The Dublin treaty
June 2, 2008 THE United States, Russia, China, Israel, India and Pakistan. The list of countries that refused to sign a treaty against cluster bombs in Dublin, Ireland. Citing the military utility of these travesties, these countries have refused to sign an agreement against the use of a weapon forty percent of whose victims are estimated to be children. Why is such a large proportion of the victims children? Because cluster bombs leave a lot of "duds", bombs that have failed to explode, that may stay around undetonated for long periods of time. Just like landmines. Incidentally, none of the above-mentioned countries signed the 1997 accord against the use of landmines, another device with a distaste for kids, at least those with all limbs intact.
