CLUSTER BOMBS: HELP US BAN THEM!

ON MAY 30, 2008 in Dublin, Ireland over 111 nations adopted an international treaty banning cluster bombs. The USA was not among them. This is the most significant humanitarian disarmament treaty of the decade.

Cluster bombs are weapons that are designed to deploy and release submunitions over a widespread area. They are non-discerning weapons with an indiscriminate kill radius. Also, they fail to explode 5% to 40% of the time and become landmines. They pose unacceptable harm to civilians. At least 30% of the victims are children.

These weapons were first used in World War II and we (the US) used them in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. More then 30 years later, today, these bombs are still exploding and killing people because of their “dud” rate. Had we signed a treaty in 1974, we could have saved thousands of lives. The United States is the greatest producer, stockpiler and manufacturer of cluster bombs.

Unfortunately, in 2006 when Israel dropped 4 million bomblets on Lebanon, more than 300,000 submunitions became landmines and one million were projected to be cleared . This was the most extensive use of cluster bombs since the Gulf War and it catalyzed the initiative towards drafting a treaty banning cluster bombs.

Some Facts according to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Center in South Lebanon

-As of May 2008 there have been967 confirmed individual cluster bomb strikes on Lebanon and over 300 mine casualties since the end of the war.

-over 150 villages have been contaminated and continue to be cleared.

BUT NOW, 111 nations have adopted the treaty to ban cluster bombs forever and although the US has not endorsed the treaty, Senators Leahy (Vermont) and Feinstein (California) have championed a resolution to have the US sign the treaty. Help us make this happen.

Consider this, over 30 years ago we (the US) dropped over 250 million bomblets on Laos. They continue to explode. Help us ban this terrible weapon.

Four things you can do:

1. Write your Senator, you can find him/her at www.senate.gov

   particularly Senator Obama who in 2006 had already voted in favor of an amendment banning cluster bombs. http://obama.senate.gov/contact/

2. Go to the Cluster Munition Coalition Website and sign the People's Treaty http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/
   

3. Disinvest in Companies that manufacture such weapons. Email me and I will send you a list, ajami@mindspring.com
   

4. Educate others
   

Thank you for your Help. Jocelyn Ajami