Posted on 08/15/2008 7:29:17 AM PDT by AmericanMade1776
(Tbilisi, August 15, 2008) ? Human Rights Watch researchers have uncovered evidence that Russian aircraft dropped cluster bombs in populated areas in Georgia, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring dozens, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called upon Russia to immediately stop using cluster bombs, weapons so dangerous to civilians that more than 100 nations have agreed to ban their use. "Cluster bombs are indiscriminate killers that most nations have agreed to outlaw," said Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch. "Russia's use of this weapon is not only deadly to civilians, but also an insult to international efforts to avoid a global humanitarian disaster of the kind caused by landmines."
Human Rights Watch said Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs, each containing 30 PTAB 2.5M submunitions, on the town of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on August 12, 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
This is the first known use of cluster munitions since 2006, during Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions or bomblets. They cause unacceptable humanitarian harm in two ways. First, their broad-area effect kills and injures civilians indiscriminately during strikes. Second, many submunitions do not explode, becoming de facto landmines that cause civilian casualties for months or years to come. In May 2008, 107 nations agreed to a total ban on cluster munitions, but Russia did not participate in the talks.http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/392894e1513fbb7d101dacbf5e73456c.htm
we did not sign the treaty banning cluster bombs either...and neither should we have.
Waited for this until George W. Bush was a lameduck—what a man Putin is!!!!
A man visits his son, Azamat Sanokoev from Dzhava who was injured in the armed conflict between Georgia and Russian-backed South Ossetian separatists, at a hospital in Vladikavkaz August 15, 2008. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko (RUSSIA) REUTERS/VASILY FEDOSENKO
I repeat my call for human shields. Code Pink - where are you?
Ping. Putin is all heart.
“we did not sign the treaty banning cluster bombs either...and neither should we have.”
Right, we might need to use them on Russian soldiers one day, or Russian air fields.
“Code Pink - where are you?”
Good one.
Or in mecca.
Too bad we dumped our neutron [aka cobalt] bomb. Tancredo made a really good point about Mecca.
The cobalt bomb and the neutron bomb are exact opposites.
The cobalt bomb is designed to flatten and pollute the target with so much residual radiation that it can’t be used for centuries.
The neutron bomb is designed to kill the people and leave the buildings suitable for habitation after a few weeks or months.
Which is why China now has all our neutron bomb design data.
No, I don’t know how to say “Lebensraum” in Chinese...
“Which is why China now has all our neutron bomb design data.”
Oh joy. And thank you for clearing up my flawed info.
*sigh* The clintons. The gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving...
No U.S. bombs killed Serb civilians?
AGREE 100%!
As the great General Robert E. Lee observed:
"It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it."
USMC Lieutenant General "Chesty" Puller:
"Our Country won't go on forever, if we stay soft as we are now. There won't be any AMERICA because some foreign soldier will invade us and take our women and breed a hardier race!"
Is there anything more foolish than rules designed to make war more "humane"?
Such well-meaning but short sighted efforts only serve to makes warfare more acceptable, more bearable with the end result of increasing, rather than decreasing, the likelihood of armed combat and making conflicts last longer.
The way we wage war should be so horrible for our enemies that few consider it an option.
If we had fought in Iraq and Afghanistan the same way we fought Germany and Japan the war would have been over years ago and we would have sustained fewer casualties.
In the end the most humane policy is to wage war unconditionally, in the most ferocious way possible, to completely and utterly destroy the capability and will of your opponent as rapidly and decisively as possible.
There would be fewer wars and they would be over more quickly.
Enemies will hesitate before mounting a challenge if they know that will be the response. They will not hesitate if they know you are reluctant to fight your best fight, hesitant to trade blow for blow.
When they know they can willfully kill your families, women and children, and destroy your homes while you consider your self too civilized to respond in kind they know they have the advantage and are more eager to start and sustain armed conflict. Ultimately they will be the victor, even against a superior force.
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