Friday 4th of July 2008
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our weapons of mass destruction .....

our weapons of mass destruction .....

The British Government is accused of being the chief obstacle to the signing of a treaty to ban cluster bombs, which have maimed and killed thousands of civilians worldwide. 

Countries that have suffered the impact of the bombs, humanitarian groups and former commanders of British forces have called for the UK to drop its insistence on retaining cluster munitions, a stance, they say, that is likely to scupper hopes of securing an agreement at an international conference starting in Dublin today. 

More than 100 countries are taking part in the talks. Delegates will point out that the vast majority of cluster bomb victims are non-combatants. Opponents of the weapon received the backing yesterday of Pope Benedict XVI, who called for a “strong and credible” treaty to end their use. 

The two sets of weapons at the heart of the argument are the M85 and the M73, munitions fired, respectively, by artillery and rockets. British officials claim these are “smart” weapons which minimise the risk of “collateral damage” and are essential for military operations. The M85 is meant to self destruct and not pose a lingering threat to civilians. However, according to the United Nations, 300 civilians were killed or injured in Lebanon, where Israel used the weapons in 2006. 

The UK is said to be under strong pressure from the Americans - who are not taking part in the Dublin talks - to resist signing up to banning cluster bombs. Defence officials in London say a range of issues is at stake, including munitions stored at US bases in Britain, and the legal status of British soldiers serving alongside Americans where the US may use cluster weapons. 

Britain Obstructs Global Ban On Use Of Cluster Bombs


howard lite .....

As one of the very last acts of the Howard Government, Brendan Nelson bought $14 million worth of cluster bombs - weapons that contain mini-bombs, some of which remain unexploded on the ground for years awaiting innocent civilians. It's the first time Australia has bought such a weapon, and one we would hope the new Government would categorically reject. 

But right now, as the international community meets in Dublin to ban them, the new Australian Government is going out of its way to frustrate the process. They're calling for their 'SMART 155' bomb to be excluded - and for the treaty to be watered down. 

Thousands of civilians have lost their lives and limbs, mainly children from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. So much so that the international symbol of the campaign is a limb. Just last week the Pope took the unusual step of calling on the international community to outlaw the deadly weapons. 

But our Government has refused to accept that Smart 155 is a cluster munition and is arguing that the new treaty should exclude it - despite having no independent tests on its safety and refusing to provide any evidence to back up that claim. The Australian delegation is also trying to water down other essential elements of the treaty - they want joint operations with non-signatories who use cluster bombs to be permitted. 

The Government is hoping this issue will slip under the radar without anyone noticing - but the stakes are simply too high to ignore. Despite technological advances, cluster bombs can't distinguish between combatant and civilian - we need a strong international treaty to prevent horrors like those experienced as a result of land mines, and that decision is being made right now in Dublin. 

The PM has shown what a 'creative middle power' can achieve - advocacy on Tibet, ratification of Kyoto, the Apology. Remind him we're supposed to be one of the good guys. 

The UK Prime Minister yesterday reversed his decision to exempt his own weapons, leaving Australia increasingly isolated. We should be encouraging positive international agreements to save lives, not hindering them.  

Tell the PM today - as this decision is being made right now - to ban the bombs: 

www.getup.org.au/campaign/BanTheBombs


some good news .....

The US will no longer be able to stockpile cluster bombs at its military bases in Britain under government proposals for an international ban on the controversial weapons, it emerged last night.

As diplomats from more than 100 states unanimously passed a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs around the world, it emerged that British ministers are prepared to go further.

The government has agreed to scrap the two types of cluster weapon in the armoury of British forces, but it will also ask the US to get rid of its cluster bombs based here, and it will no longer ask for a "phasing out" period for its newest cluster munition - the M73, which is attached to Apache attack helicopters.

US Cluster Bombs To Be Banned From UK