American media comics satirize the United States providing cluster ammunition to Ukraine: "America's Moral Status" is in tattered condition with cluster ammunition | ammunition | United States
The US Department of Defense recently confirmed that US cluster ammunition has arrived in Ukraine. On the 16th local time, US National Security Assistant Sullivan also claimed that providing cluster ammunition to Ukraine does not prevent the United States from maintaining its "moral authority". However, in recent days, the United States' provision of cluster ammunition to Ukraine has been widely criticized by the international community and public opinion.
A cartoon published on the website of One Week magazine in the United States satirizes the United States' provision of cluster ammunition to Ukraine. On the left side of the manga, a devil's skeletal hand throws down many cluster ammunition, with the words "The United States provides cluster ammunition to Ukraine" and "Cluster ammunition is banned by more than 100 countries due to its danger to civilians"; On the right side of the manga, a hand with the words "Biden" written on its sleeve threw down many scraps of paper, on which the broken words "American moral status" could be seen, accusing the United States of having a dilapidated moral status.
Analysts: The Pentagon deliberately downplays the "dud rate" of cluster ammunition
Analysts have criticized that the Pentagon deliberately downplayed the "dud rate" of cluster ammunition in response to external questioning.
Former US Department of Defense analyst Mark Gallasco: I think we should question what the reality is and where we can stop. The potential harm of cluster ammunition to civilians is too great. You just mentioned the "dud rate", and the Pentagon said that the "dud rate" of these cluster ammunition is only 2%, but if you look at the actual data of the US government, for example, the "dud rate" published by the US Government Accountability Office can reach 23%.
The United States has repeatedly used cluster ammunition in other countries, causing harm to this day
So, what is cluster ammunition and what harm does it bring? In which countries has the United States used cluster ammunition in history, and what kind of trauma has it caused to the people of these countries?
The so-called cluster ammunition refers to airborne bombs or artillery shells made by combining more than ten or even hundreds of small ammunition. After being dropped, small bombs are released in the air on a large scale and detonated when or after touching the ground. These released submunitions can attack an area of over 30000 square meters, making it difficult for anyone within this range to escape.
Even more serious is that some submunitions fail to explode immediately after firing and are buried deep underground for a long time after the conflict ends. Once accidentally detonated due to human touch or trampling, it may lead to death or serious injury or disability. Land contaminated by cluster ammunition cannot be cultivated due to safety issues, hindering the economic and social development of countries and regions.
The US Air Force has extensively used cluster bombs in wars such as the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Iraq War, causing indelible pain to the people and future generations of these countries.
During the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1975, the US military deployed over 15 million tons of cluster ammunition and vacuum incendiary bombs in Vietnam, of which approximately 800000 tons were unexploded and estimated to take 300 years to completely eliminate.
Between 1964 and 1973, the United States dropped over 270 million cluster munitions in Laos, of which approximately 80 million small bombs were scattered and buried on the country's soil. More than 50000 people in Laos have been injured or killed in the explosion of unexploded ordnance left over from the Vietnam War.
According to incomplete statistics from Yale University, the United States dropped over 2.7 million tons of explosives in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. From 1979 to 2021, unexploded ordnance caused nearly 20000 deaths and over 45000 injuries in Cambodia.
During the Gulf War, the Allied forces led by the United States sent troops to Iraq, and the US dropped over 10000 cluster bombs, of which tens of thousands remained unexploded. According to United Nations statistics, thousands of Iraqis have been injured or killed due to accidental contact with landmines and cluster bombs.
During the 1999 Kosovo War, NATO forces led by the United States carried out a 78 day continuous bombing of the then Yugoslavia, dropping a total of 1392 cluster bombs and depleted uranium bombs, destroying tens of thousands of houses and causing the death of over 2000 innocent civilians.
During the Afghanistan War, the US military used cluster bombs to strike the Taliban in Afghanistan. According to statistics, during the 20 year invasion of Afghanistan by the United States, 174000 Afghan people, including over 30000 civilians, died.
According to statistics, during the Iraq War, the US military used 13000 cluster bombs in Iraq containing nearly 2 million pieces of bombs. According to the United Nations estimate, Iraq still has about 25 million landmines and other explosive remnants to be cleared.
