June 5, 2009
Call for Amendment to S416, Cluster Bomb Bill
by Arn Specter
I'd like to encourage you to take a position that would advocate
lobbying for an Amendment to S416, the Cluster Bomb Bill,
so that it comes much closer to the provisions of the International
Cluster Ban Coalition Treaty, signed by 96 countries...
see www.stopclustermunitions.org (Cluster Munitions Coalition)
U.S. law restricts some sales of cluster bombs and S 416 withholds
some funds from Federal agencies...yet neither the law nor the bill touches on stronger provisions as does the CMC, such as:
no use, no production, no trade, no stockpiling, some reduction, and some elimination of cluster bomb stockpiles and much aid in cleaning up clusters on the ground from previous battles and restorations to victims and families from those violent attacks.
Recently the violence in Sri Lanka, Gaza and Georgia evidence the great destruction of cluster bombs and larger bomb attacks on civilians.
This week, during a special week for cluster bomb ban lobbying, and the anniversary of the Treaty signing in Dublin in May 2008, I've been lobbying the sponsors of S416, Senators Feinstein and Leahy as well as the 20 Senators who have co-sponsored the bill.
Several groups have been asking us to lend our support to S 416 but I feel it would be better now and in the long run to pressure Congress to foster a better bill, work on passing it into law, then to begin lobbying the President to hold a review on clusters and land mines, and finally, to encourage the U.S. to sign onto the International Treaties before or during the September signing at the United Nations.
Plese do consider this position with your associates.
The cause of DISARMAMENT is "on the table" here and as the President is advocating more conciliatory and peaceful developments in Asia and the Middle East the climate for disarmament is better now than in recent days. Too, with continued efforts to wind down the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan disarmament could become the rallying focus for many of our activist efforts.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
In the progressive movement,
Arn Specter, Phila.
p.s. please refer to any of my previous papers/posts for background
information and suggestions for action; resources.
