CLUSTER BOMB BAN MUST MEAN NO U.S. STOCKPILING IN UK - MEP

1.47.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th May 2008

The UK government's apparent willingness to sign a treaty banning cluster bombs is good news, but the treaty would be undermined if the weapons could still be kept at US bases in this country, according to a Liberal Democrat MEP.

Over 100 countries are in Dublin to agree the text of a treaty on cluster bombs, the majority of which want to see the weapons banned. However some of the biggest producers and stockpilers, including the US, Israel, Russia, China, India and Pakistan are not officially participating.

Liz Lynne MEP sits on the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee and has long campaigned against the weapons. Speaking today she said:

"If, as now seems likely, the UK will sign up to a treaty decommissioning these weapons, we have to send a strong signal that we do not want these weapons stored in US bases on our territory. The government must use its influence to limit the use of these weapons by US and other forces in the field, and ultimately do all we can to bring these countries within the remit any treaty.

"It is also vital that EU Member States stand together as one bloc, to let the rest of the world know that collectively we do not want these weapons made, stockpiled, exported or used ever again. The European Parliament has already adopted a resolution to this effect. A joint voice should encourage wavering states to come on board and give a strong message to some notable non-participants, such as the US which is trying to undermine this treaty, that a ban is the only way forward.

"These are, after all, weapons which indiscriminately kill and maim and leave a deadly legacy behind, long after military conflict has ended. Unexploded bomblets are no different to the landmines banned a decade ago and are continuing to kill children in places like Iraq and Lebanon. Not to sign a treaty banning cluster bombs or watering it down with endless exemptions is to condemn a new generation of civilians to horrific injury and death."

ENDS

Notes:

Liz Lynne co-authored a European Parliamentary resolution on banning cluster bombs in October 2007 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/028-12353-295-10-43-903-20071024IPR12335-22-10-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm

She also launched a Written Declaration on the subject in March 2007, in part to mark the 8th anniversary of the Ottawa treaty on landmines, because despite unexploded bomblets having much the same effect as landmines, they were not included in this treaty.

She also ran a petition in her West Midlands region constituency asking individuals to protest to the Prime Minister against the use of cluster munitions which received an encouraging response from her constituents.