CAIRO — The conflict in Libya between pro- and anti-Gadhafi forces will continue to take its toll on communities long after the war has ended as long as hidden bombs remain scattered across public areas. Fifteen-year-old Misrata resident Mohammed lost most of his left...
For Cluster Bomb Survivors, War Far From Over
VIENTIANE, Laos - Eighteen-year-old Phongsavath Manithong rubbed his eyes with the back of his arms as he described how his life changed forever. He was not even born yet when U.S. military pilots dropped millions of tiny explosives onto Laos. But almost four decades...
Cluster Munitions Treaty Leaves US Behind
BANGKOK - A campaign to rid the world of cluster munitions has still to rope in the U.S. government, a major producer and stockpiler of the deadly payload, on the eve of a key global conference in Laos to ban its production and use. The mixed messages that Washington...
Laos Takes Center Stage in Cluster Bombs Treaty
BANGKOK - After being relegated to the shadows for decades by its more powerful neighbors, Laos is finally taking the lead role in a global campaign to ban the use of cluster bombs. It is a role that the poverty-stricken South-east Asian nation of 6.3 million people...
Long-Awaited Cluster Bomb Ban Enters Into Force
Thirty-eight countries will start observing the Convention on Cluster Munitions this Sunday, Aug. 1, after a rapid entry into force since the treaty was announced two years ago in Oslo. "This new instrument is a major advance for the global disarmament and...