CNN: US reverses plan to quit using its stock of older cluster bombs
Washington (CNN)The Pentagon will soon issue a new policy on cluster bombs, abandoning a previous plan that mandated the military ditch older versions of the controversial weapons by 2019, according to a copy of a Defense Department memorandum signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and obtained by CNN.
"The Department will retain cluster munitions currently in active inventories until the capabilities they provide are replaced with enhanced and more reliable munitions," the memorandum said.
The memo called the weapons "an effective and necessary capability."
Cluster bombs -- which not only deliver an initial explosion on impact but also contain multiple smaller bombs that spread over a wide area -- are largely condemned by the international community due to the risk of civilian casualties when they're used in populated areas.
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More News On The Pentagon Indefinitely Delaying A Ban On Cluster Bombs
US Will Keep Older Cluster Munitions, a Weapon Banned by 102 Nations -- New York Times
The Trump administration cancels a plan to curtail the use of cluster bombs -- Washington Post
Pentagon calls off plan to ban use of cluster bombs -- The Hill
Pentagon decides against ban on use of certain cluster bombs -- Defense News/AP
U.S. military to indefinitely delay ban on cluster bombs -- Reuters
US military abandons plans to ditch cluster bombs despite their failed efforts to develop safer munitions -- Daily Mail
US delays ban on 'unsafe' cluster bombs -- BBC
