Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - An international Campaign to ban cluster bombs has reached Italy. Cluster bombs, yet another lethal heritage of modern warfare, are small explosive bomblets carried in a large cannister that opens in mid-air, scattering them over a wide area. The bomblets may be delivered by aircraft, rocket, or by artillery projectiles. Italy officially welcomed the international Campaign to ban the production, sale and use of cluster bombs with a Meeting in Rome on 7 October on the theme “Heritage of war: mines and cluster bombs”. The meeting is organised by the Italian Co-ordination anti land mine Campaign.
Participants include Rae McGrath, of Landmine Action (UK), who received the Nobel 1997 assigned to the Anti Mine Campaign and Virgil Wiebe, of St. Thomas University School of Law, Minneapolis. Alfredo Mantica, Foreign Affairs under secretary will illustrate Italy’s position.
Between October 2001 and March 2002 some 1,228 clusters dropped 248,056 bomblets on Afghanistan. Considering that 5% failed to work, probably some 12,400 unexploded bomblets remain on the ground. Between October 2001 and November 2002, at least 127 civilians and two de-miners were killed or wounded by bomblets.
In Iraq, between March and April 2003, US led coalition forces dropped about 13,000 clusters carrying between 1,8 and 2 million bomblets. Hospital statistics reveal that hundreds of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, al-Hilla, al-Najaf, Bassora and other places were killed or wounded by cluster bombs. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/10/2004 righe 26 parole 300)
