2023-07-08 00:36:31
photo comment,
Traces of a cluster bomb are visible on the roof of a car near a stadium in Kharkiv, Ukraine
Article informationAuthor, Frank Gardner Role, BBC Security Correspondent
3 hours ago
The United States announced that it is committed to meeting Ukraine’s request to send the controversial cluster bombs.
The move is likely to draw heavy criticism from human rights groups because this type of weapon is banned by more than 100 countries.
What are cluster bombs?
Cluster bombs are a method of distributing large numbers of bomblets from a conventional or advanced missile or artillery shell mid-flight to a large area.
These bomblets are supposed to explode on impact, but the term “dip bombs” – bombs that have not yet exploded – are commonly used for this type of munition because they may not explode if they fall on a wet or flexible surface.
It may explode later after being released while trying to collect or trample it, killing or maiming the victim.
From a military perspective, these bombs prove incredibly effective against ground forces hidden in trenches or strong points, making large areas too dangerous to tread until carefully cleared.
Why do 100 countries ban the use of cluster bombs?
More than 100 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have signed an international treaty – the Convention on Cluster Bombs – banning the use or stockpiling of these weapons due to their indiscriminate effect on civilian populations.
Children are also more susceptible to infection because these bombs may resemble a small toy that a child finds in a residential or agricultural area, and children are often attracted to it and grab it out of curiosity.
Human rights groups have described these bombs as “hideous” and have gone as far as to describe their use as a “war crime”.
photo comment,
Heavy explosion of a cluster bomb
Who uses this type of bomb?
Russia and Ukraine have been using cluster bombs since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Neither country has signed a treaty banning it, nor has the United States. However, Washington earlier criticized Russia’s heavy use of weapons.
The failure rate of Russian cluster bombs is estimated at 40 percent, which means that there are large numbers of these bombs that have not yet exploded and pose a grave danger in the region. At the same time, the failure rate for these bombs is believed to be 20 percent.
In contrast, the Pentagon estimates the explosion rate of US cluster bombs to be less than 3.00 percent.
Why does Ukraine ask the United States to provide it with cluster bombs?
The Ukrainian forces are about to run out of artillery shells due to their use in unusual quantities, which makes it difficult for Kiev’s Western allies to meet their requirements for these shells on time.
What increases the importance of these bombs is that artillery has become a major weapon in the static fronts in southern and eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainians are currently carrying out the arduous task of trying to expel the Russian invaders from their fortified defensive positions that extend along the battle front, which is estimated at about 1,000 kilometers.
Amidst the lack of sufficient quantities of artillery shells, Ukraine asked the United States to re-supply it with cluster bombs to support its stockpile of these weapons, which it wants to use in targeting Russian infantry guarding defensive trenches and fortified points.
The decision to announce the provision of Kiev’s requirements for cluster bombs was not easy for Washington, and the decision is very unpopular with many democrats and human rights advocates, which made its discussion take about six months at least.
What are the implications of the American decision?
The direct implication of that decision is that it could erode much of the moral ground on which the United States has taken a pro-Ukraine stance since the start of the conflict in February 2022.
Although the many war crimes attributed to Russia are well documented, this step is likely to arouse accusations of hypocrisy on the American side.
Cluster munitions are considered an ugly and indiscriminate weapon and their use is prohibited by dozens of countries in many parts of the world for logical reasons and justifications.
This move is widely expected to put the United States at odds with its Western allies, which could result in the division that President Vladimir Putin wants and needs to see among Western allies.
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