Britain has banned the use of cluster bombs by its armed forces. An official communique from the Defence Secretary Des Browne says that the decision was taken on humanitarian grounds.
A cluster bomb is a bomb with a large shell that contains a number of mini-bombs that scatter over a wide area when the container bomb explodes. The scattered bomblets explode to cause severe damage over a large area.
But, a number of bomblets fail to explode on impact when they land on the ground and lie undetected. They get activated and go off like landmines when some unsuspecting civilians, vehicles or cattle happen to step on them. Hundreds of innocent men, women and children have been maimed or killed by these bombs.
The Red Cross and other human rights and aid organizations have been campaigning for a ban on the use of deadly cluster bombs by armies around the world.
The UN has also been repeatedly calling for a ban on these bombs that kill a disproportionate number of civilians.
The US forces had used cluster bombs when they invaded Afghanistan in 2001. They were used again in the 2003 invasion of Iraq by coalition forces. As recently as in 2006 artillery-launched cluster bombs were used by Israel when it attacked Lebanon.
Military commanders have argued that the cluster bombs are needed to protect troops against large numbers of enemy forces on ground.
Britain’s unilateral announcement about the ban has come after a conference attended by 46 countries in Norway last month pledged to work for a treaty to ban cluster bombs by next year.
Human rights and aid organisations are likely to welcome Britain’s decision. Britain will, however, continue to have so-called ’smart’ cluster bombs in its arsenal.
