The British government is preparing to scrap the country's entire arsenal of cluster bombs in the face of a growing clamor against weapons that have killed and maimed hundreds of innocent civilians.
UK officials are paving the way for the unexpected step at talks in Dublin on an international treaty aimed at a worldwide ban on the bombs.
Well-placed sources made it clear on Tuesday that despite opposition from the military, the government is prepared to get rid of the cluster munitions in Britain’s armory: the lsraeli-designed M85 artillery weapon used during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and in attacks on Lebanon two years ago; and the M73, part of a weapons system for Apache helicopters.
“The prime minister is very much behind this process and wants us to sign [the treaty],” a senior Foreign Office source said on Tuesday.
Ireland, which is chairing the talks, wants a treaty text to be adopted tonight.
“If we sign up to the treaty we will lose the M85 and the M73,” the source said.
While the government appears happy for British forces to get rid of their M85 weapons immediately, it wants a “phasing out period” for its M73s.
The agreement, which was expected to be confirmed yesterday, ends a long-running dispute which has pitted the Ministry of Defence against the Foreign Office and Department for International Development. The ministry says the number of cluster bombs in the armory is “operationally sensitive” but concedes that decommissioning them will cost tens of millions of pounds.
Participants in the talks were still embroiled on Tuesday in the question of whether troops from countries who sign up to the ban could go on operations with those, notably the US, that do not.
Preventing them from doing so could lead to breaches in other treaty commitments, notably involving NATO, and would have serious practical implications, British officials said. The government also wants to allow the US to stockpile cluster weapons at US bases in the UK.
Pressure would be applied on the US not to use its cluster weapons in joint operations with countries that had banned them, officials suggest.
Cluster weapons are highly controversial because they scatter small “bomblets” over a wide area. Many of them do not explode on impact and are activated later by civilians. They caused more than 200 civilian casualties in the year after the Lebanon ceasefire, and more civilian casualties in Iraq in 2003 and Kosovo in 1999 than any other weapon system.
Also See: UK more worried about US than bombs
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Two people died and 19 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said yesterday. The ship snapped all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark late on Saturday, while onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror. “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Adams posted on X. Footage shared online showed the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled