World
Conference debates cluster bomb ban
Monday, 18 February 2008 11:53A conference on cluster bombs has begun with more than 100 countries expected to decide whether to formally back a treaty banning the weapon.
The five-day conference in New Zealand is part of a Norwegian initiative which was launched last year, and is set to culminate with the adoption of a treaty in Dublin in May.
Some 83 nations have voiced their support for the move, but the US, China and Russia - the main makers of such munitions - remain opposed to an outright ban.
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Cluster bombs contain smaller bomblets which scatter over a wide area and which sometimes remain live for decades.
