HRW Urges US Congress to Block Turkey's Cluster Munitions Transfer to Ukraine

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the US Congress to block Turkey’s proposed transfer of tens of thousands of US-origin cluster munitions to Ukraine, warning that the weapons pose a long-term threat to civilians. The rights organization made the appeal on Wednesday, Aug. 12, after the US State Department notified Congress of Turkey’s proposed $256 million transfer of 12 M270 launchers and several types of cluster munitions to Ukraine.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Dumping obsolete cluster munitions into a conflict creates a humanitarian liability for civilians that is tragically foreseeable,” Nicole Widdersheim, HRW’s deputy Washington director, said. According to HRW, the proposed transfer includes 70 M39 ATACMS ballistic missiles, 2,524 M26 rockets, and 47,000 M509A1 203mm artillery projectiles. Together, the weapons contain more than 10 million explosive submunitions. The proposed transfer includes: 70 M39 ATACMS missiles, each containing 950 M74 submunitions, for a total of 66,500; 2,524 M26 rockets, each containing 644 M77 DPICM submunitions, totaling 1.6 million; 47,000 M509A1 artillery projectiles, each containing 180 M42 DPICM submunitions, totaling 8.5 million. The weapons have been held in Turkish stockpiles for decades and were originally produced partly by Turkey under US licenses dating back to 1987, according to HRW. HRW said cluster munitions are particularly dangerous because they disperse numerous explosive submunitions over a wide area and can leave unexploded remnants that continue to threaten civilians after fighting ends. The organization noted that 112 countries have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of the weapons. Other Topics of Interest Trump’s Envoys’ Kyiv Visit Will Embarrass Them & Offend Ukrainians | Bohdan Nahaylo Can Trump’s diplomatic efforts succeed in bringing Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table? “These types of cluster munitions are notorious for their record of not hitting their targets and hurting civilians,” Widdersheim said. “They should never be used.” HRW argued that the use of cluster munitions can be difficult to reconcile with the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks against civilians and may constitute a war crime in certain circumstances. The US is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but Congress has imposed restrictions on the export of cluster munitions through annual defense legislation since 2009. HRW said previous administrations have been able to bypass those restrictions by invoking a provision allowing the president to determine that such security assistance is “vital to the security interests of the United States.” It remains unclear whether the Trump administration has made such a determination for the proposed Turkish transfer. Congress can review the deal and pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval to block it, HRW said. The US State Department has notified Congress of a proposed transfer of US-made weapons from Turkey to Ukraine. Published in the Congressional Record on Aug. 6, the massive package includes 70 M39 ATACMS ballistic missiles, 12 M270 MLRS launchers, and thousands of cluster munitions. The transfer, handled by Turkish, Bulgarian, and US logistics firms, is pending congressional review. The notification said Ukraine seeks the weapons to strengthen its offensive and defensive fire-support capabilities as it fights Russia’s full-scale invasion. The proposed package also includes 12 M270 multiple launch rocket system launchers, which can fire both rockets and ATACMS missiles. The US government has said it is prepared to authorize the transfer following the congressional notification process. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.