June 14, 2007

Dear USCBL Supporter,

We are pleased to inform you that the Steering Committee of the US Campaign to Ban Landmines recently agreed to expand the mission of the coalition to include advocacy toward a prohibition on the use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.

Cluster munitions differ from antipersonnel mines in a variety of ways, but their effects on civilian populations are often similar.  Cluster munitions are weapons that can disperse up to several hundred smaller submunitions – sometimes referred to as “bomblets” - over wide areas. They have indiscriminate effects that kill and injure civilians during attacks. One typical cluster bomb can blanket blomblets over an area several hundred square meters. They also often fail to detonate as designed, leaving hidden bombs scattered across landscapes and causing severe and lasting humanitarian and development consequences similar to antipersonnel mines.

The Steering Committee was compelled to expand the mission because the effects of cluster munitions in many ways mirror landmines, many USCBL organizations are already working extensively on cluster munitions, and many in the advocacy community believe that concentrated action now can lead to concrete results.  After extensive discussions, the Steering Committee revised the goals of the USCBL to include:

• U.S. accession to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and policies that move towards accession: a U.S.  ban on the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of antipersonnel  landmines;
• increased resources for humanitarian demining and mine risk education programs;
• increased resources for victim rehabilitation, assistance,  and psychosocial and economic inclusion;
• enactment of a U.S. prohibition on the use of  cluster munitions in or near populated areas;
• enactment of a U.S. prohibition on the  use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions  that cause unacceptable harm to civilians; and
• U.S. support for an  international instrument prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.

The Steering Committee does not envision that the addition of cluster munitions will diminish the organization's work to ban landmines.  A comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines is, and will remain, the primary goal of the coalition.

We are all eager to begin work on combating the enormous threat to innocent life that cluster bombs pose.  This expansion will provide advocates like you with new opportunities to take action. Please continue to check the USCBL website for updates reflecting the expansion.  We are in the process of adding material on cluster munitions, including background information, action suggestions, and updates from campaigners around the country.

Thank you for your support for a mine-free world and we look forward to working together on this new endeavor.


Sincerely,

Scott Stedjan
USCBL Coordinator

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The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines (USCBL) is a coalition of approximately 500 U.S.-based human rights, humanitarian, faith-based, peace, veterans’, medical, development, academic, and environmental organizations dedicated to a total ban on antipersonnel landmines. It is one of 90 country campaigns that form the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. The USCBL is coordinated by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers), a Quaker peace lobby based in Washington, DC. For more information, go to www.fcnl.org or www.banminesusa.org.