What Do Cluster Bombs And Terrorists Have In Common?

Helen Thomas has an indirect intent laced in her question to Dana Perino at today's Whitehouse press briefing. It has something to do with the commonality between cluster bombs built by the USA and terrorists. Both are used as political leverage, don't you think?

If we really want to do something to de-escalate the terrorist threat, perhaps we should stop sending cluster bombs to other countries that end up killing small Muslim children in foreign locations. Instead, these kinds of things only serve as fantastic recruitment material for such terrorists.

Have a look at Helen's question and Dana's answer and let me know if I am on base or off target here?

Helen.

Q A lot of the innocent men, women and children have been harmed by the tons of cluster bombs that we sent to Israel the last days of the war. Is the President doing anything to compensate or to help these people now, make amends in southern Lebanon?

MS. PERINO: Yes, and I think there are -- our financial contribution at this point is $230 million, and in addition to that, I don't know if you are aware, I think it was just last weekend, the President sent a team of five top CEOs of the United States to go over and work with the Lebanese government in order to find ways that we, in America, can help. It's similar to the efforts with the Iranian earthquake earlier in the year, where Americans are very generous of spirit and generous when they open up their pocketbooks. So on all fronts, we will be helping in terms of the reconstruction.

I don't have any specifics in regards to the bombs that you mention in the story that was in The New York Times today. If I can get some more, I'll certainly reply to you. But the reconstruction and rebuilding, we'd have to consider that problem, as well, as we move forward.