Cluster Bomb Ban - Why US is not signing the treaty?

[javed]

Just read this news item today. Surprised to see that US is not willing to sign. Your comments please.

OSLO, Norway – Nations began signing a treaty banning cluster bombs Wednesday in a move that supporters hope will shame the U.S., Russia and China and other non-signers into abandoning weapons blamed for maiming and killing civilians.

Norway, which began the drive to ban cluster bombs 18 months ago, was to be first to sign, followed by Laos and Lebanon, both hard-hit by the weapons.

Organizers said 88 countries were expected to sign on Wednesday and around 100 out of the world's 192 U.N. member nations will have signed by Thursday.

Cluster bomblets are packed by the hundreds into artillery shells, bombs or missiles that scatter them over vast areas. Some fail to explode immediately. The unexploded bomblets can then lie dormant for years until they are disturbed, often by children attracted by their small size and bright colors.

"Banning cluster bombs took too long. Too many people lost arms and legs," Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said as he opened the conference.

[Doku]

A 2000lb cluster bomb can cover an area that you would need a MUCH larger conventional bomb to take care of. Cluster bombs are MUCH more effective at destroying things like groups of airplanes, massed troops, baracks, etc. than a single conventional bomb. A single bomber can do the work of 5-10 if you have cluster bombs on board. The huge bombs are really only useful against single large structures... like the pentagon, Kremlin, or other large single structure.