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White House, Pentagon defend sending controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine – ABC News
Human rights groups have criticized the decision by the Biden administration.
The White House and the Pentagon on Friday defended the Biden administration's decision to provide Ukraine with controversial cluster munitions as part of a newly announced $800 million military aid package that will help it fight Russia's invading forces.
The decision to send the munitions, encased in 155mm artillery shells, was made by President Joe Biden and is being criticized by human rights groups who believe unexploded munitions will increase the risk of death and injury to civilians.
Senior White House and Pentagon officials acknowledged concerns about their use but emphasized that they are needed in Ukraine's fight against Russian and that the weapons being sent to Ukraine are more effective than cluster munitions being used by Russia inside Ukraine.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House briefing that the approval to send cluster munitions came after a lengthy discussion by the Biden administration that weighed those risks but was based on a realistic situation of the battlefield in Ukraine.
"We deferred the decision for as long as we could," said Sullivan. "But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us."
More than 120 countries have banned the use of cluster munitions, which can risk civilian deaths and injuries when bomblets fail to initially explode after being deployed. The weapons pack such bomblets into rockets, bombs, missiles and artillery shells that break apart midair and scatter the munitions over a large area.
But neither the U.S., Russia, nor Ukraine are signatories to an international convention forbidding the deployment of cluster munitions. The U.S. last used them during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Ukraine has been asking for the munitions for months pointing out that Russia has been using indiscriminately including targeting civilian areas.
The failure of the small munitions to initially explode is known as the "dud rate" — and the higher the dud rate, the more dangerous they can become. Sullivan said the U.S. would be providing 155mm artillery shells with dud rates no higher than 2.35%, which he contrasted with U.S. assessments that Russia's cluster munitions have dud rates between 30% and 40%.
A top Pentagon official said Ukraine would be provided with the "most modern" cluster munitions with "dud rates" less than 2.35 percent based off studies conducted between 1998 and 2020.
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told pentagon reporters that publicly cited dud rates for U.S. cluster munitions were based on testing completed in in the 1980s on versions that have been phased out of the U.S. stockpile.
"We're confident in those in those numbers and how they're used matters," said Kahl. "This was a decision that took us a while to come to and all the concerns that people have raised the humanitarian concerns what the reaction of allies and partners would be, what the reaction would be on the hill. All of these things were debated and adjudicated within the interagency."
The transfer of cluster munitions with a dud rate higher than one percent are prohibited by a 2017 congressional mandate but the Biden administration is able to bypass that requirement by using the Foreign Assistance Act to provide aid that is deemed vital to U.S. national security interests.
Sullivan added that since the start of the war Russia has used cluster munitions from "a range of weapons systems (that) have likely expended millions of sub-munitions" in Ukraine.
"So, we have to ask ourselves is Ukraine's use of cluster munitions on that same land actually that much of an admission of civilian harm, given that that area is going to have to be de-mined regardless," Sullivan argued.
"Ukraine would not be using these munitions in some foreign land. This is their country they're defending," said Sullivan. "These are their citizens they're protecting and they are motivated to use any weapons system they have in a way that minimizes risks to those citizens."
He also disclosed that Ukraine has made written assurances that they will use the munitions "in a very careful way that is aimed at minimizing any risk to civilians."
Human rights groups have criticized the administration's decision pointing out that any increase in the use of cluster munitions will result in more civilian injuries or deaths in the future.
"The Biden administration's decision to transfer cluster munitions will contribute to the terrible casualties being suffered by Ukrainian civilians both immediately and for years to come. Russia and Ukraine's use of cluster munitions is adding to Ukraine's already massive contamination from explosive remnants and landmines," said Paul Hannon, International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition Governance Board Vice Chair.
That coalition also called for an immediate halt to transfers of cluster munitions and urged Russia, Ukraine, and Russia "to join the Cluster Munition Convention as soon as possible to guarantee protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law."
"Instead of transferring controversial cluster munitions and straining alliance solidarity, Washington and its allies should focus more energy on creative ways to provide Ukraine with the precision-guided munitions and the artillery shells it needs to repel Russian aggression," the Arms Control Association said in a statement.
Sending cluster munitions to Ukraine would provide "anti-armor and anti-personnel capability," Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's top spokesman said Thursday, describing them as "clearly a capability that would be useful in any type of offensive operations."
"They are effective to use against soldiers and armor and they can provide obstacles to protect the Ukrainian flanks during this counteroffensive," said Mick Mulroy, an ABC News contributor and former deputy assistant secretary of defense.
"There is a U.N. convention against the use of 'cluster bombs' and there are good reasons for eliminating them from all military inventories," said Mulroy. "But it is important to point out the countries that signed on to that convention don't have them. Countries that do have them did not sign on."
Kahl described the decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munition as "a bridge" while Ukraine continues firing large amounts of artillery and the time that U.S. production lines ramp up to provide more 155mm artillery shells.
"The reality is we're going to need to build a bridge to the point at which that capacity is sufficient on a month to month basis to keep the Ukrainians in the artillery fight," Kahl told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
Kahl would not disclose how many of the munitions would be provided to Ukraine, but said that the U.S. has hundreds of thousands of munitions in its own stockpile.
He also indicated that the munitions would begin arriving in time to be used by Ukraine in its counteroffensive which a month into the fighting has not provided sizeable territorial gains for Ukraine.
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2 arrested, after another fight breaks out at Big E opening weekend – Western Massachusetts News
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Another fight caught on camera at the Big E over the weekend that led to two arrests.
It took about a dozen West Springfield officers to stop the fight that broke out here Sunday night with the whole ordeal ending with two people in handcuffs.
A video is show of the dramatic and hectic scene around 10: 30 p.m. on Sunday night.
LEARN MORE: Fairgoers react to viral video of brawl on Big E’s opening night
West Springfield Police told us a fight erupted involving several people, when police got there, they saw a man, later identified as Nasiah Figueroa, repeatedly punching another man.
After police attempted to restrain the 20-year-old, he can be seen kicking a man in the face, injuring his nose.
In the end, West Springfield Police arrested and charged Figueroa with disorderly conduct and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Police told us Francesca Lopez was also involved in the ordeal, the 20-year-old charged with resisting arrest and trespass after they said she refused to leave the fairgrounds and also made several attempts to get closer to Figueroa after the fight was over.
This isn’t the first violent event to break out here at the Big E this year, on the fair’s opening day, a different brawl took place.
LEARN MORE: Brawl breaks out outside Midway on day one of the Big E
Now, with two fights happening within the fair’s first weekend, Big E officials along with the local police department are revamping security protocols.
According to the West Springfield Police Department:
“Extra patrols will be added inside the Big E, with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police and the Hampden County Sheriff’s office. We will also be getting mutual aid assistance from several western Mass. police agencies offering their K-9 services.”
Given the recent uptick of violence finding its way on social media, police suggested all this may be a result of people trying to become Tik Tok famous.
Copyright 2023. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.
A fight inside Mankato East High School last week Friday is re-igniting the debate over school resource officers in Minnesota. In a video taken in the hallways of the school building, school officials say about 10 students were involved in that brawl. One of the students assaulted was Nashawn William’s son.
“I was upset,” said Williams. “He had a blood clot in his right eye at the bottom and his upper torso was swollen…They could have killed my son stomping him on the floor, like you all saw the video, they could have killed my son.”
The fight comes after Supt. Paul Peterson told families in an email this month that “SROs will not be physically located at MAPS schools but will be available on an ‘on call’ basis to assist school staff.”
Scott Hare, Director of Student Support Services with Mankato Area Public Schools, said police were called in to break up the fight. He added that if an SRO had been in the building, the situation would have looked different.
“Having an officer on site, they’re right there. It’s very fast. It will take a couple of minutes for other officers to arrive through 911,” said Hare. “An SRO can read the situation and make the correct judgment call on the type of support that they would need to bring in.”
A new law prohibits SROs from placing a student in a face-down position and bans certain holds on the head, neck and across most of the torso. Besides Mankato, at least a dozen other law enforcement agencies have pulled their SROs across the state arguing the law would prevent them from doing their job.
RELATED: Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association meets with attorney general over new school resource officer law
“Once you take that presence out of the school, everybody feels like they can run around because they know the teachers can’t do anything,” said Williams.
Elizabeth Hanke is a parent within the school district and believes the state is overreaching by getting involved with placing policies at schools.
“We need more local government and community involvement. We need to give authority and agency back to our teachers and police officers, and still be able to hold them accountable for when they’re not doing their jobs effectively,” said Hanke.
Last month, Attorney General Keith Ellison said what’s written in the law is clear, however, Governor Tim Walz’s office tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Walz remains open to a special session addressing this matter.
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The last Fight Week prior to the mega Fulton-Inoue/Spence-Crawford showdowns offers up some interesting action.
FRIDAY
Thompson Boxing sadly bids farewell after 23 years of promoting boxing in Southern California. Their final show is headlined by welterweight Louie Lopez (13-2-1, 4 KOs) against an opponent TBA. You can catch the action on YouTube and Facebook.
SATURDAY
ESPN presents former undisputed lightweight champion George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jr. (20-2, 10 KOs) against Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) in a twelve round IBF world title eliminator from the FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
UFC Fightpass has exciting junior middleweight KO artist Serhii “El Flaco” Bohachuk (22-1, 22 KOs) against former world title challenger Patrick Allotey (42-4, 32 KOs) at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.
ProBox TV has a pro fight card from the Radisson Victoria Plaza in Montevideo, Uruguay, with middleweight Amilcar Vidal Jr (16-1, 12 KOs) rebounding from his first loss against Domicio Rondon (17-5, 11 KOs).
So we have a fighter from Australia against a UK fighter at a venue on Oklahoma. Looks like this one will go the distance!
My thoughts (re the fighters and venue) exactly but why do you think that this means a distance fight?
Am I ridiculous for thinking that Hughes has a chance in this one, Pete?? He’s been on a nice little run as of late against some decent guys including a former world champion, albeit a blown-up featherweight.
I was just thinking the same. Maxi is on a nice run; If you take away the win against a mentally and physically compromised Teo, has George done much?
Getting whitewashed against Haney twice and close wins against Bet and Selby doesn’t make a great resume. I think Maxi is a live dog.
Don’ think so-has five losses and not much KO power. Kambosos pretty average as well but should have enough to beat this guy.
Only time he got f’d up was vs someone who wore Reyes gloves. As long as Kambosos isn’t wearing those, Hughes may not be psyched out. He like kept the Reyes gloves and showed them off about how much he hated the padding and feel to them. It was in a YouTube video.
I think he does have a chance. I always felt the stars aligned perfect for Kambosos when he fought Lopez. Lopez was overconfident and fought a fight that gave Kambosos a chance. Plus he was better at taking Lopez’s power then we thought which I also think caught Lopez off guard. Other then that, like Streetgang said…what else has he really done that separates him from Hughes? I maybe in the minority but I thought Selby beat him.
So yes I think Hughes could outpoint him. I am not sure if that is my pick but it is a reasonable outcome. Just to clarify when I earlier said it would go the distance I was referring to their KO % …that comment had nothing to do with the venue which I do not think will be relevant as to whether it goes the distance or not.
I remember the Selby fight and thinking it was close but Lee may have nicked it.
I will be pulling for Maxi, George has become a bit unbearable for me.
I think I might just take this week off and just save the excitement for next weekend
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