Via the Sydney Morning Herald: Israel using chemical weapons: doctors
Lebanon is investigating reports from doctors that Israel has used weapons in its 15-day-old bombardment of southern Lebanon that have caused wounds they have never seen before.“We are sending off samples tomorrow, but we have no confirmation yet that illegal weapons have been used,” Health Minister Mohammed Khalife said.
The Israeli army said it had used only conventional weapons and ammunition in attacks aimed at Hizbollah guerrillas and nothing contravening international law.
Two things come to mind. The first is that I see no reason why, given that nature of the campaign, that Israel would see the need to use weapons of this nature (although I am sufficient inexpert in such matters that it is possible that I am missing something). The second is that it would seem to me that of all the countries in the world, Israel would understand the symbolism of using chemical weapons, and would only do so in the most extreme of situations.
The weapon under suspicion is phosphorous due to the nature of burns observed on some victims:
Bachir Cham, a Belgian-Lebanese doctor at the Southern Medical Centre in Sidon, received eight bodies after an Israeli air raid on nearby Rmeili which he said exhibited such wounds.He has taken 24 samples from the bodies to test what killed them. He believes it is a chemical.
Cham said the bodies of some victims were “black as shoes, so they are definitely using chemical weapons. They are all black but their hair and skin is intact so they are not really burnt. It is something else.”
“If you burnt someone with petrol their hair would burn and their skin would burn down to the bone. The Israelis are 100 per cent using chemical weapons.”
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has repeatedly accused Israel of using phosphorus bombs in its offensive.
Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch, which is investigating the claim did say
“Phosphorus shells do have a legitimate use in illuminating the battlefield at night. The offensive use of phosphorus would be a violation of international conventions.”
An Israeli military spokesman offered the following:
“It could be that a body is burned from fire or the force of an explosion, but between that and suggesting we do something illegal under international law are two different things.”
Regardless of what investigations demonstrate, one guesses that the mere accusation will solidify into known fact in the minds of many in the anti-Israel world.
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July 27th, 2006 at 8:58 am
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Therefore, before jumping to conclusions we must wait for results. It could quite simply be yet another attempt to discredit Israel. On the other hand; it - of course - could be true, thus we cannot simply dismiss it beforehand.
July 27th, 2006 at 9:14 am
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The Sydney Morning Herald is guilty of it. Today the paper is running a piece with accusations from various “doctors” that Israel is using chemical weapons against Hezbollah in Lebanon:
Lebanon is investigating reports from doctors that Is…
July 27th, 2006 at 9:22 am
Lebanon Mire And Muck
Lebanese doctors are insinuating that Israel is using phosphorous bombs. Security Watchtower and PoliBlog clearly articulate what is obvious to everybody except the story’s author: its all about the propoganda. See also, Jenin, claims of phony massac…
July 27th, 2006 at 11:59 am
The one description sounds more like they are under attack by vampires, but it’s really hard to tell as the descriptions seem a bit incoherent.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
“Phosphorus shells do have a legitimate use in illuminating the battlefield at night.”
This is not quite true, unless you intend to exacerbate the darkness with smoke. Phosphorus shells are usually used for smoke, either to obscure or mark an area. Sometimes the smoke is used to flush out occupants of tunnels or trenches, as the fumes are an eye and nasal irritant.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
Lebanese Doctors Accuse Israel Of Using WMD’s
According to The Sidney Morning Herald Lebanese doctors have accused Israel of using WMD’s. More specifically some think it’s phosphorus….
July 27th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
Well, in the assault on Falluja and all those civilians who are actually guily because they hang around near combatants, the US government initially denied using phosphorous, and then had to admit that it had.
Then the story shifted from “we didn’t use it” to “it’s not a chemical weapon.”
July 27th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Uh “guilty” not guily. Sorry.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:14 pm
Israel doesn’t deny using phosphorus bombs. You can find this info on their ministry of foreign affairs web site actually:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Israels+counter+terrorist+campaign+-+FAQ+18-Jul-2006.htm
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