Good news! Last week over 100 nations formally agreed in Dublin to ban the use of cluster bombs. However some countries declined to participate in the ban, including the United States! Yup the USA finds air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions (a cluster of bomblets) totally cool. (Don’t be fooled, although the word bomblet is adorable these nasty killers which release many small unexploded bomblets over a wide area can remain dangerous for many months or years. Cluster munitions can cause fatal or serious injury to local populations long after the end of the conflict.)

Most NATO countries have backed the pact. Opponents say the bombs cause indiscriminate injury, often after lying unexploded for months or years until somebody accidentally steps on one. The accord’s impact was softened by a clause that allows troops of a signatory state to cooperate with an ally that still uses the weapons. [NY Times]

Perhaps the US (and everyone else for that matter) should visit http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/8/hammoudi/ and watch the Jury Prize winning film Hammoudi. This amazing film tells the story of a courageous boy named Hammoudi injured by a cluster bomb and how he rises above violence in Lebanon with wit, humor and the support of his best friend. This film beautifully puts a face to the after affects of war.

Ironically this film made its film festival debut just days before the treaty to ban cluster bombs was signed. While the ban of cluster bombs is a huge human rights victory I can’t seem to shake my disgust and anger that the US did not agree with the terms of the treaty. None the less, this is still a great step toward a more peaceful planet.

So takepart and learn more about cluster bombs and the fight to stop them at http://www.stopclustermunitions.org.

Related:

Media That Matters

Human Rights Watch cluster bomb documents

Wikipedia cluster bomb page

NY Times cluster bomb editorial