Government cluster bombs u-turn long overdue

Commenting on Gordon Brown’s statement that he is backing a ban on all cluster bombs, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey said:

“A total ban on cluster munitions is long overdue, but we need clarity on timetable and details before we can celebrate any Government u-turn on this issue.

The Prime Minister must also make clear whether he will continue to allow the US to store its own cluster munitions on British territory. If he is serious about ending the scourge of these weapons, he must bring this abuse of the ‘special relationship’ to an end.

Even if Gordon Brown signs up to a full ban, hundreds if not thousands of British cluster bombs remain scattered around the world.

The Government must redouble its efforts to clear unexploded munitions from conflict zones in which they have been deployed in the past. Ministers’ recent admission that they have no idea of the extent of this problem is nothing short of scandalous.”