Civilian deaths

Islamabad -- 26 August 2008 -- The United Nations says its investigation into U.S. airstrikes on Friday in western Afghanistan found "convincing evidence" that the operation killed 90 civilians - 60 of whom were children. U.S. officials say the strikes killed 25 militants and five civilians, but they are continuing an investigation into the incident.

The United Nations weighed in on the disputed air strike just days after Afghan President Hamid Karzai denounced the civilian deaths in the attack.

U.N. spokesman Aleem Siddique called on the international and Afghan military forces to review the conduct of the operation to prevent a repeat of what he called a tragic incident.    » read more »

Kabul/Geneva (ICRC) – The protracted armed conflict in Afghanistan is causing great suffering for ordinary people across the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan, meeting today in Paris.

Afghan child waiting to see doctor: DOD photo.    » read more »

Senators Feinstein and Leahy and Representative McGovern Introduce Joint Resolution Calling on the United States to Sign International Treaty Banning Cluster Bombs

June 3, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Representative James P. McGovern (D-Mass.) today introduced a joint resolution calling on the United States to sign on to a new treaty to ban the vast majority of cluster munitions.

The resolution specifically calls on the United States to “embrace efforts to protect innocent civilians from cluster munitions and sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions when it becomes open for signature in December 2008.”    » read more »

Dublin, May 30, 2008 – The new cluster munitions treaty adopted in Dublin on May 30, 2008, will save thousands of lives for decades to come, with key treaty provisions stronger than even some of its staunchest supporters had expected, Human Rights Watch said today.

The treaty immediately bans all types of cluster munitions, rejecting initial attempts by some nations to negotiate exceptions for their own arsenals, as well as calls for a transition that would delay the ban for a decade or more.

In addition to the prohibitions on use, production, stockpiling, and trade, the treaty also includes very strong provisions requiring states to provide assistance to victims and to clean up areas affected by cluster munitions.    » read more »

30 May 2008 -- Delegates from 111 countries have formally adopted a comprehensive ban on cluster bombs.

The treaty comes at the close of a 12-day meeting Friday in Dublin and bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster bombs. It requires signatories to destroy their stocks within eight years and to assist in clearing contaminated areas.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the development and urged all countries to sign the pact without delay.

The United States - one of the world's largest cluster bomb makers - opposes a ban. It boycotted the Dublin conference, along with Israel, Russia, China, India and Pakistan.    » read more »

28 May 2008 -- Diplomats from more than 100 countries meeting in Ireland have agreed on a draft treaty outlawing cluster bombs, which have killed or wounded thousands of civilians.

The draft approved Wednesday would give signatory nations eight years to destroy their cluster bomb stockpiles.

M20 Rockeye cluster bomb

Earlier, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said his government will stop using cluster bombs. But the United States, one of the world's largest builders of the bombs, opposes a ban.

The U.S., Israel, Russia, China, India and Pakistan are not present at the Dublin meeting.    » read more »

Cluster Munitions Survivors Forum, World Conference On Cluster Munitions

Dublin, Ireland -- May 26, 2008 -- "I am grateful to be here with Lord Dubs, Ken Rutherford and Steve Goose. This is the third time Lord Dubs and I have had the pleasure of meeting, Steve played a critical role in the negotiations on the Ottawa treaty banning antipersonnel landmines, and Ken Rutherford is one of my heroes.

Ken testified in the United States Senate 15 years ago about losing his leg from a landmine in Somalia, in some of the most moving testimony I have heard.

The Ottawa treaty established a new international norm for landmines, just as the Oslo treaty will for cluster munitions later this week.    » read more »