Posted on 10/24/2001 5:01:56 PM PDT by Pokey78
THE Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund today calls on the US and British Governments to end the use of cluster bombs in Afghanistan because of the “serious long-term threat to civilians”. In a letter to The Times Andrew Purkis, the charity’s chief executive, says that in spite of its own recently published report on such bombs, “it seems that lessons have still not been learnt from past conflicts”. The report says that 35,000 unexploded bomblets were left on the ground in Kosovo and are still killing one civilian a week. Critics say that the cluster bomb is notoriously inaccurate and a high failure rate means that they often lie unexploded for years. Each weapon contains 200 bomblets which on detonation spray out shrapnel and set fire to any combustible material nearby. Although the Pentagon has emphasised its desire to minimise civilian casualties, American aircraft have recently begun dropping cluster bombs on the Taleban’s front line with the Northern Alliance. Mr Purkis’s letter, which is also signed by Richard Lloyd, of Landmine Action, says: “The UK should seek assurances from other members of the military alliance that they will not only cease using cluster munitions, but also take responsibility afterwards for the complete clearance of all unexploded bomblets.” Despite the expressions of concern about cluster bombs, and claims about a number of other misdirected weapons causing significant civilian casualties, US forces yesterday launched their fiercest airstrikes to date against the Taleban front line in Northern Afghanistan, following heavy night attacks on Tuesday. US defence officials confirmed that American planes had stepped up strikes against Taleban troops and supply depots in a concerted effort to isolate their power base. Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem said, however, that the ground battle between Northern Alliance forces and Taleban troops was still moving slowly. “We are still attacking their forces. We know we’re having an effect on their forces based on pilot reports.”
Letter: Concern over use of cluster bombs
FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES MEMORIAL FUND AND THE DIRECTOR OF LANDMINE ACTION Sir, As the authors and sponsors of the first research study into the impact of cluster munitions on civilians, we are greatly concerned that these weapons are being used in the present bombing campaign (report, October 12). There is evidence from Kosovo and the Gulf War that the components of these weapons are prone to missing their targets and fail in significant numbers to explode. They then pose a serious long-term threat to civilians and ground forces alike.
However, it seems that lessons have still not been learnt from past conflicts. Collateral damage is not time-limited; the presence of highly sensitive unexploded cluster munitions will increase the number of casualties caused by the severe landmine problem in Afghanistan for years to come, and will deny people facing starvation the use of their land.
There must be an urgent rethink of this action. The UK should seek assurances from other members of the military alliance that they will not only cease using cluster munitions, but also take responsibility afterwards for the complete clearance of all unexploded bomblets.
Yours faithfully,
ANDREW PURKIS,
Chief Executive, The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund,
RICHARD LLOYD,
Director, Landmine Action,
The County Hall,
Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB.
October 19.
< RANT/>
After we're through slaughtering the Taliban assholes, we'll allow Taliban prisoners of war to clean up the mess.....you supply the brooms.
Love you madly,
Trevor
ROTFLMAO!
Damn!
I wasn't going to say anything, but I'm seeing a cosmic pattern here!
I'm digging a foundation right now for a workshop next to the house. Right now the footing trenches are covered, to keep out the rain that we've been having lately. (as much as is possible, anyway)
I pulled back the cover over the trench down at the low end the other day to drop a pump pickup line down into the water that's accumulated there and I saw in the mud Diana's face in profile!
I thought that she was just warning me that I might be a little too close to the water table down at the low end, but now I'm not so sure...
This will trip all those cluster bombs and eliminate the danger of them going off later and killing any innocent civilians.
Yes, but they are so damned effective. Would the Diana Fund prefer that we use FAE?
BTW, what happened to napalm? Damn, the Northern Alliance could get to "love the smell of napalm in the morning".
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