PM edges towards ban on cluster bombs in bid to protect civilians
Thursday, 22 May 2008
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Gordon Brown was yesterday moving towards agreeing a ban on cluster bombs as he ordered a full review of Britain's remaining stocks of the deadly weapons.
The Prime Minister told the Defence Secretary to ensure that Britain's remaining stockpiles of cluster bombs posed "no risk to civilians". He is understood to have intervened earlier this week as diplomats continued arms-control negotiations in Dublin aimed at producing an international ban on the weapons.
Campaigners welcomed the announcement as a significant step forward, and called on the Government to move towards a full ban. They have condemned the use of the weapons, which scatter a deadly cargo of small submunitions over a wide area.
Yesterday, Mr Brown's official spokesman said the Prime Minister had "asked the MoD to assess the remaining munitions in use to ensure there is no risk to civilians". He said the Prime Minister had instructed negotiators at the Dublin arms control conference to "work intensively to ban cluster bombs which cause unacceptable harm to civilians".
More than 100 countries are taking part in the talks, which are aimed at drawing up a comprehensive treaty banning the use of the controversial weapons.
Britain has insisted that its remaining cluster munitions are "smart" weapons which minimise the risk of "collateral damage" and are essential for military operations. But Mr Brown's decision to order a review of their impact on civilians has raised hopes of a significant shift in British policy towards a ban.
The spokesman added: "We have already gone further than other permanent members of the UN Security Council by banning two types of cluster bomb, neither of which had a self-destruct or deactivation mechanism."
Britain has already banned two types of so-called "dumb" cluster bombs but campaigners have attacked the Government for trying to retain its remaining stocks of M85 and M75 submunitions.
Arms control campaigners say the weapons were designed to combat a Cold War threat that no longer exists, suffer unacceptably high failure rates and leave a deadly legacy that can kill or main civilians.
Simon Conway, the director of the Landmine Action charity, said: "We are pleased Mr Brown is living up to his previous commitment to work towards a ban and we expect the UK to give up its stocks of M85 and M75 munitions."
Britain currently holds stocks of L20A1 artillery shells, which hold M85 submunitions and helicopter-launched CRV7 Hydra rockets which hold M73 bombs.
Lord Ramsbotham, a retired Army general, is among a number of senior officers, including General Sir Rupert Smith, General Patrick Cordingley and Field Marshal Lord Bramall, who have asked the Government to sign the treaty.
