Kim Sengupta, of The Independent UK: "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."
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052008N.shtml
America AWOL on Cluster Bombs
Lora Lumpe, of Foreign Policy In Focus, writes: "More than 100 governments, including all major NATO allies, met on May 19 to begin two weeks of negotiations in Dublin, Ireland to finalize a global treaty banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The U.S. government will not be there, and is exerting pressure on allies to weaken the treaty. Washington claims that future joint military operations will be undermined if allied governments prohibit the use of these weapons."
http://www.truthout.org/article/america-awol-cluster-bombs
111 Nations, But Not US, Adopt Cluster Bomb Treaty
Shawn Pogatchnik, for The Associated Press, reports from Dublin, Ireland: "Chief negotiators of a landmark treaty banning cluster bombs predicted Friday that the United States will never again use the weapons, a critical component of American air and artillery power. The treaty formally adopted Friday by 111 nations, including many of America's major NATO partners, would outlaw all current designs of cluster munitions and require destruction of stockpiles within eight years. It also opens the possibility that European allies could order US bases located in their countries to remove cluster bombs from their stocks."
http://www.truthout.org/article/111-nations-but-not-us-adopt-cluster-bomb-treaty
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US Official: Cluster Bomb Ban Could Hurt 'Cooperation' and 'Humanitarian Work'
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/22/9125/
Lie-Down Protest Targets Cluster Bombs
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/22/9119
US Subverts The Cluster Bomb Ban
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/24/9169/
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Timeline of Cluster Munitions Use
2003 - The US and UK use nearly 13,000 cluster munitions, containing and estimated 1.8 million to two million submunitions, during three weeks of military operations in Iraq.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200805190039.html
From Information Clearing House
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BAN CLUSTER BOMBS
http://www.avaaz.org/en/ban_cluster_munitions/12.php?cl=91796480
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=cluster+bombs
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Kim+Sengupta
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Jody+Williams
