Remnant from a U.S. cluster munition in Yemen.
(Screengrab from HRW video below)
Aug 28, 2015
A human rights watchdog said Wednesday it has fresh evidence the Saudi-led coalition used U.S. cluster bombs, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians in Yemen.
Human Rights Watch said it identified United States-made ground-launched M26 cluster munition rockets that were likely used in seven attacks in the country's northwestern Hajja governorate between late April and mid-July. The group said it visited four of the seven sites and also spoke with witnesses of the attacks who said that three children were among the 13 civilians killed in the attacks. The group viewed photographic evidence of unexploded munition remnants at the other sites, it said.
HRW adds in a media statement: "Several of the attacks took place in or near areas with concentrations of civilians, indicating that the rocket attacks themselves may have been unlawfully indiscriminate in violation of the laws of war."
"The loss of civilian life in Hajja shows why most countries have committed never to use cluster munitions," said Ole Solvang, senior emergencies researcher with HRW. "These weapons not only kill or injure people at the time of the attack, but the unexploded submunitions go on killing long afterward."
Neither the U.S., Saudi Arabia, or Yemen have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use.
HRW has previously warned that the coalition has used cluster munitions, and an anonymous Pentagon official told U.S. News this month that "the U.S. is aware that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in Yemen."
Inter Press Service reported last week:
The United States is providing a thinly-veiled cover virtually legitimizing the use of cluster bombs - banned by an international convention - by Saudi Arabia and its allies in their heavy fighting against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Asked if cluster bombs are legitimate weapons of war, "if used appropriately", U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters: "If used appropriately, there are end-use regulations regarding the use of them. But yes, when used appropriately and according (to) those end-use rules, it's permissible."
Over 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Yemen since March. Though international aid groups continue to warn of the dire humanitarian situation gripping the impoverished country, it remains a largely ignored crisis.
Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said this month, "The humanitarian situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Every family in Yemen has been affected by this conflict. The people are facing immense hardship. And it is getting worse by the day.
"The world needs to wake up to what is going on," said Maurer.
See more on HRW's new findings in the group's video below:
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Our Summer Campaign is now underway, and there’s never been a more urgent time for Common Dreams to be as vigilant as possible. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
childrencluster bombscluster munitionconvention on cluster munitionshuman rights watchred crossus state departmentus weaponsyemencluster munitions
A human rights watchdog said Wednesday it has fresh evidence the Saudi-led coalition used U.S. cluster bombs, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians in Yemen.
Human Rights Watch said it identified United States-made ground-launched M26 cluster munition rockets that were likely used in seven attacks in the country's northwestern Hajja governorate between late April and mid-July. The group said it visited four of the seven sites and also spoke with witnesses of the attacks who said that three children were among the 13 civilians killed in the attacks. The group viewed photographic evidence of unexploded munition remnants at the other sites, it said.
HRW adds in a media statement: "Several of the attacks took place in or near areas with concentrations of civilians, indicating that the rocket attacks themselves may have been unlawfully indiscriminate in violation of the laws of war."
"The loss of civilian life in Hajja shows why most countries have committed never to use cluster munitions," said Ole Solvang, senior emergencies researcher with HRW. "These weapons not only kill or injure people at the time of the attack, but the unexploded submunitions go on killing long afterward."
Neither the U.S., Saudi Arabia, or Yemen have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use.
HRW has previously warned that the coalition has used cluster munitions, and an anonymous Pentagon official told U.S. News this month that "the U.S. is aware that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in Yemen."
Inter Press Service reported last week:
The United States is providing a thinly-veiled cover virtually legitimizing the use of cluster bombs - banned by an international convention - by Saudi Arabia and its allies in their heavy fighting against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Asked if cluster bombs are legitimate weapons of war, "if used appropriately", U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters: "If used appropriately, there are end-use regulations regarding the use of them. But yes, when used appropriately and according (to) those end-use rules, it's permissible."
Over 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Yemen since March. Though international aid groups continue to warn of the dire humanitarian situation gripping the impoverished country, it remains a largely ignored crisis.
Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said this month, "The humanitarian situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Every family in Yemen has been affected by this conflict. The people are facing immense hardship. And it is getting worse by the day.
"The world needs to wake up to what is going on," said Maurer.
See more on HRW's new findings in the group's video below:
A human rights watchdog said Wednesday it has fresh evidence the Saudi-led coalition used U.S. cluster bombs, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians in Yemen.
Human Rights Watch said it identified United States-made ground-launched M26 cluster munition rockets that were likely used in seven attacks in the country's northwestern Hajja governorate between late April and mid-July. The group said it visited four of the seven sites and also spoke with witnesses of the attacks who said that three children were among the 13 civilians killed in the attacks. The group viewed photographic evidence of unexploded munition remnants at the other sites, it said.
HRW adds in a media statement: "Several of the attacks took place in or near areas with concentrations of civilians, indicating that the rocket attacks themselves may have been unlawfully indiscriminate in violation of the laws of war."
"The loss of civilian life in Hajja shows why most countries have committed never to use cluster munitions," said Ole Solvang, senior emergencies researcher with HRW. "These weapons not only kill or injure people at the time of the attack, but the unexploded submunitions go on killing long afterward."
Neither the U.S., Saudi Arabia, or Yemen have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use.
HRW has previously warned that the coalition has used cluster munitions, and an anonymous Pentagon official told U.S. News this month that "the U.S. is aware that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in Yemen."
Inter Press Service reported last week:
The United States is providing a thinly-veiled cover virtually legitimizing the use of cluster bombs - banned by an international convention - by Saudi Arabia and its allies in their heavy fighting against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Asked if cluster bombs are legitimate weapons of war, "if used appropriately", U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters: "If used appropriately, there are end-use regulations regarding the use of them. But yes, when used appropriately and according (to) those end-use rules, it's permissible."
Over 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Yemen since March. Though international aid groups continue to warn of the dire humanitarian situation gripping the impoverished country, it remains a largely ignored crisis.
Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said this month, "The humanitarian situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Every family in Yemen has been affected by this conflict. The people are facing immense hardship. And it is getting worse by the day.
"The world needs to wake up to what is going on," said Maurer.
See more on HRW's new findings in the group's video below:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.