Cluster Munitions Update

While I was checking on the status of S 549, I noticed that there is now a corresponding House bill to limit the use and sale of cluster weapons. Congressman James McGovern introduced HR 1755 in late March. As you know, many of the "bomblets" released by these weapons fail to explode upon impact and thus create minefields that kill civilians for years to come. Children are especially vulnerable because they mistake the brightly colored "bomblets" for toys.

Unfortunately, no members of the New Jersey congressional delegation have cosponsored either of these important pieces of legislation. We'll have to work on that!

(Note: I had the honor of interviewing McGovern for my dissertation in early 2001. He served as Congressman Joe Moakely's aide during the investigation of the 1989 masacre at the Jesuit university in El Salvador. Once elected, he continued to play an important role in the Salvadoran peace process and other human rights issues.)