Harper Skulks Behind Cluster Bomb Ban

In 2008, countries around the world signed on to a global ban on cluster bomb munitions.   Apparently the sheer humanity of it was too much for the Prince of Darkness to bear.

Now there are warnings that our prime ministerial Beelzebub is prepping legislation to circumvent the spirit and letter of the agreement.

The spotlight is on Australia and Canada, two countries setting out legislation that cites occasions when they might be able to take part to help in joint military operations where cluster munitions are being used, Cheeseman said.

The proposed Canadian legislation, which could be completed within six months, goes against the letter and the spirit of the law, Paul Hannon, the executive director of Mines Action Canada who also sits on the CMC advisory board, told AlertNet.

Cluster Bomblets

"Our view is that this is a great treaty and it bans cluster munitions for all time, and that means no Canadian should ever be involved in use of cluster munitions for anyone, in any place, at any time, for any reason,” Hannon said from Oslo.

Campaigners were unsuccessful in their fight to change the Australian legislation, which was ratified in its parliament in August, but has not yet been passed into law.

Cluster bombs are the ultimate "fire and forget" weapons.  Countries particularly fond of them, like Israel, fire them into neighbouring territories, like Lebanon, and forget about them once hostilities are concluded leaving them to kill and maim masses of civilians for years, even decades afterward.   Israel was found to have launched thousands of cluster munitions into Lebanon despite realizing the end of hostilities was imminent.   Afterward Israel refused to provide Lebanese authorities with its computer date of where these weapons were delivered.

In South East Asia it's estimated that upwards of 60% of those who fall victim to cluster bombs are kids. (Warning - opening that link leads to a graphic photograph of what befalls a kid who runs into a cluster munition).