Israel ambassador denies banned cluster munitions used in Lebanon attack News
Israel ambassador denies banned cluster munitions used in Lebanon attack

[JURIST] Israel has denied using banned cluster munitions [FAS backgrounder; Cluster Munition Coalition advocacy website] in Lebanon. On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch accused Israel [HRW press release] of using the cluster grenades in an attack on a Hezbollah village in South Lebanon last week. Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Arkady Milman called told Russian media that "reports of the Israeli army using cluster munitions is an obvious propaganda of Hezbollah and other organizations who do not know what is actually going on", and he insisted that Israel is taking every precaution to avoid civilian casualties in the current Mideast conflict [JURIST news archive]. He added that Israeli forces drop leaflets into Lebanon several hours before Israel begins a bombing campaign over Lebanese territory.

Cluster munitions generally spread damage indiscriminately and many people consider the weapons illegal under multiple provisions of Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions (1977) [text]. MosNews has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.