US Says Israel Violated Agreement

The United States government has a policy when they sell arms to nations that prohibits them from using them in an aggressive fashion. In the sale of cluster munitions, the agreement does not allow nations to use them in civilian areas. These munitions release tiny, deadly bomblets that disperse over a wide area. Israel deployed these munitions in many areas of Lebanon during the summer war in response to the rockets that had been launched against them.
This presents an uncomfortable situation for President Bush as to how he deals with Israel. Protocol would be to exercise sanctions against Israel and, at least, limit the sale of cluster munitions to Israel for many years. However, experts in the government assert that this is different as Israel was deploying these munitions in an act of defense, which would be in keeping with the agreement. Hezbollah was firing rockets against Israeli citizens from civilian neighborhoods in southern Lebanon. Israel responded in a fashion that included the cluster munitions. They have admitted to the US government that they used American made munitions in their attacks.
Now, the intelligence briefing goes to Congess for them to determine what type of action should occur against Israel. Any action would have to include President Bush's approval, so Congress could save President Bush the embarrassment of having to make this decision by throwing out the briefing and letting it slide.
It is my belief that the Bush administration understands and supports Israel's use of their weaponry. After all, the use of the cluster bombs was in defense of their citizens. These weapons were deployed areas that would have been strategically difficult for ground troops to have made a surge on. It would have caused significant loss of Israeli life, so the cluster bombs were an effort to eliminate the threat that existed in those areas. The fault of the civilian casualties lies at the feet of the Hezbollah terrorists as it was these individuals who used these innocent families as human shields. Israel had no choice but to take the path they chose.
In the 1981, Israel used F-16s that they obtained from the US in their preemptive attack on the Iraqi reactors. In their contract to obtain the F-16s, they had to signify that they would only use them for defensive measures. The attack on Iraq was clearly not defensive, so President Reagan had to publicly condemn the attack. However, behind closed doors, American diplomats (including Vice-President Cheney who had later become Defense Secretary) thanked the Israeli government and congratulated them on their boldness and deciveness in their actions. I believe that America will follow the same course again. President Bush and his administration are too strong of friends with Israel to attack the diplomatically with sanctions for protecting themselves when the US has just recently imposed sanctions on the rogue nuclear nation of Iran who is clearly operating agains the will of the international community.