STATE DEPT LAUNCHES PHONY INVESTIGATION OF ISRAEL TO APPEASE ARABS

State Department Opens Inquiry into Israeli Use of U.S. Bombs - David S. Cloud
The State Department is investigating whether Israel's use of American-made cluster bombs in southern Lebanon violated secret agreements with the U.S. that restrict when it can employ such weapons, two officials said. In addition, the State Department has held up a shipment of M-26 artillery rockets, a cluster weapon that Israel sought during the conflict, the officials said. Several current and former officials said that they doubted the investigation would lead to sanctions against Israel but that the decision to proceed with it might be intended to help the Bush administration ease criticism from Arab governments and commentators over its support of Israel's military operations. (New York Times)