Cluster bomb response to US: ‘We are horrified’
Cluster munitions included in the US$800 million military aid package for Ukraine drew intense criticism from non-governmental organizations.
With the approval of US President Joe Biden, it was announced that cluster munitions were found in the latest $800 million defense aid package sent to Ukraine, with Biden stressing that Ukraine was running out of ammunition and claimed he had made a “difficult decision”.
The Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC), a non-governmental organization working to prevent loss of life and injuries from cluster munitions and landmines around the world, expressed its dismay at the US plans to transporting prohibited cluster munitions to Ukraine. The CMC stated that the transport of cluster munitions is prohibited under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.
CMC called on state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, saying: “State parties should oppose any transfer and use of weapons, and should encourage Russia and Ukraine not to use cluster munitions due to their foreseeable damage. to civilians.”
WEAPON THAT CAUSED CIVILIAN DEATH
Cluster munitions, known as “bomb-in-bomb,” drop too many small bombs over a larger area than intended, with some of these small bombs waiting before exploding. These small bombs can explode after a conflict or at any time, causing great damage to the civilian population.
The failure rate of cluster bombs, which are very difficult and expensive to locate, ranges from 2 to 40 percent.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, in a press release yesterday, said that Russia also uses cluster bombs, saying: “We are aware that cluster bombs pose a risk of harm to civilians due to unexploded ordnance”.
The United Nations-led Convention on Cluster Munitions was signed by 108 countries on May 30, 2008 in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The convention prohibits the transport, manufacture and storage of cluster munitions.
Signatories include Canada, Australia, Denmark, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.