Changes

===Gulf War===

===Gulf War===

[[Image:Airplanedroppingclusterbombs.jpg‎ |thumb|250px|A United States [[B-1 Bomber]] drops its load of cluster bombs.]]

[[Image:Airplanedroppingclusterbombs.jpg‎ |thumb|250px|A United States [[B-1 Bomber]] drops its load of cluster bombs.]]

Cluster bombs first use by the United States was during [[Operation Desert Storm]]. In this operation the United States dropped 1,100 cluster bombs munitions. <ref>http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/cbu-87.htm</ref>Most of these were CBU-87S, a bomb which is designed to destroy light armor vehicles and enemy soldiers. The bombs had an approximately five percent dud rate<ref>http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/cbu-87.htm</ref>. Leaving 1.2 million cluster bomblets left, critics estimated that they killed nearly one thousand six hundred Kuwaiti and Iraqi civilians. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm</ref>

Cluster bombs first use by the United States was during [[Operation Desert Storm]]. In this operation the United States dropped 1,100 cluster bombs munitions. <ref>http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/cbu-87.htm</ref>Most of these were CBU-87S, a bomb which is designed to destroy light armor vehicles and enemy soldiers. The bombs had an approximately five percent dud rate<ref>http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/cbu-87.htm</ref>.  

===Kosovo===

===Kosovo===

In [[NATO]]'s air assault of [[Kosovo]], NATO allies used more then 1,765 cluster bombs.<ref> http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm</ref>The U.N. Mine Action Coordination Center reported that these bombs had an estimated seven percent dud rate, which they estimated leaving 20,000 bomblets after the war. Human Rights organization like [[Human Rights Watched]], claimed that these bombs led to over, “150 civilian deaths, or 18 to 30 percent of all civilian deaths.”<ref>http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm</ref> After the air war allied troops cleared cluster bombs that had failed to go off.<ref>http://www.nato.int/Kosovo/press/1999/k990924a.htm</ref>   

In [[NATO]]'s air assault of [[Kosovo]], NATO allies used more then 1,765 cluster bombs.<ref> http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm</ref>The U.N. Mine Action Coordination Center reported that these bombs had an estimated seven percent dud rate, which they estimated leaving 20,000 bomblets after the war. [[Human Rights Watched]],a liberal organization, claimed that these bombs led to over, “150 civilian deaths, or 18 to 30 percent of all civilian deaths.”<ref>http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm</ref> After the air war allied troops cleared cluster bombs that had failed to go off.<ref>http://www.nato.int/Kosovo/press/1999/k990924a.htm</ref>   

===Afghanistan===  

===Afghanistan===  

Despite criticism the United States continued use of cluster weapons in [[Afghanistan]], although their use was less in number then previous operations. Critics claimed that the United States was not doing enough to work on a solution to the dud rate. This time organizations estimated that the United States left 12,400 explosive duds in its efforts to defeat the [[Taliban]].<ref>http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/12/arms1218.htm</ref> It is estimated that the total amount of yellow soda-can sized, yellow-colored deadly sub-munitions was 48,884 <ref>http://www.cursor.org/stories/abovethelaw.htm</ref>. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [[Richard Myers]], stated during the Afghanistan mission that, "We only use the cluster munitions when they are the most effective weapon for the intended target," Myers said. "There have not been a great number of them used, but they have been used." <ref>http://english.people.com.cn/english/200110/26/eng20011026_83213.html</ref>.  

Despite criticism the United States continued use of cluster weapons in [[Afghanistan]], although their use was less in number then previous operations. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [[Richard Myers]], stated during the Afghanistan mission that, "We only use the cluster munitions when they are the most effective weapon for the intended target," Myers said. "There have not been a great number of them used, but they have been used." <ref>http://english.people.com.cn/english/200110/26/eng20011026_83213.html</ref>.  

===Iraq===

===Iraq===

==Banning==

==Banning==

Belgium became the first country to ban cluster bombs in February of 2006.<ref> http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/24/isrlpa13798.htm</ref> Soon countries began to hold conferences calling for the banning of cluster bombs use.  At a conference in Oslo Norway, Forty-Six countries agreed to stop their use of cluster munitions in 2008. The [[United States]], [[China]] and [[Russia]], were strongly against banning such an effective weapon. These forty six nations that  signed the treaty include: [[Afghanistan]], [[Angola]], [[Argentina]], [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Bosnia]] and [[Herzegovina]], [[Canada]], [[Chile]], [[Columbia]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Croatia]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]],[[Egypt]], [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Guatemala]], [[Holy See]], [[Hungary]], [[Iceland]], [[Indonesia]], [[Ireland]], [[Italy]], [[Jordan]], [[Latvia]], [[Lebanon]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Lithuania]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Malta]], [[Mexico]], [[Mozambique]], [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], [[Norway]], [[Peru]], [[Portugal]], [[Serbia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], [[Switzerland]], and the [[United Kingdom]]. The Lima Conference on Cluster Munitions was held in [[Peru]] in May 2007. Here twenty more nations agreed to stop their use of cluster bombs, bringing the total to 70 countries to agreement. Despite agreeing to the treaty some countries placed major exceptions to their agreement. One exception was the use of cluster bombs that include self destruct fuses<ref>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item_print.php?item_id=2652&issue_id=138</ref>. Countries that agreed to ban cluster bombs use at the Peru conference included, [[Albania]], [[Cambodia]], [[Chad]], [[Laos]], [[Greece]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Nigeria]], [[Thailand]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], and  [[Nigeria]]. <ref>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item_print.php?item_id=2652&issue_id=138</ref>  

Belgium became the first country to ban cluster bombs in February of 2006 <ref> http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/24/isrlpa13798.htm</ref> and soon countries began to hold conferences calling for the banning of cluster bombs use.  At a conference in Oslo Norway, Forty-Six countries agreed to stop their use of cluster munitions in 2008. The [[United States]], [[China]] and [[Russia]], were strongly against banning such an effective weapon. These forty six nations that  signed the treaty include: [[Afghanistan]], [[Angola]], [[Argentina]], [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Bosnia]] and [[Herzegovina]], [[Canada]], [[Chile]], [[Columbia]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Croatia]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]],[[Egypt]], [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Guatemala]], [[Holy See]], [[Hungary]], [[Iceland]], [[Indonesia]], [[Ireland]], [[Italy]], [[Jordan]], [[Latvia]], [[Lebanon]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Lithuania]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Malta]], [[Mexico]], [[Mozambique]], [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], [[Norway]], [[Peru]], [[Portugal]], [[Serbia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], [[Switzerland]], and the [[United Kingdom]]. The Lima Conference on Cluster Munitions was held in [[Peru]] in May 2007. Here twenty more nations agreed to stop their use of cluster bombs, bringing the total to 70 countries to agreement. Despite agreeing to the treaty some countries placed major exceptions to their agreement. One exception was the use of cluster bombs that include self destruct fuses<ref>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item_print.php?item_id=2652&issue_id=138</ref>. Countries that agreed to ban cluster bombs use at the Peru conference included, [[Albania]], [[Cambodia]], [[Chad]], [[Laos]], [[Greece]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Nigeria]], [[Thailand]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], and  [[Nigeria]]. <ref>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item_print.php?item_id=2652&issue_id=138</ref>  

==References==

==References==