War on civilians
September 3, 2008 by Phil Barron · Post a comment ⋅
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Note: Following up: Some claims of cluster weapon use by Russia debunked.
In correspondence, Dani Sevilla of Survivor Corps sounds the alarm over Russia’s barbaric use of cluster bombs against the civilian population of Georgia. From Human Rights Watch, some background:
Human Rights Watch said Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs, each containing 30 PTAB 2.5M submunitions, on the town of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on August 12, 2008. Three civilians were killed and five wounded in the attack. On the same day, a cluster strike in the center of the town of Gori killed at least eight civilians and injured dozens, Human Rights Watch said. Dutch journalist Stan Storimans was among the dead. Israeli journalist Zadok Yehezkeli was seriously wounded and evacuated to Israel for treatment after surgery in Tbilisi. An armored vehicle from the Reuters news agency was perforated with shrapnel from the attack.
This is the first known use of cluster munitions since 2006, during Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions or bomblets. They cause unacceptable humanitarian harm in two ways. First, their broad-area effect kills and injures civilians indiscriminately during strikes. Second, many submunitions do not explode, becoming de facto landmines that cause civilian casualties for months or years to come. In May 2008, 107 nations agreed to a total ban on cluster munitions, but Russia did not participate in the talks.
Neither, it should be noted, did the United States.
Sevilla directs readers to the Survivor Corps news release on the use of these indiscriminate weapons and action items including a People’s Treaty for signature (sponsored by the Cluster Munition Coalition and Mines Action Canada) and a letter for your U.S. Senator or Representative.
Cluster munitions do terrible damage to civilians, including children, and remain in a landscape long after armed combatants have departed. Let’s do what we can to end their use.
Bernhard at MoonofAlabama points out that the cluster bombs found are of Western manufacture, not Russian. Also points out the delivery was as rockets, not bombs.
Perhaps the Russians acquired Western manufactured bombs and launchers in order to fool people, but, that is probably a stretch. Seems to be Georgians using them.
Same terrible effect, no matter who drops or shoots them. But, as a member of the Reality-Based Community, I wanted to share this information.
Now I’m going for the link. (T/U for your editing feature!)
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2008/09/hrw-continues-f.html#more
Thanks, jawbone, very much. The case made at M of A and at Venik4’s site is convincing. Time for some blogospheric self-correction tomorrow, I think, which I’ll be glad to do.
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