Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warns through history that it will harm the people for a century!, The United States will cluster its aid to Ukraine with cluster ammunition | Dumb rate | Cambodia
The US government announced on the 7th that it will provide Ukraine with $800 million worth of military aid, including high-impact cluster ammunition. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who also suffered from the United States' airdrop of cluster ammunition in the 1970s, pointed out that the US decision would pose a century long threat to the Ukrainian people.
According to the Cambodian China Times, Hun Sen posted on social media at noon on the 9th stating that there have been recent media reports that the United States will provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine. If this is true, it will be the greatest danger, and the impact on the Ukrainian people will last for decades or even centuries.
Hun Sen talked about Cambodia's tragic experience. He said that the United States dropped many cluster munitions in Cambodia in the early 1970s, and Cambodia has been unable to completely eliminate these cluster munitions for over 50 years.
Hun Sen said, "I call on the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine not to use cluster ammunition, because it is the people, especially the Ukrainian people, who are truly injured."
The announcement by the United States to provide Ukraine with lethal cluster ammunition has raised concerns from the United Nations and multiple countries around the world. UN Secretary General's Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Hack, stated that UN Secretary General Guterres does not want cluster ammunition to continue to be used on the battlefield.
Cluster ammunition has stronger killing power than regular ammunition and causes greater civilian casualties. The US military has used cluster ammunition in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Kosovo War, Afghanistan War, and Iraq War, causing extensive damage to civilian facilities and numerous civilian casualties.
Italian Senator: The United States' provision of cluster ammunition to Ukraine is a "crazy move"
On July 8th local time, Italian Senator Giuseppe de Kristofaro posted on social media stating that the US agreement to provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine is another "crazy move" by the US and is not conducive to peace.
De Cristofaro believed that providing stronger weapons would only increase casualties and lead to an escalation of the situation, rather than truly ending the war. The international community should actively promote ceasefire and negotiations to avoid the world falling into a abyss.
US media: Biden bypasses the law and forcefully promotes cluster ammunition to Ukraine, questioned
![Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warns through history that it will harm the people for a century!, The United States will cluster its aid to Ukraine with cluster ammunition | Dumb rate | Cambodia](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/26a2e8d01d3c724068c9a7959aee1a51.jpg)
According to the Washington Post website on July 7th, US President Biden has approved the supply of US cluster ammunition to Ukraine.
The report states that this move will bypass the US law prohibiting the production, use, or transfer of cluster ammunition with a "dud rate" of over 1%. The main consideration being provided is the M864 cluster ammunition developed by the United States in 1987, which can be fired from 155mm caliber howitzers provided by the United States and other Western countries to Ukraine.
Because cluster ammunition may leave unexploded sub bombs on the ground long after the end of war, causing civilian casualties, it is generally better to have a lower "dud rate".
The report mentioned that the Pentagon stated in its last public evaluation over 20 years ago that the "dud rate" of this type of shell was 6%, which means that out of the 72 sub shells carried by each shell, at least 4 would not explode.
The Pentagon now claims that according to its latest test conducted in 2020, the ammunition has been re evaluated with a "dud rate" of no more than 2.35%. Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Reid said on the 6th that although this exceeds the annual limit of 1% "dud rate" set by Congress since 2017, officials are "cautiously choosing" to transfer cluster ammunition with a "dud rate" of 2.35% or lower to Ukraine. But Reid said that the details of the new assessment cannot be disclosed to the public.
The report points out that the US Congress does not have an exemption clause for the 1% "dud rate" of cluster ammunition, which has been included in the Department of Defense's funding bill for the past seven years. According to a White House official, Biden will bypass the bill and Congress, and extract cluster ammunition from existing defense reserves under a rarely used provision of the Foreign Aid Act.
The report also stated that a report submitted by the Congressional Research Service to lawmakers in 2022 pointed out significant differences in the "dud rate assessment" of cluster ammunition in the United States arsenal, with some manufacturers claiming a "dud rate" of only 2% to 5%, while mine clearance experts reported a rate of 10% to 30%.
The report also stated that opponents of the use of cluster ammunition claimed that the lower "dud rate" was the result of testing under idealized and unrealistic conditions that did not take into account the actual situation.
"Mary Wellem, the head of propaganda for the arms department of Human Rights Watch, said, 'The lack of transparency in achieving this number is disappointing and seems unprecedented.'"