"Cluster bombs"

July 24, 2008

Mr. Alesch:

I live in Darien, IL

Despite humanity's increasing rejection of cluster munitions, the Pentagon recently announced that it will continue to produce, use, and export them for another 10 years. The Bush administration has refused to endorse or even attend global negotiations for a cluster bomb ban.

I hope you will support legislation similar to the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (H.R. 1755), which would ban the use of cluster bombs in civilian-populated areas.

Sincerely,

Patricia

RESPONSE:

Patricia,

Cluster bombs, like landmines, are an ongoing threat to civilians that can exist long after a military conflict has ended. The use of cluster bombs is an international war crime, because they are effectively landmines. For these reasons, I am in support of completely eliminating the use of cluster bombs.

Unfortunately, I do not think the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (H.R. 1755), as it was introduced, does enough to stop the production and use of these weapons. It says that a president may override the ban (see Sec. 3 of the bill), provided the president certify that overriding the ban was necessary.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-594

Similar language was used in the authorization for use of force against Iraq in 2002. This resolution authorized the use of force against Iraq provided that the president certify to the Congress that Iraq was an imminent threat.

We know that Iraq was NOT an imminent threat, and the certification that the president sent to the Congress was a lie. Yet Congress has not been able to hold the president accountable in any way, and I have no reason to expect that the Congress could hold a president accountable for a future false certification, prior to achieving a Green majority in Congress.

History has proven that Congress can no longer take these kinds of half-steps. Therefore, I would only support a ban on cluster bombs that provides NO exceptions.

We have the most advanced military in the history of the world, and there is no reason we need to use such imprecise, error prone technology as cluster bombs.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss this important topic and share my position.

Steve Alesch
Green Party Candidate for Congress, 13th District