Britain unites with smaller countries to block US bid to legalise cluster bombs

[Ichingcarpenter]

A coalition of countries including Britain on Friday defeated an attempt by the US, Russia, China and Israel to get an international agreement approving the continued use of cluster bombs. The weapons, which have been used in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon scatter "bomblets" over a wide area, maiming and killing civilians, notably children, long after they have been dropped and are banned under a 2008 convention which was adopted by the UK and in more than 100 countries. The US, refused to sign and in negotiations in Geneva, over the past two weeks pressed for a protocol to be added to a UN convention to provide legal cover for the continuing use of cluster munitions. But smaller countries, supported by agencies including Amnesty and Oxfam, refused to give way.

Thomas Nash, director of Article 36, a group which coordinated opposition to cluster munitions, said: "The rejection of this attempt to set up a weaker standard on cluster bombs shows that states can act on the basis of humanitarian imperatives and can prevail in the face of cynical pressure from other states".

He added: "It shows that it is not only the US and other so called major powers that call the shots in international affairs, but that when small and medium sized countries work together with civil society and international organisations we can set the agenda and get results".

snip..



The US and its supporters argued that their proposal would allow the use of cluster bombs manufactured after 1980 and that these had a less than 1% failure rate. Opponents said that most bombs produced before 1980 are unusable and that modern cluster munitions have failure rates much higher than the manufacturers claim.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/25/us-cluster-bombs-bid-blocked

[limpyhobbler]

1. Arguing for cluster bombs at the UN

not our proudest moment...

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. A total of 111 UN member states have already signed up to the Oslo convention

A total of 111 UN member states have already signed up to the Oslo convention prohibiting the production, transfer, and use of cluster munitions. The US, Israel, Russia and China have not.

The US position on the new 'understanding' on cluster bombs is a con.
'We are against cluster bombs made before 1980'

1980????

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Has to do with fusing technology in use

[Are_grits_groceries]

3. I wish Princess Diana wa alive.

She was fiercely opposed to cluster bombs.

She had the power to bring an immense amount of attention to this issue. Her opposition wouldn't have been a minimal gesture. It could have had an impact.

[newfie11]

4. GOOD, Someone needs to block us!

I am sick of our war mongering country and the pain, misery we have and are causing world wide. All built on lies to make the rich richer!!!:mad: :banghead:
and how long before we do this! :nuke:

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. DU used to be anti war....

I'm surprised that this tread doesn't get the acknowledgment
that it should.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. This is not a block or any kind of setback

What would have been a limited use role which could have later been tightened now does not exist. The existing treaty is not universally recognized and is therefore ineffectual.

[newfie11]

15. thanks for explaining

So this sucks even more!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Dupicate thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2380794&mesg_id=2380794
In GD yesterday.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

9. For once the UK hasn't been a total sellout.

[MichaelMcGuire]

13. UK in 2008 topped the world table of weapons sales

According to the guardian //edited// And I don't think its stopped selling arms.


Got this off the bbc

Arms exports to Africa and Middle East
Country Value (year to Sept 10)* Examples 2009/10
SOURCE: COMMITTEES ON ARMS EXPORTS CONTROLS, DEPT FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION AND SKILLS (*COVERS MILITARY AND OTHER RESTRICTED LICENCES).

Algeria
£270m
Components for military utility vehicles, combat helicopters, military utility helicopter

Bahrain
£6.4m
Assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, CS hand grenades, smoke ammunition, stun grenades, tear gas/riot control agents

Egypt
£16.8m
Machine guns, imaging cameras, electronic warfare equipment, components for semi-automatic pistols

Iraq
£424m
Machine guns, assault rifles, small arms ammunition, stun grenades, semi-automatic pistols, smoke cannisters, fragmentation rockets

Jordan
£20.2m
Armoured personnel carriers, CS hand grenades, submachine guns, tear gas/irritant ammunition, armoured fighting vehicles, grenade launchers

Kuwait
£7.3m
Small arms ammunition, submachine guns, armoured personnel carriers, hand grenades, military utility vehicles

Libya
£214.7m
Combat shotguns, tear gas/irritant ammunition, command control and intelligence equipment, crowd control ammunition

Morocco
£2.1m
Shotguns, components for combat aircraft, components for large calibre artillery, components for armoured fighting vehicles

Oman
£11.8m
Small arms ammunition, semi-automatic pistols, components for tanks and armoured vehicles, submachine guns, tear gas/irritant ammunition, CS hand grenades, stun grenades

Qatar
£11.1m
Components for combat aircraft, heavy machine guns, CS hand grenades, small arms ammunition, stun grenades, tear gas/irritant ammunition

Saudi Arabia
£139.5m
Components for combat aircraft, CS hand grenades, tear gas/irritant ammunition, tear gas/riot control agents, sniper rifles, armoured personnel carriers

Syria
£2.7m
Equipment employing cryptography, small arms ammunition

Tunisia
£4.5m
Components for assault rifles, components for machine guns, components for semi-automatic pistols

United Arab Emirates
£208.2m
Assault rifles, components for machine guns, submachine guns, shotguns, small arms ammunition

Yemen
£0.3m
Body armour, night vision goggles, components and technology for military cameras

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. It is glad to ban what it does not sell

[MichaelMcGuire]

16. promoting them?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/18/uk-arms-fair-cluster-munitions

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. Not surprising at a defense trade show

IIRC the UK does not manufacture them

[MichaelMcGuire]

18. banned I think from last year??????

[LeftishBrit]

19. That's why I said 'For once'.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. CBUs are not illegal nor banned by the Geneva Accords

The current treaty is not universally recognized nor supported, The Guardian's hyperbole not withstanding.

The defeated effort would have been the first UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED restriction of CBUs. So rather than get a partial restriction that could be expanded, there is none. Good move there buckos.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Will Obama get another Peace Prize for this act of humanity?