sjwmoore
March 21st, 2007, 10:57 AM
Britain bans 'dumb' cluster bombs
Agence France-Presse | Mar 21, 2007
The government has banned its armed forces from using "dumb" cluster bombs to cut the number of civilians killed and maimed by them, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
In future, British troops will only be allowed to use "smart" cluster bombs with features such as self-destruct mechanisms if they fail to explode on initial impact.
Charities such as Oxfam and Amnesty International have long argued for a ban on cluster bombs -- devices containing hundreds of small bomblets which disperse over a large area -- because they can leave a deadly legacy for years after the end of conflicts.
"It is our duty to make sure our forces have the equipment they need to do the job we ask of them," Defence Secretary Des Browne told parliament in a written statement.
"At the same time, we should strive to reduce civilian casualties to the minimum. Military commanders are first to point out that modern conflicts are in large part about winning hearts and minds."
Browne added that he hoped other countries would now follow Britain's lead.
The Ministry of Defence predicted that it would lead to the destruction of 28 million of the tiny munitions.
At a conference in Norway last month, 46 countries pledged to seek a treaty banning cluster bombs by next year, with France and Britain among the nations which signed up.
Japan, Poland and Romania refused to sign the accord, while Israel and the United States did not take part in the conference.
Belgium banned the use of cluster munitions last year.
This kind of thing annoys me- as with landmines, they have a legitimate military use, ie landmines are meant to provide an obstacle and cluster bombs are designed for anti armour / vehicles. Since when has the UK military ever misused such weapons? The JP233 anti airfield weapon was banned on similar grounds in that it had anti personell bomblets to hinder reapair. Should the armed forces of developed nations be hindered by the idiotic abuse of such weapons in other parts of the world? Only a tinpot army would scatter mines around and not in marked minefields, as they are a hazard to your own troops also! Shall we ban guns also as they could potentially kill the "wrong" people?? Its all about the intent of the combatants.
The self destruct part is certainly to be welcomed, but it seems, as always, the problems lie with the users, not the equipment.
Agence France-Presse | Mar 21, 2007
The government has banned its armed forces from using "dumb" cluster bombs to cut the number of civilians killed and maimed by them, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
In future, British troops will only be allowed to use "smart" cluster bombs with features such as self-destruct mechanisms if they fail to explode on initial impact.
Charities such as Oxfam and Amnesty International have long argued for a ban on cluster bombs -- devices containing hundreds of small bomblets which disperse over a large area -- because they can leave a deadly legacy for years after the end of conflicts.
"It is our duty to make sure our forces have the equipment they need to do the job we ask of them," Defence Secretary Des Browne told parliament in a written statement.
"At the same time, we should strive to reduce civilian casualties to the minimum. Military commanders are first to point out that modern conflicts are in large part about winning hearts and minds."
Browne added that he hoped other countries would now follow Britain's lead.
The Ministry of Defence predicted that it would lead to the destruction of 28 million of the tiny munitions.
At a conference in Norway last month, 46 countries pledged to seek a treaty banning cluster bombs by next year, with France and Britain among the nations which signed up.
Japan, Poland and Romania refused to sign the accord, while Israel and the United States did not take part in the conference.
Belgium banned the use of cluster munitions last year.
This kind of thing annoys me- as with landmines, they have a legitimate military use, ie landmines are meant to provide an obstacle and cluster bombs are designed for anti armour / vehicles. Since when has the UK military ever misused such weapons? The JP233 anti airfield weapon was banned on similar grounds in that it had anti personell bomblets to hinder reapair. Should the armed forces of developed nations be hindered by the idiotic abuse of such weapons in other parts of the world? Only a tinpot army would scatter mines around and not in marked minefields, as they are a hazard to your own troops also! Shall we ban guns also as they could potentially kill the "wrong" people?? Its all about the intent of the combatants.
The self destruct part is certainly to be welcomed, but it seems, as always, the problems lie with the users, not the equipment.