‘Terrible mistake’: Democrats lash out at Biden for delivering cluster bombs to Ukraine

The US president admitted that one was a “very difficult” decision, but argued that the Ukrainians “are running out of ammunition.”

The decision of the Administration of US President Joe Biden to approve the supply of cluster bombs, the use of which is widely banned in the worldhas sparked criticism, not only among human rights activists, but among his colleagues in the Democratic Party.

Biden himself stated in an interview with CNN broadcast on Friday that the decision on the delivery to kyiv of the ammunition in question was “very difficult“. “I addressed this with our allies, with our friends in the [Capitol] Hill (seat of Congress). the ukrainians they are running out of ammo“, he brandished.

However, some Democratic lawmakers who hold positions on key committees such as appropriations, foreign affairs or the armed services have condemned the rendition, arguing that the use of cluster bombs can indiscriminately affect the civilian population. Thus, representative Betty McCollum (Minnesota) described the endorsement of the White House as “unnecessary and terrible mistake“.

“Allowing US cluster munitions onto the battlefield in Ukraine undermines our moral high ground and puts the US in a position that directly contradicts 23 of our allies of NATO that have acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” he said.

In this context, the congresswoman stressed that cluster bombs leave a legacy of “misery, death and expensive cleanup for generations after use“. He also reminded that the US government spends tens of millions of dollars each year to remove these munitions in Laos, which are still there unexploded as remnants of the war in Vietnam.

For her part, Democrat Barbara Lee (California) said feel “alarmed” for the news, noting that “many people” are unaware of the danger of the weapons in question. Meanwhile, Congressman Jim McGovern considers that sending cluster bombs “won’t help” and urged Biden to stick with allies opposed to the use of such munitions, including the UK, France, Germany and Spain.

Meanwhile, congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Sara Jacobs even they proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act by 2024 with the goal of banning the delivery of cluster bombs from US stockpiles. The initiative states that “military aid for cluster munitions should not be providedno defense export license for cluster munitions shall be issued, sold or transferred cluster munitions or cluster munitions technology”.

On the other hand, at least 38 human rights organizations spoke out against the delivery of cluster bombs to Ukraine, reports The Hill. “These are already all over the country [Ucrania] and will have to be removed. not a good enough excuse for the US to send more. Lawmakers, politicians, and the Biden Administration will likely think twice when images of children maimed by US-made cluster munitions start appearing,” says Sarah Yager, Washington branch chief of Human Rights Watch.

• Cluster munitions, first used during World War II, can be used in rockets, bombs, missiles, and artillery shells. Once launched, they open in mid-flight, spreading many minibombs over a wide area.
• Critics argue that, when dispersed, these submunitions can maim and kill civilians, compounded by the risk associated with unexploded projectileswhich represent a danger for years.
• Due to the lethal incidence of these weapons in the civilian population, 123 countries adopted a convention in 2008 prohibiting the use of cluster bombs. It should be noted that 111 nations are part of the agreement, while only 12 are signatories.