U.S. Cluster Bomb Related Atrocities to Continue
July 10th, 2008Via: Reuters:
The United States is taking steps to reduce the danger of unexploded U.S. cluster bombs while continuing to resist international pressure for an all-out ban on the weapons, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
Cluster bombs spread tiny bomblets across large areas when dropped from planes or fired from artillery. But they sometimes do not all explode on impact, posing a lingering risk to civilians, especially children, after a conflict.
Under the new policy, from 2018 more than 99 percent of cluster bombs used by the U.S. military would have to meet standards requiring that they contain bomblets that explode on or just before impact, defense officials said.
The new policy, signed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, also requires the U.S. military to eliminate excess supplies of cluster weapons by next June.
Human rights advocates criticized the change, saying it was unacceptable for the United States, the leading user and exporter of the bombs, to wait 10 years to accept a standard lower than an all-out ban advocated by the United Nations.
More than 100 countries meeting in Ireland in May formally agreed to ban the use of cluster bombs under a draft treaty that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged states to sign and ratify quickly.
The so-called Oslo process against the bombs, modeled on a campaign against anti-personnel mines a decade ago, is due to end with the signing of a treaty in the Norwegian capital in December.
The United States has refused to take part in the talks and India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.
Yeah, but it’s okay, ’cause we’re the good guys!