US Sources Give News of a Halt in the Supply of Cluster Bombs to Saudi Arabia

The case file of the cluster bombs which the United States has supplied Saudi Arabia with is on the way to closing. For more than a year Saudi fighter jets have been dropping various bombs on the people of Yemen and killed thousands of Yemeni civilians. But one of the most lethal weapons that the Saudis use are cluster bombs which has raised the death toll of civilians. The US flag is engraved on most of the cluster bombs that Saudi planes drop on the people of Yemen and practically the use and guidance of these bombs are given to the Saudis by America.
Over the last few months and with the disclosure of this matter and America’s role in civilian casualties in Yemen, US public opinion and legislators have put a lot of pressure on the White House to stop America from selling its cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. Now after several months, quoting an informed source in the White House, Foreign Policy has announced that the United States has halted its sale of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. This can be seen as a first step of the United States in showing dissatisfaction with Saudi Arabia regarding Yemen; an action that perhaps might prevent death and injuries of hundreds of Yemenis in the continuation of Saudi airstrikes.
In the Saudi led attack on Yemen, Washington DC is accused that by selling weapons, training, and provision of logistics, support and the refuelling of the Saudi led Coalition fighters, it has collaborated with the coalition. On the other hand analysts believe that America has considered its financial and regional interests in its cooperation with Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
Nonetheless one high ranking White House official told Foreign Policy that “they had received information that cluster bombs had been used near residential areas and this had caused serious concern.”
Banned weapons
CBU-105 cluster bombs are produced by Textron Co. affiliated to the United States. According to Amnesty International report, Saudi Arabia has used these weapons in different places including the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. These bombs contain smaller bombs which disperse into a large target area. Not only do they increase the probability of fatalities but they also leave high number of wounded. Some of these smaller bombs might not immediately explode and may explode months or even years later, which is something extremely dangerous for civilians. The use of these weapons is prohibited according to the International Convention on Cluster Munitions (2008), but countries such as the United States and Russia have refused to join the convention
But in an effort to reduce concerns from the production of cluster munitions and their use, the United States has tried to restrict their exports, and according to American laws, the government can only export cluster munitions when there is less than one percent probability of damage, and it must be assured that these weapons are not used in civilian areas.
Now, considering the use of a large quantity of cluster munitions by Saudi Arabia the question arises that does this type of use of these weapons conform to US weapons exports laws or not? International reports indicate that in the December cluster bomb attack on Hadida Port by the Saudis, a woman and two children were injured inside their homes, also two other civilians were injured in another attack near the Al Ommar village; these are a number of the reports that Human Rights Watch has announced.
Ifs and buts in America’s probable decision
Although over the last few months the Obama Administration has issued statements on the violence in Yemen, but it has not however stopped its official military and tactical support of the coalition forces. But the fact must be accepted that in view of the bilateral dependency of Riyadh and Washington, the United States cannot easily put aside its commitments towards Saudi Arabia. But experts believe that if America stops its export of cluster munitions, it can be a crucial step towards the protection of civilians and also prevent high numbers of fatalities in the conflict.
But humanitarian groups believe that although the banning of cluster munitions might seem an important action, but in view of the situation in Yemen, that is now enough however. The United States has recently confirmed a 3.1 billion dollar cluster munitions agreement with Riyadh in November. Also the US Department of Defense in 2013 signed an agreement to make 1300 cluster bombs to the value of 641,000 dollars with Saudi Arabia. If the law prohibiting the supply of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia is implemented, the delivery of these bombs will be halted. But the transportation and production of these weapons is not clear because of the time it takes, and how much of these weapons are not delivered yet. Since March 2015 when Saudi Arabia launched its military operations against the Yemeni people, to-date 6200 people have lost their lives and almost 3 million people have lost their homes.
The Convention that America did not accept
Cluster bombs are deemed as weapons that in view of the cluster of their smaller bombs cause more damage to civilians than military personnel, and they inflict grave injuries on people rather than kill them. Israel is one of those countries that used cluster bombs in August 2006 in Lebanon, and the civilian casualties turned into a catalyst for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
In 2007, forty-seven countries got together and drafted a Convention on Cluster Munitions, and to-date 108 countries have signed it. Neither the United States nor Saudi Arabia have signed this convention. Furthermore, the United States continues to sell cluster munitions to India, Taiwan and South Korea. According to reports the United States used these weapons in the 2003 Iraq war, and even unexploded bombs have been found in Iraq. Cluster bombs can be seen as the most dangerous conventional weapons in the world, which cause large number of civilian casualties. And the supplying of Saudi Arabia with these weapons increases its harmful effects too.

Meysam Soleimani
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