State Dept. To Report on Cluster Bomb

WASHINGTON — The Department of State has completed a preliminary report on whether Israel misused American-made cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon.

State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said Saturday that the report will be forwarded to Congress today, but he declined to disclose the findings, emphasizing that they are preliminary.

"We take our obligations under the Arms Control Act seriously," Mr. Cooper said. "Our forwarding to Congress of a preliminary assessment is an indication of that.

"The Israeli government is also taking quite seriously their responsibility in providing information," Mr. Cooper said. "We are not making a final judgment."

The State Department is required to notify Congress of even preliminary findings of possible violations of the act cited by Mr. Cooper.

The New York Times reported on its Internet site Saturday evening that the report will say Israel may have violated agreements with America by its use of American-supplied cluster munitions during last year's war. The paper described disagreement among mid-level officials at the departments of defense and state, with some in both departments arguing that Israel violated American prohibitions, while others in argued that the weapons were used in self-defense.