| |
 |
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 |
JustWorldNews: "On August 15, Human Rights Watch issued a statement - still published on their website without comment - saying its researchers 'have uncovered evidence that Russian aircraft dropped cluster bombs in populated areas in Georgia'. On that same page is a photo of Georgian men standing around a crater pointing to what is described in the caption as 'the remnants of an RBK-250 cluster bomb dropped by Russian aircraft on the village of Rusisi...'
This story about 'Russia's use of cluster bombs in Georgia' got huge play in the western MSM, many of whose leading contributors have come to treat HRW with almost oracular reverence.
On August 21, HRW issued another statement on the same subject, adding that despite Russia's denials that it had used these weapons, its researchers had 'documented additional Russian cluster munitions attacks during the conflict in Georgia'.
It turns out, though that the 'research' in question was considerably less than expert or thorough, and that HRW's much-lauded lead 'researcher' on this topic, Marc Garlasco, may have fallen victim - or worse - to a Georgian disinformation campaign.
Bernhard of Moon of Alabama is just one of those who've been pointing out that the bomb remnants in the photos published by HRW in those two releases are very different from those of a Russian 'RBK-250 cluster bomb', or its submunitions. Indeed, they're not items of Russian manufacture at all... but Israeli, as can easily by seen by comparing them with stock weapons-ID photos and charts.
However, at some point in late August, the Georgian government had confessed to HRW that it had used cluster bombs during the recent conflict - and that these had indeed been of Israeli manufacture. That news was posted on the HRW website yesterday, here.
Human rights work should never seek to be "flashy", and should absolutely never allow itself to become politicized."
MoonofAlabama: "On August 15 Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Russian Federation of having used cluster bombs in the conflict with Georgia. These accusations were widely repeated in the 'western' media. The Russian Federation consistently denied any use of cluster ammunition. As it now turns out the repeated HRW accusations were wrong. The 'evidence' provided by HRW was based on pictures and misidentified ammunition in those.
The ammunition in question is of Israeli origin and was used by the Georgian military. The Georgian Ministry of Defense has now admitted as much. HRW now also acknowledges this in a new press statement. But it continues to claim Russian use of such weapons. It does so by pointing to its own older reports which clearly misidentified Georgian cluster ammunition as Russian made. HRW has still to show any proof for its continuing accusations against the Russian Federation."
More here.
If it is so that those cluster bombs are of Israeli make, then it is logical to assume they were used by the Georgian army, not the Russians, which should be the object of a serious scrutiny. The possibility that Georgia used cluster bombs expressly to accuse the Russians is to be researched.
11:11:15 AM 
|
|
RIAN: "Georgia is mobilizing commando units near its border with South Ossetia, a senior Russian military official said on Tuesday.
'According to our information, Georgian security forces are trying to restore their [military] presence in Georgian populated villages in South Ossetia. With this aim, Georgia is mobilizing its special forces from the interior and defense ministries near the administrative border with South Ossetia,' Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, said."
PressTV: "Iran and Bolivia will stand by one another as the two countries take an anti-imperialism stand against the West, Iran's president says."
RIAN: "The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas left Sevastopol Tuesday morning after anti-NATO protests in Ukraine's Crimean port.
The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas, which arrived on Monday morning at the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol where Russia has a naval base, has refused to go ashore amid anti-NATO protests."
WorldContent: "Nach den Dementis in den vergangenen Tagen, dass ein Verband von US-Kriegsschiffen in den Persischen Golf unterwegs sei, gibt es jetzt doch eine Bestätigung dafür, dass sich starke maritime Kräfte in der Region zusammenziehen."
(After the denials in the last days that a fleet of U.S.-warships in the Persian gulf is on the way, there is now a confirmation that a strong maritime force is concentrating in the region.)
Parts of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (LHD-7), with the USS Ramage, and the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group (CVN 71) are heading to the region. The justification for a planned US strike as reported earlier by the Telegraaf (see also here) would be H. CON. RES. 362.
Quqnoos: "An Afghan human rights organisation has accused the United States army of committing war crimes in Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said on Tuesday that, according to their own investigations, civilians are killed in most operations conducted by US forces.
AIHRC expressed strong concern about the death of innocent Afghans during military operations and urged those responsible for the killings to face trial."
10:57:07 AM
|
|
© Copyright 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
