Today the America was dealt two defeats at the hands of the British: the US soccer team was defeated in Wembley Stadium by the English 2-0 in what’s known in soccer terms as a ‘friendly international.’ The game aired on ESPN Classic, and now that the States lost we might have to start calling it the US football team. The second ‘defeat’ came when the British government surprisingly joined a conference in Dublin Ireland to ban the use and manufacture of cluster bombs. Let’s cal it the ‘international unfriendly.’

Cluster bombs are deadly weapons that spread small bomblets over a large area. Not all of the munitions explode, leaving behind a virtual minefield for civilians returning home. Unsurprisingly, the weapons are primarily made and used by the US, China, and Israel. The United States continue to use the munitions in the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan; Isreal used them in their war with Lebanon in 2006.

Hopefully the treaty will continue to be ratified by nations around the world; however, if it’s anything like the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines or even Kyoto, the US will probably abstain from signing despite its worldwide popularity. To see out how destructive cluster bombs can be to a community, check out this video from the European Commission on landmine removal in Lebanon, or check out Human Rights Watch’s report on the US’ efforts to limit the cluster bomb treaty.