Revealed: the cluster bombs that litter Iraq

The Observer (U.K.) ^ | 06/01/03 | Kamal Ahmed

[Pokey78]

Click here to view the map (pdf file)

The shocking extent of unexploded cluster bombs dropped by American and British planes, which litter Iraq eight weeks after the conflict, is revealed in detail for the first time today.

The first map based on military intelligence to show the exact location of unexploded anti-personnel mines, cluster bombs and anti-tank mines, obtained by The Observer, shows the vast area of the country which is at danger from live munitions.

Experts in clearing conflict zones of unexploded bombs say that millions of Iraqi adults and children are at risk, along with humanitarian aid workers, United Nations personnel, civilian staff and military officials.

Its revelation raises fresh questions for Tony Blair and George Bush, who insisted that post-conflict Iraq would be a safer place than it was under Saddam Hussein.

It also reignites the controversy over the use of cluster bombs by the coalition forces. The map reveals that hundreds, or possibly thousands, of the bombs - which produce hundreds of 'bomblets' scattered out over a large area - failed to detonate.

Anti-landmine campaigners are insisting that American and British troops make clearing the 'lethal legacy' an urgent priority.

'This shows an appalling level of contamination,' said Richard Lloyd, director of Landmine Action, who is travelling to Iraq this weekend to assess the extent of the danger. 'It also confirms that American and British forces attacked built up areas in cities with cluster bombs.

'The coalition forces have a responsibility to protect those Iraqi civilians who now live with this lethal legacy all around them.

'It has to be highly questionable whether the use of such weapons in built-up areas is legal under international law.'

The map, dated 13 May, was produced by the Humanitarian Operations Centre based in Kuwait, which is staffed by military personnel from the US, Britain and Kuwait and is based on the latest intelligence assessment of the danger of unexploded bombs.

It was given to selected Non-Governmental Organisations tasked with providing humanitarian aid to the country. The map depicts a mass of green circles, diamonds and rectangles, each showing an individual site of what is described as an 'explosive location'.

Although it is impossible to judge precisely the number of unexploded bombs, landmine experts say that up to 10,000 separate cluster bombs and bomblets could be lying in cities, farmland and on the main road arteries across the country.

'We will see the desperate affects of this conflict, just as we have seen in Kosovo and Afghanistan, for years to come,' said Sarah Green of Amnesty International, which has campaigned for a ban on the use of cluster bombs.

Each green circle, rectangle or diamond is an example of an unexploded anti-personnel mine, anti-tank mine, a mixture of both or what is described on the map as a 'SubMunition', otherwise known as a cluster bomb. Yellow rectangles are described as 'unknown' unexploded munitions.

The greatest concentration is seen in the centre of the map, around Baghdad and on the main road routes between the capital and the British-controlled regions of Basra and Umm Qasr in the south-east. There are further concentrations around the southern Iraq town of Nasariyah and the mountains to the north and east of the Kurdish city of Kirkuk.

Although some of the munitions are from the 1991 Gulf war and will have originally been fired by Iraqi forces, experts in the field believe that most have been left since the recent conflict. Officials also say that cluster bombs were only used by coalition forces. 'SubMunition' diamonds make up the bulk of the unexploded locations around Baghdad, Nasariyah and north of Basra.

Aid agencies say that hundreds of civilians have already been maimed after tampering with unexploded cluster bombs. The victims are often young children scavenging for the valuable metal that encases the explosives.

Last week Adam Ingram, the Armed Forces Minister, admitted that cluster bombs were used in built-up areas in 'specific circumstances where there is a threat to our troops'.

Defence officials said that British and American troops were engaged in clearing as much of the land in Iraq as possible.

'We have a lot of Army people there helping make the country safe,' said one government official.

'We will be sending more people to continue the work. We are well aware of the seriousness of the issue.'

[b4its2late]

If it looks like you shouldn't touch it..... don't touch it.

[gaspar]

Where is the United Nations Mine Action Service(UNMAS)? It was supposed to have a hundred explosive ordnance disposal experts on the ground and operating in Iraq by May.

[gaspar]

Maybe I am blind, but in re-checking the text that accompanies the map I see no mention of "cluster bombs". This is a Guardian production, and that paper is so left wing it will take the most honest appraisal and give it its most dishonest evaluation.

The problems in Kirkuk and the north were quite severe in the first two weeks following the war. Perhaps as many as 30 people were killed in various events, including explosions that occurred in abandoned arms depots. There was no mention of cluster bomb casualties, however, nor to my knowledge has there been one (although it would seem likely there must have been). An intensive campaign to educate the public has led to a lessening of the problem. Meanwhile, US EOD units are at work in a country just loaded with unexploded arms.

[Wisconsin]

I think the map did distinguish between the types of ordnance. Looks to me like someone (the Observer?) blanked out the key to the map.

[Imal]

What a snow job!

There is no way to determine who dropped what where based on this apparently doctored, third-rate map, the legend of which has been deliberately obscured and amateurishly overwritten so that out of six symbols listed, only one, "unexploded ordnance", a notation obviously added to the PDF file by some "editor", is actually identified.

Additionally, this "evidence" is tainted by the running commentary on the right side of the image which "interprets" the map for us, filling in where some actual detail from the original would have served much better.

Couple all this with a headline beginning with the word "Revealed:", and it becomes emminently clear that The Observer is nothing more than the British wing of the Weekly World News.

Bat Boy says, "Why report real news when you can just make it up?"

[Luke Skyfreeper]

The shocking extent of unexploded cluster bombs dropped by American and British planes, which litter Iraq eight weeks after the conflict, is revealed in detail for the first time today.

Aw... stick a sock in it.

[thegreatbeast]

"Experts in clearing conflict zones of unexploded bombs say that millions of Iraqi adults and children are at risk..."
Wasn't it our intention to kill all the Iraqis in the first place? C'mon, Chickenlittle, is the sky really falling? We have nuclear weapons but what we use to take out millions are unexploded cluster bombs?

"The map, dated 13 May, was produced by the Humanitarian Operations Centre based in Kuwait, which is staffed by military personnel from the US, Britain and Kuwait and is based on the latest intelligence assessment of the danger of unexploded bombs." Oh, it's the old computer model gag! Done from Kuwait no less. Gimme a break!

A$$hole commie muslim limey journalists!

[DeepDish]

This article rates a level orange barf alert. Arguing
with people whose ink lacks the crucial ingredient of
honesty is like wrestling a pig; you're both going to
get dirty and the pig loves it.

[LadyDoc]

maybe I'm dense about this, but how did they get an accurate map of where the cluster bombs were? Do they glow in the dark or somthing? Yes, I know that we probably know where they were dropped, but presumably they were dropped on soldiers, and I would assume some of them actually detonated....

And then maybe I'm cynical, but what is this "millions of IRaqis" are in danger" stuff? Millions? from 10 000 bombs?

[ArmstedFragg]

This is the most blatant, shameless smear job I've ever seen in a news article, even from the Guardian.

Isn't it, though?

I particularly liked the attempt to equate "Yellow diamonds" with cluster bombs a mere two paragraphs after they defined "Yellow diamonds" to mean "Unknown".

Not only is it a blatant smear, it's not even a good one!

[piasa]

you could probably have some fun ripping this one up.

[American in Israel]

And then maybe I'm cynical, but what is this "millions of IRaqis" are in danger" stuff? Millions? from 10 000 bombs?

Yeah, but what if they all rush the duds a hundred at a time? Look! A bomb! Call all your friends and we can go get it at once!!!

Israel has thousands of minefields left by Jordan, you see the triangular mine field signs all over the place, I wonder why the Guardian never noticed that 60 year old story...

[Elsie]

Bat Boy says, "Why report real news when you can just make it up?"

"At least that's what my brother, Jayson, tells me."

[Elsie]

[error99]

"A map, reproduced left,
provided for Non-Governmental
Organisations tasked with bringing
humanitarian aid to the country
shows the vast extent of the
live munitions issue.
The map has been provided by the
Humanitarian Operations Centre..."
---
'nuff said.

[Squantos]

It ripped itself pretty much as the "Richard Lloyd, director of Landmine Action" statement says it all. Highlight that there are widgets everywhere, create widget panic and then remind folks that you happen to be a professional widget removal x-spurt and for said amount of money you can clean it up for em.............Wonder if he's from Hamlin.

Stay Safe !

[Travis McGee]

Thanks, but I can't dedicate the neurons to it right now.