How the US is Fighting for "Peace" in Gaza: Bunker-Busting Bombs

On Sunday we noted the story from The Jerusalem Post that the Israeli Air Force is using new bunker-busting bombs provided by the United States just before the start of the Gaza conflict:

The missile, called GBU-39, was developed in recent years by the US as a small-diameter bomb for low-cost, high-precision and low collateral damage strikes.

Israel received approval from Congress to purchase 1,000 units in September and defense officials said on Sunday that the first shipment had arrived earlier this month and was used successfully in penetrating underground Kassam launchers in the Gaza Strip during the heavy aerial bombardment of Hamas infrastructure on Saturday. It was also used in Sunday’s bombing of tunnels in Rafah.

We've now found some more detail.



According to Boeing, the manufacturer, the bunker-busting bomb can "penetrate 3 feet of steel-reinforced concrete". And the smaller size "means aircraft can typically carry and deliver four of these bombs instead of a single, 2,000-pound bomb". But don't fret too much: "the smaller warhead is also supposed to reduce the possibility of collateral damage".

Perhaps the most horribly comic aspect of the story is offered by the press release of the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, announcing the notification to Congress of the sale:

Our policy has been to promote Middle East peace, support Israel’s commitment to peace with other regional Arab countries, [and] enhance regional stability.

Would it be too cliched to invoke Orwell's double-speak of "War is Peace" at this point?