Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came out against cluster bomb use. Reuters reported:
Speaking at a Washington news conference with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, Clinton said: "Colonel Gaddafi's troops continue their vicious attacks including the siege of Misrata.
"There are even reports that Gaddafi forces may have used cluster bombs against their own people."
It's about time. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remained silent on Israel's use of cluster bombs in Lebanon in 2006 and Gaza in 2008-09. Can we get her to stick to her stance, by pushing U.S. participation in the worldwide ban on cluster bombs?
Key (cluster bomb) producing and stockpiling countries, including the United States, China, Israel, North Korea and Russia have not signed up for the international ban..
The U.S. tends to waffle, depending on who drops cluster munitions, in the case of ally Israel, and who builds them. Manufacturers in 2007:
Companies making cluster bombs in America include AeroJet, Alliant Tech Systems, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Textron Defense Systems.A protester once carried the sign: "Hey Hillary, It Takes a Village to Resist Imperialism." Can they show up at the Today show?
P.S. This author believes cluster munitions have no place in violent conflict, due to the high rate of unexploded ordinance.
Update 6-2-11: Reports suggest the U.S. Navy dropped cluster bombs on Misratah. America is a huge producer of weapons. Surely, whoever sold them knows the perpetrator and will share the answer in an open and transparent democracy.
