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Cluster Bombs: A Shameful Stance
In May, much of the world signed a treaty outlawing cluster bombs, the Nazi-created munitions that injure, maim and kill indiscriminately long after their initial use. Now comes the U.S. government to announce it will improve its cluster bombs. Eventually.
The world bans an inhumane weapon. We want to perfect it. Embarrassing.
According to The Associated Press, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a policy change that would require technical improvements so that, after 2018, more than 99 percent of the bomblets in a cluster bomb must detonate. That would limit -- not eliminate -- the danger of children and other civilians later being hurt by the detonation of unexploded bomblets.
At the end of the Clinton administration, a similar policy was adopted -- with a goal of 2005. A recent Congressional Research Service report questioned whether the 99 percent goal is technically achievable, except in laboratory conditions. U.S. intransigence on cluster bombs is matched by very few nations, among them China, Russia and Pakistan. That's not the type of company we should keep on human rights issues.
When the treaty was adopted in May, backers optimistically predicted that the United States would never again use the weapons, no matter what the government might say. Gates' policy change is a dark suggestion that the administration will try to sanitize a brutal weapon just enough to continue its use indefinitely.
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
6 Comments so far
Show AllThere are better ways to lower our population. They just don't make businesses as much money.
I just kinda wonder why there are not 40-50 comments here.
Cluster bombs are real monstrosities, and there is no excuse to use them. They are meant to kill and maim civilians,and the bomblet/landmines they scatter are almost always detonated by curious little kids. it's called terrorism.
abuelito July 10th, 2008 9:47 pm - "wonder why there are not 40-50 comments here."
Yeah, no kidding.
Kinda weird.
So here's my comment, for what it's worth. I think, more than anything else, this topic of cluster bombs and depleted uranium has made me realize just how far gone most Aemricans are. It's sickening that this goes on in our name . . . and so many people are clueless, don't want to know, or just simply don't care.
Like it or not Cluster Munitions and Landmines are a necessary evil. The comment that they are designed to kill and maim civilians is obviously from an uninformed person. Soon Europe will fall to radical Islam (perhaps taking Canada and Australia with it)and it will be America Alone.
I suggest there are not 50 comments, because in the past month there have been a number of artcles regarding cluster muntions.
This hardly suggests there too many articles, just that readers have commented extensively on cluster muntions in those other articles.
On a personal note, I just cant think of what else I can say to condemn these weapons any further then I have.
As to snowrose. You have been reading far too many fairy tales.
ABUELITO asked ( back on April 26th, 2008 6:44 pm) :
"These monstrosities are called "anti - personnel weapons" which is military speak for people killers. generals are always insisting they must have them but i have never heard one say why. in any case whatever tactical purpose they might serve could not possibly justify the harm they do to civilians, and especially children."
Which I answered ( but was expunged ):
The purpose can be illustrated by example from Viet Nam era, where the INSANE WEAPONS grew in massive deployments. When initial steel containing ball bearings were used, the people's (civilians) exposure would purposely be limited — to not be sufficient to kill — so as in maim and cause pain and incapacitation. The weapon's purpose is to fight against the "will to fight" by inflicted massive psychological harm to the survivors, and to tie up several functioning people, to take care of the wounded ones.
Once the army realized that the steel containing balls could be easily x-rayed and detected for removal, they switched to use of Teflon balls, that are extremely challenging to ever find, and if not found the wounds go septic (infection), which causes a slow death and extreme pain.
Children are naturally curious, and ( some of the ) the munitions are disguised to look very similar to those the UN uses to distribute food to civilians (yellow tagged). Again, the purpose is not to outright kill children, but cause the maximum pain and suffering for the entire supporting community. It is "desired" for the children to lose limbs and sustain debilitating head injuries, and in many cases to eventually die horrible deaths.
I'm sick just writing about this, but of course the munition recipients and their families and communities feel the full devastation — and all of humankind is lessoned in this massively inhumane treatment of civilians NON-COMBATANTS
Peace and heart felt apologies for having to reveal the despicable scope of the EVIL inherent in these weapons of devastation and torture
Namaste « Presence »
« We must be the change we wish to see in the world » — Gandhi
« There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed » — Gandhi
« We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself » — ML King