Moratorium on cluster bombs should include total ban on use and possession
Moratorium on cluster bombs should include total ban on use and possession
The Dutch government has at last announced a moratorium on clusterbombs, but this should include a complete ban on the use or possession of these armaments, argues the SP.
SP member of Parliament Krista van Velzen, who has campaigned for many years for a ban by the Netherlands on these controversial weapons, describes herself as “delighted” by the government's decision to introduce an immediate moratorium on their use by Dutch armed forces. Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen stated in a letter to parliament, however, that a comprehensive ban on cluster bombs was unnecessary. Van Velzen disagrees, saying that she is unable to understand the minister's attitude. “This Cabinet has shown the wisdom during the discussion at international level not to wait on others but to take steps itself. We should, however, not be taking half-measures but tackling the matter head-on. Cluster bombs can and should be compared to land mines. They cause unacceptable suffering amongst civilians and for this reason our approach should be comprehensive.”