WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. decision to stop using most cluster bombs in 10 years is "too little, too late," Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.
The United States is the world's leading manufacturer and exporter of cluster munitions and has the world's largest stockpiles, the group said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was reported Monday to have signed a memorandum saying that the country would halt the use of most, but not all, cluster munitions during the next decade.
"Washington's cluster bomb policy is too little, too late," said Steve Goose, director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch. "Most key U.S. allies have already rejected cluster bombs because innocent civilians are killed and maimed, not only when the weapons are used but also months and years after that. Knowing this, how in good conscience can the U.S. wait 10 years to accept a lesser standard?"
Cluster bombs break up into small "bomblets" that scatter over a wide area. Unexploded bomblets can remain dangerous for years, the group said.
In May, 111 countries signed a treaty that bans the use and manufacture of cluster bombs.
