World

Nations sign cluster bomb treaty

by Dave Keating | December 3, 2008 at 03:41 am

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The begining phases of the ratifcation of a treaty to ban cluster bombs have begun, with the intial signatures being made. Cluster bombs can be particularly damaging to civilians because they spread out so far and they can lay unexploded for some time.

The first of more than 100 countries have begun signing a treaty to ban current designs of cluster bombs, at a conference in Oslo, Norway.

Campaigners are hailing the treaty as a major breakthrough.

But some of the biggest stockpilers, including the US, Russia and China are not among them.

First developed during World War II, cluster bombs contain a number of smaller bomblets designed to cover a large area and deter an advancing army.

But campaigners, including some in the military, have long argued they are outmoded and immoral because of the dangers posed to civilians from bombs that do not explode and litter the ground like landmines.

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Dan Finnan

at 06:39 on December 3rd, 2008

Source: RFI English

The US believes that banning the devices will put its miltary personnel at risk and "although we share the humanitarian concerns of states signing the CCM, we will not be joining them," the US State Department commented.

Between 1964 and 1973, the US air force dropped 260 million cluster bombs on Laos, and more recently cluster munitions have been used in Iraq, Afghanistan and by Israel in Lebanon.

"There are still civilians who are dying resulting as a result of explosions in Laos from the Vietnam era," Portius told RFI.