Call to ban the bomb

Herald Sun, Page: 20. Thursday, 22 May, 2008

Aid organisations are urging the Rudd government to hold back from seeking an exemption for a weapon known as the Smart 155 at a clusterbomb conference in Dublin.
The Rudd government supports a global ban on cluster bombs, but the Australian Council for International Development believes it has jumped the gun by claiming the Smart 155 doesn’t cause “unacceptable harm”.
ACFID executive director Paul O ‘Callaghan said no independent tests had been carried out on the Smart 155 and the Government should hold off on claims about the suitability of the weapon.
“Until the Dublin conference decides next week which weapons cause unacceptable harm, the Australian Government should hold off claiming that its Smart 155 does not cause such harm,” he said in a statement.
“Some experts argue that explosive remnants from its warheads could readily cause risk to civilian populations, especially if used in residential areas.” Defence insists the Smart 155 is not a cluster bomb.
“In our view, the Smart 155 is not a cluster munition like those that have attracted recent international and domestic concern,” the department says on its website.
“Australia supports a ban on cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. These cluster munitions are inaccurate and indiscriminate, and usually include a large number of small, low yield, dumb bomblets.” Defence says the Smart 155 is different.
“It is designed to be effective against heavily armoured vehicles rather than personnel,” it says.
Mr O‘Callaghan urged the Government to moderate its position.