Human Rights Groups Call on Congress to Stop Purchase of Israeli Cluster Bombs

"A coalition of human rights organizations, anti-war groups, and Christian churches are urging the U.S. to cancel its $210 million purchase of next-generation cluster munitions from an Israeli state-owned company, citing the "severe, foreseeable dangers" these weapons pose to civilians. In an open letter shared exclusively with RS, the organizations write that cluster munitions "disperse submunitions across broad areas, making it exceedingly difficult to confine their impact to lawful military targets.""

"By expanding its cluster munitions stockpiles, the U.S. is putting itself "dramatically out of step with civilian protection practices," the groups argue. "These weapons' humanitarian impacts vastly outweigh any possible tactical benefit that they provide," said Ursala Knudsen-Latta of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, which signed the letter. "Unfortunately, it is really sowing seeds of terror for generations to come anywhere they are used.""

"The U.S. military stopped using cluster munitions in its own operations back in 2009, and American companies haven't produced the weapons in years. But Washington never opted to join the treaty or destroy its existing stockpile. (Notably, Russia and China also refused to sign the convention.)"

A coalition of human rights organizations, anti-war groups, and Christian churches urges the U.S. to cancel a $210 million purchase of next-generation cluster munitions from an Israeli state-owned company. Cluster munitions disperse submunitions across broad areas, making it exceedingly difficult to confine their impact to lawful military targets. Expanding U.S. stockpiles would place the country out of step with civilian protection practices. Advocates cite long-term dangers from unexploded bomblets and say humanitarian impacts vastly outweigh tactical benefits, including sowing terror for generations. An international treaty to ban cluster munitions was adopted in 2010, but the U.S. never joined or destroyed its stockpile.

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