111 Nations Agree to Cluster-Bomb Ban, Minus the U.S.
1 CommentLONDON, May 28 -- More than 100 countries reached agreement Wednesday to ban cluster bombs, controversial weapons that human rights groups deplore but which the United States, which did not join the ban, calls an integral, legitimate part of its arsenal.
...The weapons consist of canisters packed with small bombs, or "bomblets," that spread over a large area when dropped from a plane or fired from the ground. While the devices are designed to explode on impact, they frequently do not. Civilians, particularly children, are often maimed or killed when they pick up unexploded bombs, sometimes years later.
..."While the United States shares the humanitarian concerns of those in Dublin," said Navy Cmdr. Bob Mehal, a Pentagon spokesman, "cluster munitions have demonstrated military utility, and their elimination from U.S. stockpiles would put the lives of our soldiers and those of our coalition partners at risk."
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Reader Comments (1)
Unfortunately, duds occupy a percentage of all munitions, not just cluster bombs. In reference to the article, from personal experience, I doubt if most of the military's munitions have a 99% exploding rate. I think efforts would be a lot better spent on erradication of existing land mines and making sure their production is stopped.