See Adelaide, Hasbeen has picked up on the question asked. Banning "effective" weapons systems, based upon past stuff-ups (the USA used landmines extensively in Vietnam, Cambodia as well) is to miss the point.

These weapons systems were designed, primarily, to destroy troop & armour concentrations in Europe and Northern Asia. The only system with "high" numbers of duds, that has been accepted by the US Senate (that I can find) is the MRLS M77 (with up to 23% of some batches being defective as found in studies after "Desert Storm"). Those launchers aren't widely used in present conflict(s), however, they are likely to be utilized in future, high-intensity conflicts. Where the need to stop heavy concentrations of enemy troops/armour rapidly is fairly urgent. What would you have people on the ground do, when those weapons systems are urgently required, wait for them to get delivered from the USA or just die quietly?

The bigger problem is the continued movement toward banning any weapons systems that work, in order to win "brownie points" from such unbiased foreign observers as the UNHCR/UN. That pretty much boils down to anything that works, as is seen repeatedly with the IDF, where for example there are constant investigations into casualties caused by using "smart-bombs" in built up areas, when that is the only effective way to stop extremists using those areas with impunity, in order to SPECIFICALLY target civilians.

Couple that with the statements that "IED's are not covered by treaties", presumably only real weapons systems, utilized by real armies can be so restricted (Hamas/Hezbollah/Talliban/etc. don't really go for inspections or make for enforceable obligations do they?) and the problem becomes apparent.

If the world were perfect, weapons wouldn't be needed at all. The world is a LONG way from perfect and they are needed, generally quickly. Weapons systems that aren't so vital today, might well be lifesavers tomorrow. Short-sighted attempts to get around caveats that acknowledge such realities are dangerous.

Cluster bombs or cluster f...'s . What gets me is that we send our troops over there to try & keep a lid on mayhem yet at the same time we invite many of those idiot troublemakers to live over here.
Go figure ?

Of course Hasbeen and Custard perceive a different point – because they have their own agenda, which they seize every opportunity to push. But these comments are supposed to be on the Open Letter, which is on the topic of cluster munitions and the adequacy of Australia’s legislation to follow through on having signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008.

Hey Custard,
Well Done. I appreciate your comments very much. I don't know why those international dudes want to ban nuclear weapons either. Why not just use nukes and solve the problem completely. All your mates would be saved and everyone could just go home.

By the way, the failure rate on these wonderful modern cluster munitions is up to 30% (based on those found on the ground after use) not the 1% to 2% stated by the manufacturers.
But what the hell, they are only civilians!!

Many well-put points, Adelaide.

By the bye, to the best of my knowledge, cluster munitions haven't been used in Libya, where I would have thought the military strategists would have deemed them appropriate for targeting highly visible and clearly isolated troops and armour.

In fact, I know of no case of their being used by our allies since 2004, at latest. I'd be pleased to be corrected on this one, with facts and accessible sources, of course.

Could it be that the military advantage of cluster munitions is trumped by their propanda liability? (Of course it's always easy to generate propaganda against indiscriminate weapons that kill and maim for decades after a conflict.)

I am awaiting Custard's last stand.

I recall hearing on the News in mid- April that Gaddafi’s troops had fired cluster munitions into residential areas in Misrata; Spanish-produced weapons, as I recall. For further details try Googling ‘Cluster Munition use in Libya’, which brings up a Fact Sheet produced by Human Rights Watch. There are also photos of a submunition casing, a remnant tail section and the lettering on the projectile body, clearly stating: “MAT – 120 Mortar Cargo Bomb 120mm Lot 3-07” (this photo copyright of Misurata Hospital; the others from Human Rights Watch). Or try ‘bomb attacks on Misrata’. There are plenty of references to follow.