusalem Post.

"It was a mistake, it was a mistake," Sneh told interviewers Edward Stourton and Mark Savage. When they asked whether he regretted the use of cluster bombs because of the damage to Israel's image or because they "kill a lot of people," Sneh responded: "No, people are still losing their lives from time to time and we don't like it. But it was... it was a mistake."

The Second Lebanon War: JPost.com special report

When asked about the transcript, Sneh said he "was misunderstood by the reporters." He said he could not comment further because the use of cluster bombs was still being investigated by the IDF. But his spokesman said Sneh did not think the use of cluster bombs during the war was a mistake.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152757277&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Squatch]

1. Planning factor is a 5% dud rate on ICM

That's 5% of Improved Conventional Munitions (cluster bombs). They're armed but have not exploded yet.

[bemildred]

3. Plans don't mean much to me.

Having worked in defense a good deal, I know how military "plans" are created. They are usually a combination of wishful thinking and butt covering.

[Squatch]

5. It doesn't sound like it.

"I know how military "plans" are created"

Do you even know what I'm talking about?

[bemildred]

6. Yes, I do. nt

[Squatch]

7. Prove it.

[bemildred]

9. You don't have to believe me, I don't care. nt

[Squatch]

10. Just as I thought.

You pulled your response squarely from your ass.

[bemildred]

12. Yessir, you are 100% correct, you had best ignore me from here on out. nt

[Squatch]

13. LOL. Good one.

Ignoring you would be no fun, now, would it?

[bemildred]

14. Insulting people you don't know from Adam is fun? nt

[Squatch]

15. Where did I insult you?

I asked for proof that you knew what you were talking about. When none was offered, I figured you pulled your response out of your ass to make a flaccid point.

Go ahead...there's still time to use Google-Fu to provide an answer.

[bemildred]

16. Ah, I see you do like it.. nt

[The Magistrate]

22. All The Gentleman Is Saying, Sir

Is that the five percent malfunction rate used as a planning factor is probably optimistic, as a great many military calculations prove to be in the event, particularly those relating to the reliability of equipment and the adequacy of supply.

"A pessimist is someone who has met too damn many optimists."

[Wilber_Stool]

17. Yup. Five percent dud rate.

My guess would be closer to 25% Maybe 30.

[bemildred]

18. I would not put much weight on the 5%. nt

[Squatch]

20. Why not? Do you have ANY experience with ICM?

[bemildred]

21. No, none at all. nt

[Wilber_Stool]

23. Try this.

Working with NGOs and the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon, UN-MACC continues to report that approximately 40 percent of Israel's bomblets failed to explode.(11) An overall dud rate of 40 percent is unusually high. We will explore possible reasons for this reported poor performance of Israel's cluster munitions.

http://www.counterpunch.org/brooks10172006.html

Oops. Wrong guy.

[Tom Joad]

2. It was a crime against humanity.

[whistle]

4. Will Israel also admit it should never have used phosphorous bombs

....and other high temperature explosives including cordite/thermite and DU weapons?

[The Magistrate]

8. The Final Bombardments, Sir

Do seem to have had as much of pique and frustration as military utility about them.

[bemildred]

11. It would be interesting to know what it was thought would be accomplished.

And, assuming you are correct, it would be nice if the people who make these sorts of decisions were more "grown up".

[The Magistrate]

19. Purely A Guess, Of Course, Sir

But an aim of slowing movement and making a bit dangerous the movement of fighters emerging from their holes, as well as slowing the return of non-combatants and leaving the fighters isolated a little longer, makes some sense in the short term. Owing to the dud rate, the bombardment did in effect lay substantial mine-fields quickly.