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Biden’s Cluster Bomb Controversy

On July 7th, the White House announced that President Biden approved the transfer of cluster bombs to Ukraine, which disperse large numbers of tiny bomblets over wide areas. In doing so, the United States is helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia, but there is a price to be paid. Concerns have been raised by human rights groups that civilians will be endangered by the use of these weapons. Anybody within the strike area of the cluster munition, whether in the military or a civilian, is likely to be injured or killed.  

The Big Picture

Ukraine has assured that they will minimize civilian casualties, but people are skeptical because of the following unanswered question: how will civilians be kept safe if the weapons drop dozens of bomblets over wide areas? One of the most lethal aspects of cluster bombs is that they are deadly even after fighting has ended. This is because unexploded bomblets can be picked up by civilians, causing injury or even death. 

It is for these reasons that over 100 countries have banned them. More specifically, 120 countries have agreed to a United Nations Treaty called the Convention on Cluster Munitions banning their use. However, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, did not. The million dollar question arises: why, when numerous countries have banned cluster bombs, did the United States not choose to do the same? 


Why Send Them?

One of the main arguments in favor of sending the bombs to Ukraine is that they need tools like this to be counteroffensive against Russian defenses. Biden himself admits that making the choice took careful consideration, involving discussion with allies and those up on the Hill.  According to CNN, Biden said in an interview that sending cluster munitions to Ukraine was a “difficult decision,” but “they need them” because they are “running out of ammunition.” 

President Joe Biden speaks with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria during a televised interview.

Another contributing factor in sending this weapon package is that it is seen as a transition period as opposed to a permanent method of defense. The bomblets are compatible with the pictured 155 mm howitzers, which the United States has already provided. The howitzer has been a key piece of artillery for Ukraine because it has helped them win back territory over the last year. The clusters will be sent to Ukraine until the United States can produce more howitzers. 

Ukrainian troops fire a 155 mm howitzer in southeastern Ukraine.

President Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, told reporters at the White House press briefing that “We’ve already seen substantial increases in production, but this process will continue to take time, and it will be critical to provide Ukraine with a bridge of supplies while our domestic production is ramped up.  We will not leave Ukraine defenseless at any point in this conflict, period.” 

Map of Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine as of July 5th 2023.

Hurting Innocent People

In any war scenario, there is a daunting question of whether the ends justify the means. There are always consequences and risks associated when achieving desired outcomes, but since civilians have become equally as targeted as the enemy, many opinions and emotions are arising. Cluster bombs have a profound impact on human rights because of the harm they can impose on civilians. Writer and activist Norman Solomon said that there is a common thread here: “A willingness to sacrifice human beings and human rights on behalf of the strategic interests of the United States.” 

Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. They interviewed over 100 civilians, including victims of abuses, witnesses, emergency services personnel, and health professionals in Ukraine. Nearly everyone reported seeing fragments that detonated around their homes while under Russian invasion. Ukrainian cluster munition attacks in Izium killed at least eight civilians and wounded 15 more.

Buildings in the village of Pavlivka, in northwestern Ukraine, destroyed by detonated bombs.

Looking Back 

Considering the context and timeline of the war, the United States and its allies have provided the following to Ukraine since February of 2022: equipment, training, and capabilities necessary for defense of their sovereign territory. This provision of international security assistance has played a pivotal role in defending Ukraine and has prepared their forces for what is to come. Since the inception of the Biden Administration, the United States has committed over $30.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Since 1993, the United States has spent more than $4.6 billion to assist countries in clearing landmines and other unexploded ordnance, including cluster bombs, according to the State Department.

Despite these heroic actions, innocent people will still inevitably be put in harm’s way because of this decision. It is during times like this, where the United States had to make such a critical choice, that activists analyze our involvement with Ukraine very closely. These people have found that history does in fact repeat itself. Sera Koulabdara of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition reminds us that we learn from the legacies of wars that this will have an impact on human lives. She writes “lives of civilians who have mothers, who have fathers who care about them.” 

A young boy runs past rusted halves of cluster bomb shells and other military hardware.

The previously mentioned activist, Norman Solomon, further contextualizes the “common thread” in our history by explaining how past military strategy is embedded in the decisions being made today, where there is a trend of endangering the innocent. Since the withdrawal of the last troops from Afghanistan two years ago, the Biden administration has been reevaluating its global engagements. About a year ago, Biden was “fist-bumping the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia while his country was continuing to slaughter people, with U.S. help, in Yemen.” Last month, we had a “red carpet treatment” of India’s Prime Minister Modi, who has committed human rights violations against Muslims. These events foreshadow the increasingly militaristic Biden administration.

Biden fist- bumping Saudi’s crown prince.

Getting Political

In addition to this being a human rights issue, it is also a political one. American liberals have generally supported Ukraine more than conservatives. Partisan opinions are also apparent in regards to cluster bombs. Liberals err on the side that cluster munitions being sent to Ukraine reflect flawed logic because of the endangerment of civilians. On the other hand, Columnist Max Boot of The Washington Post published an article titled “Why Liberals Protesting Cluster Munitions for Ukraine are Wrong.” Soon after, he posted the following tweet on July 11. 

There is evidently a discrepancy between what both sides consider moral. Liberals advocate for human rights, while the conservatives typically support military ethics. 


What’s Next?

Now that the announcement has been made, the United States enters a phase where people will continue to fight for the ban and witness the effects of these bombs on the people of Ukraine. Additionally, there will be change in Russia’s reaction and their counterattack methods. Ultimately, the only thing certain is that the decision to send cluster munitions will affect Ukrainians in the immediate future and for generations to come.

 

Suggestions for Further Reading