The Biden administration has announced that it will be sending cluster bombs to aid Ukraine’s counter-offensive against Russia.
Newsroom (09/07/2023 16:50, Gaudium Press) These bombs, which drop dozens to hundreds of explosives over a large area, are highly controversial and banned by 123 countries, including the Holy See.
Current U.S. law prohibits the production, use, or transfer of cluster munitions with failure rates over 1%, however, that law can be overridden by the president if he deems it vital to U.S. national security, according to The Washington Post.
Cluster bombs pose a significant threat to civilians due to their large impact area and high failure rate, often not exploding until long after impact. The US has stated that it will be “carefully selecting” cluster bombs with failure rates under 2.35% to send to Ukraine.
While the Convention on Cluster Munitions bans the use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs, the US, China, Russia, and Ukraine have not signed the agreement and are not bound by it. However, key US allies such as the UK, France, and Germany have banned their use.
The Catholic Church has long condemned the use of cluster munitions. Pope Benedict XVI backed the ban on cluster munitions in 2008, and the Holy See was among the first nations to ratify and sign the convention. The Church has called for the universalization and full implementation of the cluster bomb ban and sees it as an example that the international community can and should ban nuclear weapons as well.
A 2008 Vatican press release that said: “The Holy See considers the Convention on cluster munitions an important step in the protection of civilians during and after conflicts, from the indiscriminate effects of this inhumane type of weapon.”
In a 2017 address calling for nuclear disarmament, Pope Francis praised the ban on cluster bombs, pointing to it as an indicator that the international community can and should ban nuclear weapons as well.
NATO has taken an ambivalent stance on the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine, stating that it is up to individual allies to make decisions on the delivery of weapons. The decision has faced criticism from Democratic members of Congress, who argue that cluster bombs are indiscriminate weapons that harm civilians.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
