US Made Cluster Bombs Being Dropped on Yemenis

[blackhawk2415]

What’s worse than a bomb? A thousand little bombs exploding together trying to kill you. Here’s a really interesting article about how some of US Made cluster bombs are finding their way to bombing civilians in Yemen.


I saw a documentary about cluster bombs and they’re really quite nasty things. Some of the smaller bombs may also not denote and become essentially a land mine waiting to blow someone’s leg off years after. Apparently, there was a treaty that was signed to ban their use, and the US and Russia were the only countries not to sign it. Here’s a video of cluster bombs in action:




Thoughts on this?


Excerpt:


Cluster bombs have been banned by 116 countries. Yet one cluster weapon, made in America, is being used on the battlefield in Yemen, dangerously close to civilians. A Yemeni man described the chaos that accompanied an air strike near his village on a Monday morning in April, the day of the weekly market.

"Hundreds of people from the surrounding villages were in al-Amar when the bombs were dropped," he told Human Rights Watch. "When people saw the parachutes they fled, leaving all their produce, cars and livestock. I went to find out what the parachutes had dropped. I do not know what it is, but I thought it was important to keep away from children who might play with it."


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[Claudette]

As far as I'm concerned they can cluster bomb the entire middle east with the aim being to kill ISIS.

They are nasty bombs and no one deserves them more.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Nasty bombs for nasty people. Very cool video by the way, thanks!

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Why would anyone want to ban such an effective bomb?

 

[M14 Shooter]

Are they being dropped on terrorist targets?
Yes?
Nothing to see here, move along.

 

[williepete]

Every job has a specific tool that works best. Same with every target pairing up with an optimum weapon.

Cluster Munitions Policy

Defense.gov News Release Cluster Munitions Policy Released

Cluster munitions are legitimate weapons with clear military utility in combat. They provide distinct advantages against a range of targets, where their use reduces risks to U.S. forces and can save U.S. lives. These weapons can also reduce unintended harm to civilians during combat, by producing less collateral damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure than unitary weapons. Because future adversaries will likely use civilian shields for military targets – for example by locating a military target on the roof of an occupied building – use of unitary weapons could result in more civilian casualties and damage than cluster munitions. Blanket elimination of cluster munitions is therefore unacceptable due not only to negative military consequences but also due to potential negative consequences for civilians.