US Sent Israel Bunker Bombs Via Scotland

[Milesian]

Beckett furious at American action as peace talks falter
By James Lyons

AMERICAN planes flew bunker-busting missiles to Israel via Scotland, it emerged yesterday.

Last night, the revelation was testing Britain's relationship with the US to the limit, with Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett furiously denouncing Washington's conduct.

Two chartered Airbus A310 cargo planes, carrying 5000lb laser-guided missiles, refuelled at Prestwick airport, Ayrshire, over the weekend, on their way to Israel.

The missiles are being used to pound targets in Lebanon in an assault on Hezbollah militants which has also claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians and four UN peacekeepers.

Britain has been the US's only backer in its refusal to demand Israel agrees to an immediate ceasefire.

And ministers have stayed silent over the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" flights of terror suspects which are said to have used Prestwick. But yesterday, Beckett said she planned a formal protest to the Bush administration.

She said: "I am not happy. There are procedures for handling that kind of cargo, hazardous cargo, irrespective of what they are. It does appear they were not followed."

Beckett said she had already told Washington they seemed "seriously at fault".

She said: "We will be making a formal protest if it appears that that is what happened. We are still looking in to the facts but I have already notified the US that we are not happy about it."

The Lib Dem's Michael Moore, who revealed the shipments, said the UK should stop all arms being sent to Israel in the light of "disproportionate attacks".

Beckett and US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice were in Rome yesterday for talks on the Middle East. But the talks failed to make any breakthrough and Israel effectively got the go-ahead to keep blitzing Lebanon.

Rice stuck to the White House policy of refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire, dismaying Arab and European politicians.

Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora made a desperate plea for an end to the attacks.

He said his country had been "brought to its knees" by I the Israeli bombardment.

But Israel, backed by London and Washington, says it will agree nothing without an end to Hezbollah's rocket attacks.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm...name_page.html