Send Horrible Cluster Bombs to Ukraine, This is America's Defense
The United States will finally actually deliver a new, terrible weapon to Ukraine, namely cluster bombs. Bombs with this controversial technology are banned by hundreds of countries because they are very dangerous for civilians.
"It took me a while to be convinced to do it," said President of the United States, Joe Biden, regarding the decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine, as quoted by detikINET from the Associated Press.
He added that he had finally accepted the Defense Department's recommendation to provide the ammunition and had discussed it with allies and lawmakers. He said Ukraine was running out of ammunition and cluster bombs were a temporary solution to help stop the Russian tanks.
The move was met with mixed reactions from Congress, with some Democrats criticizing it while some Republicans supported it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Biden for a "timely and much needed defense aid package" that would "bring Ukraine closer to victory".
US leaders debated this thorny issue for months, before Biden made the final decision. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US would send versions of cluster bombs designed to allow fewer bombs to fail to explode.
"We are aware that this creates a risk of civil harm from unexploded ordnance. That is why we are delaying the decision as long as possible. But there is also a huge risk of civilian damage if Russian troops and tanks take Ukrainian positions and take more territory and overrun more civilians, because Ukraine doesn't have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us," Sullivan said.
Cluster bombs are bomb-filled weapons that explode in the air and release many smaller submunitions or explosive bombs that can spread over a wider area. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), cluster bombs can be launched by aircraft, artillery and missiles.
The small bombs in cluster bombs, are designed to explode when they hit the ground and anyone in the area is likely to be killed or seriously injured. However, many of the bombs failed to explode immediately. According to the ICRC, up to 40% of bombs failed to explode when they were fired in recent conflicts.
As a result, cluster bombs become landmines, posing a risk to civilians long after they are used. Unexploded bombs can kill and injure people years after they are fired. According to Reuters, 60% of cluster bomb victims are civilians during their daily activities. As for a third of all recorded victims were children.
Kirim Bom Cluster Mengerikan ke Ukraina, Ini Pembelaan Amerika
Amerika Serikat akhirnya akan benar-benar mengirimkan senjata baru yang mengerikan untuk Ukraina, yaitu bom cluster. Bom dengan teknologi kontroversial ini dilarang ratusan negara karena sangat berbahaya bagi warga sipil.
"Butuh beberapa saat bagi saya untuk diyakinkan untuk melakukannya," kata Presiden Amerika Serikat, Joe Biden, mengenai keputusan mengirimkan bom cluster ke Ukraina, seperti dikutip detikINET dari Associated Press.
Dia menambahkan akhirnya menerima rekomendasi Departemen Pertahanan untuk menyediakan amunisi itu dan telah mendiskusikannya dengan sekutu dan anggota parlemen. Dia mengatakan Ukraina kehabisan amunisi dan bom cluster adalah solusi sementara untuk membantu menghentikan tank Rusia.
Langkah itu disambut reaksi berbeda dari Kongres, beberapa anggota Partai Demokrat mengkritiknya sementara beberapa Republikan mendukung. Adapun Presiden Ukraina Volodymyr Zelenskyy berterima kasih pada Biden atas "paket bantuan pertahanan yang tepat waktu dan sangat dibutuhkan" yang akan "membawa Ukraina lebih dekat ke kemenangan".
Para pemimpin AS memperdebatkan masalah pelik ini selama berbulan-bulan, sebelum Biden membuat keputusan akhir. Penasihat keamanan nasional AS Jake Sullivan mengatakan AS akan mengirim versi bom cluster yang dirancang agar lebih sedikit bom gagal meledak.
"Kami sadar ini menciptakan risiko bahaya sipil dari persenjataan yang tak meledak. Itu mengapa kami menunda keputusan selama mungkin. Tapi ada juga risiko kerusakan sipil sangat besar jika pasukan dan tank Rusia mengambil posisi Ukraina dan mengambil lebih banyak wilayah dan menaklukkan lebih banyak warga sipil, karena Ukraina tak punya cukup artileri. Itu tidak bisa ditolerir bagi kami," cetus Sullivan.
Bom cluster adalah senjata bom berisi bom yang pecah di udara dan melepaskan banyak submunisi atau bom-bom peledak yang lebih kecil dan bisa menyebar di area yang lebih luas. Menurut International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), bom cluster dapat diluncurkan dengan pesawat, artileri dan rudal.
Bom-bom kecil di bom cluster, dirancang meledak saat menghantam tanah dan siapa pun yang berada di area itu kemungkinan besar terbunuh atau terluka parah. Akan tetapi, banyak bom gagal meledak dengan segera. Bahkan menurut ICRC, hingga 40% bom gagal meledak saat dilontarkan dalam beberapa konflik baru-baru ini.
Akibatnya, bom cluster jadi ranjau darat, menimbulkan risiko bagi warga sipil lama setelah digunakan. Bom yang tidak meledak, dapat membunuh dan melukai orang bertahun-tahun setelah ditembakkan. Menurut Reuters, 60% korban bom cluster adalah warga sipil saat aktivitas sehari-hari. Adapun sepertiga dari semua korban yang tercatat adalah anak-anak.
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