Survivors of US Cluster Bomb Attacks: Homeland Unable to Rebuild, Pain Still Not Far Away from Gulam | Survivors | Cluster Bombs
According to statistics, during the 20 year invasion of Afghanistan by the US military, more than 170000 Afghan people were killed, and nearly one-third of them became refugees. In addition, the US military has also extensively used cluster bombs in Afghanistan, causing serious disasters to the local population. According to data from the Cluster Munitions Alliance, in 2001 and 2002, the US military dropped over 1200 cluster bombs in Afghanistan, containing over 240000 pieces of bombs. Shathir village in Herat province, Afghanistan was once attacked by a US cluster bomb. More than 20 years have passed, and the most severely affected area in the village is still a wasteland.
Survivor of the US cluster bomb attack, Gulam: On the day of the explosion, a total of 11 people were killed, including 8 of our close relatives, 3 of our neighbors, and 25 others were injured. Afterwards, within one or two months before the explosion control team came to clean up this area, residual bombs caused 4 deaths and 20 injuries.
This ruins used to be Mr. Gulam's home and the central area of the US military attack. Mr. Gulam has served in the military and gone to the battlefield. When the cluster bomb exploded, the sub bombs fell like raindrops. More than 20 years have passed, and that scene still lingers like a nightmare.
Survivor of the US cluster bomb attack, Gulam: When the plane dropped the bomb, it first had no sound. When it reached mid air, 300 to 400 meters above the ground, it suddenly exploded. When the explosion occurred, there were terrifying scenes everywhere, and I thought my brain had exploded. And when the sub bomb reaches the ground, it will explode again, hitting any house will explode. After the bomb was dropped, when people returned to the house and touched or kicked the sub bomb, it exploded again.
Unlike ordinary bombs, the sub bombs of cluster bombs do not all explode when dropped, and a considerable portion remain in the village. Afterwards, the villagers will explode again after touching it. Dozens of people in the village were injured and killed in the explosion.
Survivor of the US cluster bomb attack, Gulam: After burying the victims, no one dared to come here for 40 days because cluster bombs were dropped here and exploded at a touch. 40 days later, when they returned home, they didn't know why it would explode, and no one knew what was going on. When children touch it, it explodes, causing people's hands to be blown off or their feet to be broken.
It is not easy to remove remnants of cluster bombs, as some sub bombs are buried in the soil and require specialized detection. After the explosion, at the request of the villagers, the United Nations sent multiple cleaning teams and finally cleared all the ammunition.
Survivor of a US military cluster bomb attack, Gulam: In the six months after the United Nations team cleared it, people encountered gullies or soil and even exploded. The United Nations has once again dispatched a team here to clean up the area. Since then, this place has been destroyed and we cannot rebuild it.
Gulam introduced that the dilapidated village that the reporter has seen so far is actually a quite historic ancient village. Faced with these wreckage, he was very moved and introduced them to the reporter one by one in their original form.
Survivor of the US cluster bomb attack, Gulam: This used to be a courtyard, and the entrance gate is right here. This is one room, this is another room, and there are two rooms in the back. The room used to be very large, so I'll show you around. There used to be very beautiful houses there. This used to be the kitchen.
Survivor of the US cluster bomb attack, Gulam: This used to be where we stored firewood. Here, the windows of the house used to be very beautiful, but now they are all broken and shattered into pieces. There used to be beautiful grasslands and courtyards here, with flowers and trees, and raspberry trees right here.
CCTV reporter Li Shuangxi: We can see that the place I am standing in is very dry and windy, but before the explosion, it used to be a garden with many trees and flowers. But after the explosion, all of this ceased to exist.
The people who died or were injured in the explosion are familiar to Gulam, most of whom are his relatives. He confirmed that all the casualties were civilians without exception.
Survivor of a US military cluster bomb attack, Gulam: US planes dropped cluster bombs there, the US destroyed our houses, killed relatives' children, and the US did it for no reason.
Gulam said that the United States attacked their village for no reason, and more than 20 years have passed. The United States has not compensated the families of the deceased, nor even apologized.
Survivor of the US cluster bomb attack, Gulam: From the time the bomb was dropped until now, you have been interviewing me. You are the only one who has interviewed us and asked us questions. So far, no one has provided compensation, the United States has not even given 10 Afghan ni, the United States has not compensated the families of the victims, has not helped their families, and has not apologized.
