Christopher Ford
Some sections of the international solidarity movement are discussing and critical of cluster shells - here is my response.
As the late American Civil War Major General Sherman pointed out: “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.”
The Ukrainians are taking the cluster shells for their artillery because they have no alternative.
They are outgunned by Russian artillery – for every piece of Ukrainian artillery Russia has ten. Russia has overwhelming air superiority when Ukraine cannot move its anti-aircraft defences to cover mobile units.
Russia has already dropped enough ordinance = including cluster – on Ukraine that it could take centuries to clear it.
Those who wish to criticise the Ukrainians for taking the weapons should ask the question: what else can they do to break the Russian lines and clear the minefields???
They can launch suicidal frontal attacks which will fail – I just visited a hospital in Ukraine saw and spoke with injured soldiers. The many have injuries from these landmines.
Try telling them they should not have the shells when there is no alternative?
I would pose a question to the comrades internationally who wanted a meeting to discuss Ukraine getting the cluster shells – what have they done to campaign for Ukraine to get the weapons it asked for???
Repeatedly I raised at ENSU meetings for campaigns for the weapons, not just to make statements defending Ukraine’s right to have arms but to campaign for the arms Ukraine needs.
Especially in the USA and Germany…
How much lobbying of the Democratic Party and Social Democrats of Germany has the left done???
It is only because Ukraine did not get the weapons it asked for and does not have enough to break through – it is accepting what is offered to them by the USA.
If the Russian defensive positions can be overpowered by cluster shells, if the Ukrainian tanks can then break through – then that is to be celebrated not criticised.
As only in these circumstances can liberation be achieved - the alternative will cost far more lives than any duds from the cluster shells.