After US and the West Denounced the Alleged Use of Cluster Munitions by Russia, America Announces They Will Supply Ukraine with Cluster Munitions.
The US has decided to do that which is claimed was a 'war crime" last year.
In the beginning of 2022, the US, western media outlets, and NGOs quickly denounced the use of cluster munitions in Ukraine. On July 7, 2023, the US announced it would provide cluster munitions to Ukraine.
Jen Psaksi stated the use of cluster munitions by Russia would be a “war crime” during a press conference in February 2022:
Various western media outlets covered the dangers and risks of the use of cluster munitions in 2022, with Amnesty International denouncing their use on populated areas.
“Justin Bronk, a research fellow at Royal United Services Institute, a London defense think tank, said images of munitions parts recovered from residential areas of Kharkiv are “concrete evidence” that Russia is using cluster bombs.
Their use suggests the Russians are trying to break morale, inflict terror on the on the civilian population and the defenders in order to try and force a negotiation or just retreat,” he said.” considering the United States is now supply cluster munitions to Ukraine, based on Justin Brock’s analysis, Ukraine is trying to break moral and inflict terror on the civilian population to try and force negotiations or retreat.
While Human Rights Watch confirmed the use of cluster munitions on civilian targets in Ukraine and that their use was a war crime earlier this year, they did not confirm who was responsible for the strikes. “Evidence strongly indicates” the strikes came from “Russian-controlled” terriroty, which does not mean Russia was responsible for the attack. Despite the western media quickly amplifying claims Russia used cluster munitions, assuming responsibility based on the likely area the munitions were fired from is speculative at best. The United States and Britian have a history of using cluster munitions and both nations provided material support to Ukraine prior to the February 2022 Russian invasion.
The New York Times confirmed in April 2022 that Ukriane used cluster munitions in civilian areas:
“But the cluster munition that landed to next to Mr. Doroshenko’s house was not fired by Russian forces. Based on evidence reviewed by The New York Times during a visit to the area, it is very likely to have been launched by the Ukrainian troops who were trying to retake the area.
But the Ukrainians’ decision to saturate their own village with a cluster munition that has the capacity to haphazardly kill innocent people underscores their strategic calculation: This is what they needed to do to retake their country, no matter the cost…
‘It’s not surprising, but it’s definitely dismaying to hear that evidence has emerged indicating that Ukraine may have used cluster munitions in this current conflict,” said Mary Wareham, advocacy director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch. “Cluster munitions are unacceptable weapons that are killing and maiming civilians across Ukraine.’”
Human Rights Watch documented the use cluster munitions by Ukraine in 2014, as the Ukrianian government engaged in military attacks on civilian areas in Eastern Ukraine during an “Anti Terrorism Operation.” Ukraine targeted civilian areas in Donbass and Eastern Ukriane. Schools, hospitals, and supermarkets were among the civilian infastructure targeted/damaged by Ukraine’s use of cluster munitions since 2014.
One writer believed that Russia's alleged use of cluster munitions could promote bans of their use. Instead, the US decided to send munitions clusters to Ukraine 15 months later.
On July 7th, 2023, Jake Sullivan announced the United States would supply Ukriane with cluster munitions. The United States at this time that Ukriane has used cluster munitions, as outlets like the New York Times confirmed Ukraine used cluster munitions in Ukriane in civilian areas. The US already stated publicly the use of cluster munitions is a war crime. Thus, the US is knowingly participating in war crimes by supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine.
The message is clear: it's not a “real” war crime if the victims are an enemy of the White House, State Department, or the intelligence community.