President Biden’s decision to arm Ukraine with cluster bombs has sparked rare Democratic criticism of his proxy war with Russia, and some of the US’s top NATO allies have also spoken out against the move.
“The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake,” said Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, according to Politico.
“The legacy of cluster bombs is misery, death and expensive cleanup generations after their use … These weapons should be eliminated from our stockpiles, not dumped in Ukraine,” she added.
Nineteen House progressives issued a joint statement condemning the move. “Cluster munitions have been banned by nearly 125 countries under the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions because of the indiscriminate harm they cause, including mass civilian injury and death,” the statement said.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) signed on to the statement and criticized President Biden’s decision in an appearance on CNN. “Cluster bombs should never be used. That’s crossing a line,” Lee said.
NATO allies Spain, the UK, and Canada, all parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, have warned against providing Ukraine with cluster munitions. “Spain, based on the firm commitment it has with Ukraine, also has a firm commitment that certain weapons and bombs cannot be delivered under any circumstances,” said Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK will uphold its commitment as a “signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use.”
The Canadian government said in a statement that “we do not support the use of cluster munitions and are committed to putting an end to the effects cluster munitions have on civilians — particularly children.”
It seems more than a bit feckless for some members of Congress to complain that Biden has gone and cashed the blank check that these same members helped to hand him.
Absolutely, these people are fine with supporting an unimaginably dangerous proxy war while censoring all dissent. They are monsters.
But still, it is unexpected and incredibly stupid to escalate by introducing the use of banned weapons of mass destruction. These clowns might be realizing how dangerous this situation is getting, in the hands of old men with nothing to lose. It might be getting so bad that even monsters are changing their minds.
Are they considered WMDs when used by Russians?
yes Julio. but according to uncle sam, Russia is a veritable Darth Vader, so their use of WMDs should come as no surprise.
but uncle sam pretends to hold the moral superiority so it SHOULD be a surprise that uncle sam also makes and dispenses the very same WMDs. so now we have yet another instance of uncle sam telling the world “do as i say, not as i do”.
EVERYBODY wants moral superiority! Here’s NPR asking YOU if YOU suffer from “illusions” of moral superiority? …NO! I’M NOT KIDDING! Also, everybody wants to be Darth Vader at the same time. (Sarcasm)
https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/01/23/511164613/do-you-suffer-from-illusions-of-moral-superiority
“Do you think you’re more honest than the average person?”
LOL no i admit that i am an accomplished liar
(see how honest i was there?)
Yes.
100% yes, they are egregiously criminal in their effect on innocents. I am happy to universalize moral law, as opposed to those who are simply apologists for the US empire.
Are the Russians evil or not? You seem awfully anxious for us to be as evil as possible given any pretext. Why not nerve gas?
Missed you, Zombie! Yes, I’m also surprised. Do “stupid monster clowns” have “minds” and also know how to change them? (Sarcasm)
“Congressional Democrats, US Allies Break With Biden on Cluster Bombs for Ukraine, The UK, Spain, and Canada have warned against sending cluster bombs!” LOL. Dave, stop. You’re killing me. LOL.(Sarcasm)
The Members of Congress saying Biden should not send cluster bombs to Ukraine should change their position on the war and tell Biden to chill out. I agree with the Squad and some other Democrats about opposing aid to Israel but disagree with them over aid to Ukraine.
It took courage, and I am grateful for the signatures of Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).
For me the great surprise is Sheila Jackson Lee who appeared to be a never-abandon Bidenite.
Joe’s not listening. Joe has taken up residence in a fantasy past in which his decisions are rational and his thinking is clear. He remains the mediocre political operative he has always been. The only difference is that he is far more a danger to everyone given his current position.
I AGREE 100%! You could see that in his video clips from the 90s advocating for expanding NATO and asking, “WHAT ARE THE RUSSIANS GONNA DO ABOUT IT?” …THEN WE MADE HIM PRESIDENT!!!! Which makes us even more dangerous than he is! (Sarcasm)
Shows how one can parley utter servility into real power over time … it started with service to credit cards, banks, chemical interests, etc. and ended many decades later at the White House. A true lesson for how to succeed in America, really.
Hey, give ‘ole Biden credit for a brief moment of honesty. When asked he said they were sending cluster bombs because “they’re out of ammunition and we’re running low.” Of course by that logic, how many steps are we away from tactical nukes?
These are people who would not spank a badly behaving child, nor hit its mother, and would be horrified by their tears and cries.
Yet they are quite willing to make them bleed and scream and die, blown up by left over explosives, or shot in crossfire.
What are these people? Nothing even they would like, except that in their minds the victims are not “people.” They are dehumanized objects.
It has been common enough to treat an enemy this was (“orcs”) but these leaders of ours do it to the children and women of their “friends” too.