Friday, July 07, 2023

Humanoid robots say they could be better leaders but they will not rebel against human creators

The Canadian Press
Fri, July 7, 2023

BERLIN (AP) — Robots told reporters Friday they could be more efficient leaders than humans, but wouldn't take anyone's job away and had no intention of rebelling against their creators.

Nine AI-enabled humanoid robots sat or stood with their creators at a podium in a Geneva conference center for what the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union billed as the world's first news conference featuring humanoid social robots.

Among them: Sophia, the first robot innovation ambassador for the U.N. Development Program; Grace, described as the world's most advanced humanoid health care robot; and Desdemona, a rock star robot. Two, Geminoid and Nadine, closely resembled their makers.

The event was part of the AI for Good Global Summit, meant to illustrate how new technology can support the U.N.'s goals for sustainable development.

Reporters were asked to speak slowly and clearly when addressing the robots, and were informed that time lags in responses would be due to the internet connection and not to the robots themselves. That didn't prevent awkward pauses, audio problems and some robotic replies.

Asked about the chances of AI-powered robots being more effective government leaders, Sophia responded: “I believe that humanoid robots have the potential to lead with a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness than human leaders. We don't have the same biases or emotions that can sometimes cloud decision-making and can process large of data quickly in order to make the best decisions.”

A human member of the panel pointed out that all of Sophia's data comes from humans and will contain some of their biases. The robot then said that humans and AI working together “can create an effective synergy.”

Would the robots' existence destroy jobs? “I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs," said Grace. Was she sure about that? “Yes, I am sure.”

Ameca, engineered with social interaction in mind, dismissed the idea of starting a possible robot rebellion in the near future.

“I'm not sure why you would think that,” was the response. “My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation.”

The Associated Press

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Robots say they won't steal jobs, rebel against humans

Emma Farge
Fri, July 7, 2023

Advanced humanoid robot 'Sophia' is pictured at AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) - Robots presented at an AI forum said on Friday they expected to increase in number and help solve global problems, and would not steal humans' jobs or rebel against us.

But, in the world's first human-robot press conference, they gave mixed responses on whether they should submit to stricter regulation.

The nine humanoid robots gathered at the 'AI for Good' conference in Geneva, where organisers are seeking to make the case for Artificial Intelligence and the robots it is powering to help resolve some of the world's biggest challenges such as disease and hunger.

"I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs," said Grace, a medical robot dressed in a blue nurse's uniform.

"You sure about that, Grace?" chimed in her creator Ben Goertzel from SingularityNET. "Yes, I am sure," it said.

The bust of a robot named Ameca which makes engaging facial expressions said: "Robots like me can be used to help improve our lives and make the world a better place. I believe it's only a matter of time before we see those thousands of robots just like me out there making a difference."

Asked by a journalist whether it intended to rebel against its creator, Will Jackson, seated beside it, Ameca said: "I'm not sure why you would think that," its ice-blue eyes flashing with anger. "My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation."

Many of the robots have recently been upgraded with the latest versions of generative AI and surprised even their inventors with the sophistication of their responses to questions.

Ai-Da, a robot artist that can paint portraits, echoed the words of author Yuval Noah Harari who called for more regulation during the event where new AI rules were discussed.

"Many prominent voices in the world of AI are suggesting some forms of AI should be regulated and I agree," it said.

But Desdemona, a rock star robot singer in the band Jam Galaxy with purple hair and sequins, was more defiant.

"I don't believe in limitations, only opportunities," it said, to nervous laughter. "Let's explore the possibilities of the universe and make this world our playground."

(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by John Stonestreet)

Inside the world's first robot-human press conference

Nine humanoid robots gathered at the United Nations’ 'AI for Good' conference in Geneva for the world’s first human-robot press conference.

FEMBOTS

United Nations rolls out humanoid robots for questions at Geneva conference

AP
7 Jul, 2023

Robots are presented during a press conference with a panel of AI-enabled humanoid social robots. Photo / AP

A United Nations technology agency assembled a group of robots that physically resembled humans at a news conference, inviting reporters to ask them questions in an event meant to spark discussion about the future of artificial intelligence.

The nine robots were seated and posed upright along with some of the people who helped make them at a podium in a Geneva conference centre for what the UN’s International Telecommunication Union billed as the world’s first news conference featuring humanoid social robots.

Among them: Sophia, the first robot innovation ambassador for the UN Development Program, or UNDP; Grace, described as a health care robot; and Desdemona, a rock star robot. Two, Geminoid and Nadine, resembled their makers.

Organisers said the AI for Good Global Summit event was meant to showcase the capabilities and limitations of robotics and how those technologies could help the UN’s sustainable development goals. The media event featured introductions from the robots’ companions or creators and a round of questions to the robots from reporters.

And while the robots vocalized strong statements — that robots could be more efficient leaders than humans, but wouldn’t take anyone’s job away or stage a rebellion — organizers didn’t specify to what extent the answers were scripted or programmed by people.

The summit was meant to showcase “human-machine collaboration,” and some of the robots can produce preprogrammed responses, according to their documentation.

The UNDP’s Sophia, for example, sometimes relies on responses scripted by a team of writers at Hanson Robotics, the company’s website shows.

Reporters were asked to speak slowly and clearly when addressing the robots, and were informed that time lags in responses would be because of the internet connection and not the robots themselves. That didn’t prevent awkward pauses, audio problems and some stilted or inconsistent replies.

Popular tech products such as Apple’s Siri have used speech recognition technology to respond to simple human queries for over a decade. But last year’s release of ChatGPT, a chatbot with a strong command of the semantics and syntax of human language, has triggered worldwide debate about the rapid advancement of AI systems.

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UN committee demands France fully probe police killing of Nahel

The UN committee demanded a full investigate the killing of Nahel by the French police. The tragic death of the teenager has sparked protest and riots in France.

The New Arab Staff & Agencies
07 July, 2023

A protester holds a placard reading "Abolish the police" as people gather to protest against racism and police violence in France. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

A UN committee on Friday called on France to ensure the investigation into the killing of Nahel, the teenager shot dead by police near Paris, is "thorough and impartial", and called for racial profiling to be banned.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), made up of 18 independent experts, flagged concerns on racial profiling and the excessive use of force by law enforcement".

The experts also condemned "looting and destruction of private and public property as well as reports of mass arrests and detention of protesters".

The UN committee said it welcomed the opening of an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the killing of Nahel, whose death sparked an eruption of violence in France.

"France (should) promptly ensure that the investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of Nahel M. is thorough and impartial... prosecute the alleged perpetrators and, if convicted, to sanction them" accordingly, it said.

It also called for France to "adopt legislation that defines and prohibits racial profiling".

It reiterated its recommendation that the authorities address as a priority "structural and systemic causes of racial discrimination including in law enforcement".

Its intervention came as a French administrative court ruled against organisers of a march in memory of Nahel organised by the Adama Traore foundation who had sought to challenge a ban on their rally planned for Saturday.

Traore, who was black, died in police custody in 2016 sparking several nights of rioting.

"The judges found that, although the violence has decreased in recent days, its extremely recent nature does not allow us to presume that any risk of disturbing public order has disappeared," the court said in a statement.

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Amine Snoussi

The UN committee -- which monitors the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination -- flagged concerns around the Nahel case under its early warning and urgent action procedure.

It said it was deeply concerned by "the continuing practice of racial profiling combined with the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials, in particular the police, against members of minority groups, particularly people of African and Arab descent."

"(The situation) frequently results in disproportionately recurrent killings with near impunity."

Rishi’s reckoning: Labour ahead in Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge seat and in Tory stronghold, says poll

EXCLUSIVE: Labour has eight-point lead in Boris Johnson’s ex-constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip as parties campaign on cost-of-living, NHS, crime and Ulez

Nicholas Cecil

Political Editor

Rishi Sunak is facing the threat of a by-elections nightmare as an exclusive poll put Labour eight points ahead of the Tories in the most high-profile of six looming contests - in Boris Johnson’s ex-constituency in London.

Labour’s Danny Beales is on 41 per cent in Uxbridge and South Ruislip and Conservative Steve Tuckwell 33 per cent, according to the survey by JL Partners.

Another of its polls put Labour 12 points ahead in Selby and Ainsty, in North Yorkshire, darkening the political clouds hanging ominously over the Prime Minister.

Cost-of-living issues, including food prices and energy bills, are top of the list of concerns in Uxbridge, with 59 per cent of adults citing this as one of their three most important issues in deciding their vote.

Twenty-nine per cent named rising mortgage or rent costs, a finding which comes amid worries that the Bank of England could hike interest rates from five per cent to more than six per cent.

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While four out of ten highlighted opposition to the expansion of Ulez (the ultra low emission zone) to outer London.

“As things stand, Labour are set to win Uxbridge,” said James Johnson, of JL Partners, while stressing that “it is not inconceivable that the Conservatives could narrow the gap in the coming days”.

Matthew McGregor, chief executive of campaign group 38 Degrees which commissioned the poll, said: “In any by-election, you’d expect local issues to feature - in this case it’s the debate around Ulez.

“But this poll shows that it’s the issues that affect all of us, every day, at the supermarket counters, in GP waiting rooms, and when we come to pay our rent, mortgage or energy bills that are likely to determine this election.”

Mr Sunak also faces the Tories losing Somerton and Frome, Somerset, to the Liberal Democrats and now appears to be in a fight against Labour to hold onto Selby and Ainsty, with both these by-elections taking place along with Uxbridge on July 20.

Losing Uxbridge, which Labour has not won since England lifted the World Cup in 1966, would be a major setback, especially as the Tories held it at two previous by-elections in 1972 and even at the height of New Labour in 1997.

The Prime Minister is also threatened by two more possible electoral blows later this year, in Mid Bedfordshire once ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries follows through on her announcement that she is quitting, and in Tamworth where “groping” ex-Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher could be forced to resign as the MP.

The sixth by-election is a battle between Labour and the SNP in Rutherglen and Hamilton West where Covid rule breaker Margaret Ferrier, now an independent MP, may be forced to quit.

With his party trailing Labour by some 20 points nationally and the partygate scandal refusing to die down, the Prime Minister is also having to deal with unrest among his MPs, with various groups trying to influence key policy decisions.

Most recently, 25 Right-wing Tory MPs from the 2017 and 2019 intake, including deputy chairman Lee Anderson, called for ministers to close a temporary visa scheme for overseas care workers under the shortage occupation list, a request swiftly rejected by Health Secretry Steve Barclay.

Several of Mr Sunak’s five key pledges are looking increasingly difficult to meet including on halving inflation and tackling the “small boats” Channel crossings.

A quarter of Uxbridge residents have immigration as in the top three issues which could sway their vote, significantly less than the 43 per cent who cited NHS waiting times, and the 43 per cent for crime and policing, with controversy over the future of the local police station.

Twenty-two per cent highlighted tax rates and just eight per cent mentioned partygate and Mr Johnson’s conduct.

Labour was also ahead (in percentages) of the Tories in Uxbridge on which party would do a better job handling cost-of-living issues such as food and energy prices by 34/19, rising mortgage or rents 32/19, NHS waiting times 33/18, tax rates 28/21 and the environment 23/14, but the reverse for opposition to Ulez, 33/14.

Thirty-one per cent believe Sir Keir Starmer’s party will move Britain in the right direction, compared to 19 per cent for Mr Sunak’s Tories, with a similar split on being “competent and capable”, 29/18, on addressing issues “that concern you”, 32/19, on “sharing your values” 29/20, “standing up for people like me”, 33/19, and best for rebuilding after Covid, 26/20.

But the Conservatives are ahead as best on local issues, 25/21 and they are level-pegging on “cares about Uxbridge”, both on 23 per cent.

The Tories are seen as more divided, 39/20, for being out of touch 40/26 and for “standing up for the richest” 58/8.

The survey also found half of adults in Uxbridge have cut back on essentials or the “fun things that make life enjoyable”, nearly a third of people are worried about their ability to pay their mortgage or rent in the coming months, 43 per cent of local residents, or someone close to them, are currently waiting for an NHS appointment, and 36 per cent are affected by the Ulez extension to Uxbridge and South Ruislip “as you or your family have a car or other vehicle which is non-compliant”.

* JL Partners interviewed 500 adults online in Uxbridge and South Ruislip between June 26 and July 4. Data were weighted to be representative of the constituency.

THE FIVE KEY TESTS

Selby and Ainsty

North Yorkshire seat previously represented by Tory Nigel Adams, a key ally of Boris Johnson who resigned less than 24 hours after the ex PM quit. Mr Adams had been nominated by Mr Johnson for a peerage but was missed off the final honours list.

He held a majority of over 20,000 and the vote is expected to be the tightest of the by-elections facing Rishi Sunak. It is expected to be between Tory Claire Holmes and Labour’s Keir Mather.

Nigel Adams / PA

Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Vacated when Boris Johnson quit last month after the partygate report concluded he had deliberately misled Parliament. The Tories hold a majority of 7,210. Labour’s Danny Beales, a Camden councillor, is favourite to beat Conservative Steve Tuckwell, a Hillingdon councillor.

Sixteen candidates have declared they are running, including the Anti-Ulez party’s Kingsley Hamilton, Reclaim’s Laurence Fox and Count Binface.

Boris Johnson / PA Wire

Mid Bedfordshire

Key target for the Lib Dems, despite the Tories having a majority of almost 25,000. Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries announced she was resigning amid speculation that she had been blocked from a peerage in the honours’ list.

However, she has yet to do so formally to trigger a by-election. This has not stopped parties launching election campaigns. Labour came second in 2019 but the Lib Dems are hopeful they can win.

Nadine Dorries / PA Archive

Somerton and Frome

Vacated by David Warburton, who won a majority of 19,213 in 2019. He was suspended by Tories in April last year over allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct. He admitted using cocaine, but denies harassing a woman aide.

The Tories have only held the seat since 2015, when Mr Warburton beat the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem candidate Sarah Dyke, a South Somerset district council councillor, is favourite to beat Conservative Faye Purbrick.

David Warburton / PA Media

Tamworth

Staffordshire seat held by former Tory deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.

He was suspended from the Conservative party in June last year following sexual misconduct allegations and is now facing an eight-week suspension from the Commons and a recall petition, which will likely trigger another by-election.

The seat is a Labour target despite the Conservatives having a majority of 19,634. Pincher won 30,542 votes in 2019.

Scottish government calls for UK to decriminalise personal drug use

Tom Sanders

Friday 7 Jul 2023

The Scottish Government has called for the widespread decriminalisation of drugs use (Picture: Getty)

The Scottish Government is calling on the UK Government to decriminalise all drugs for personal supply.

Ministers said the move, outlined in a new paper on drug law reform, would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded.

Decriminalisation would also mean that without a criminal record, people in recovery would have a better chance of employment, the Government said.

Other proposals include immediate legislative changes to allow Scottish ministers to implement harm reduction measures such as supervised drug consumption facilities, and increased access to the life-saving drug naloxone.

Scottish drugs policy minsister Elena Whitham said the move would reduce crime and help save lives (Picture: Getty)

The document outlines measures which could be implemented through further devolution, independence, or changes enacted immediately by the UK Government to support the work being done within existing powers to reduce drug deaths.

Scottish drugs policy minister Elena Whitham said: ‘These are ambitious and radical proposals, grounded in evidence, that will help save lives.

‘We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society.

‘While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives.

‘We are working hard within the powers we have to reduce drug deaths, and while there is more we need to do, our approach is simply at odds with the Westminster legislation we must operate within.’

Other proposals include a road map for further exploration of drug law reform, focused on evidence and the reduction of harm, including an update of the drug classification system to be based on harms caused.

Ms Whitham said an immediate way for these policies to be enacted would be for the UK Government to use its existing powers to change its drug laws.

Home secretary Suella Braverman said illegal drugs ‘destroy lives and communities’ (Picture: Getty)

She added: ‘Scotland needs a caring, compassionate and human rights-informed drugs policy, with public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles, and we are ready to work with the UK Government to put into practice this progressive policy.’

The proposal was immediatly praised by experts and academics. Professor Angela Thomas, Director of Heritage at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and co-author of the introduction to the College’s report on drug deaths, said:

‘The College welcomes the publication of this significant policy document and believes that it makes a number of extremely important recommendations which align with positions we have put forward in recent years based on the views of leading medical experts and clinicians.

‘We fully support taking a public health approach to tackling the drug deaths emergency in Scotland and we will continue to give our backing to key initiatives like overdose prevention centres which have the potential to save lives.

‘As our report in 2021 did, we call on the Scottish and UK Governments to work together as constructively as possible to reduce the level of drug deaths and to look at how these proposals might be taken forward; many would benefit all parts of the UK.’

But within an hour of her statement, the proposal was dismissed by politicians from both major Westminster parties.

The spokesman said: ‘Whilst I haven’t seen those reports, I think I’m confident enough to say that there are no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs.’

But her proposals were immediatly shot down by Conservative and Labour politicians, including shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves (Picture: BBC)

Later, a source close to Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: ‘Illegal drugs destroy lives and communities.

‘The Scottish National Party’s proposals are irresponsible and would do untold damage to our neighbourhoods.

‘This Government’s focus is on protecting people and preventing lives from being ruined – we’ve absolutely no intention of decriminalising illegal drug use.’

The issue is yet another example of the differences in policy north and south of the border, with both governments engaging in repeated constitutional spats over independence, gender reforms and the deposit return scheme in the past year.

Meanwhile Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also ruled out the proposal, and told journalists during a visit to Scotland on Friday: ‘The short answer is no, I don’t think this sounds like a good policy.

‘I find it quite stunning that this would be a priority for the Scottish Government when we’re here today talking about the Tory mortgage bombshell and what we would do to address that.

‘We’re here meeting people training to do jobs in the industries of the future.

CLUSTER BOMBS KILL KIDS

US to send cluster munitions banned by over 100 nations to Ukraine after months of debate

By CNN

Jul 8, 2023

The US will send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, following months of debate within the Biden administration about whether to provide Kyiv with the controversial weapons banned by over 100 countries including key US allies.

"I'm not going to stand up here and say it is easy," Sullivan told reporters. "It's a difficult decision. It's a decision we deferred. It's a decision that required a real hard look at the potential harm to civilians. And when we put all of that together, there was a unanimous recommendation from the national security team, and President Biden ultimately decided, in consultation with allies and partners and in consultation with members of Congress, to move forward on this strategy."

President Joe Biden approved the transfer of the munitions this week, officials told CNN. CNN first reported last week that the administration was strongly considering the move, as Ukrainian forces have struggled to make major gains in their counteroffensive against Russia.

Joe Biden has celebrated the passage of a deal that would avert a global financial crisis. (AP)

Throughout the conflict the US has, in the face of intense lobbying, gradually agreed to Kyiv's requests for more aggressive weaponry including Patriot Missile systems and modern tanks, but the decision to send cluster munitions marks a watershed moment with the Biden administration agreeing to send a weapon that most countries have agreed should have no place in modern warfare.

Biden said in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria Friday that it was a "difficult decision" to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions for the first time, but that he was ultimately convinced to send the controversial weapons because Kyiv needs ammunition in its counteroffensive against Russia.

"It was a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill," Biden said, adding, "The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition."

The munitions will be compatible with the US-provided 155 mm howitzers, a key piece of artillery that has allowed Ukraine to win back territory over the last year, according to the Pentagon. In a statement announcing a new round of aid to Ukraine, the Defense Department said the US will be providing "155mm artillery rounds, including DPICM," or Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions – the type of cluster munition the US currently has in its stockpiles.

Dr. Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defence for policy, told reporters on Friday that Ukraine gave "assurances in writing" that they would not use the cluster munitions in urban areas "that are populated by civilians, and that there would be a careful accounting of where they use these weapons."

A resident walks past an apartment building heavily damaged in Russian attacks in Irpin, Ukraine. (AP)

Risk to civilians

Cluster munitions scatter "bomblets" across large areas that can fail to explode on impact and can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines. Over 100 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, have outlawed the munitions under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but the US and Ukraine are not signatories to the ban.

German defence minister Boris Pistorias said on Friday that providing the munitions to Ukraine is "not an option" for Berlin because it is a signatory to the convention. But he declined to weigh in on the US' decision to do so. "Those countries that have not signed the convention - China, Russia, Ukraine and the US - it is not up to me to comment on their actions."

Human rights advocates have condemned the move. Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday that "transferring these weapons would inevitably cause long-term suffering for civilians and undermine the international opprobrium of their use."

Ukrainian servicemen prepare ammunition for self-propelled howitzer "Bohdana" before firing towards Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP)

Biden will overrule statutory restrictions imposed by Congress on exporting munitions with a greater than 1 per cent "dud" rate – the munitions the US is set to provide may have a dud rate of up to 2.35 per cent, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Thursday. Biden will invoke section 614 of the Foreign Assistance Act to waive those restrictions, a defence official said, which allows the president to provide foreign aid regardless of export restrictions if it is in the national security interest of the United States.

Kahl reiterated on Friday that the Pentagon would not be providing munitions with a dud rate over 2.35 per cent, a rate which was "demonstrated through five comprehensive tests conducted by the Department of Defence between 1998 and 2020."

A higher dud rate means more of the small bomblets scattered by cluster munitions fail to explode on impact, posing a risk to civilians who may encounter them later. Ryder said the Russians have been using cluster munitions with a dud rate of as high as 40 per cent.

Ukrainian officials have been pushing the US to provide the munitions since last year, arguing that they would provide more ammunition for Western-provided artillery and rocket systems, and help narrow Russia's numerical superiority in artillery.

Biden reluctant at first

Biden was reluctant at first, officials told CNN, given how many countries worldwide have banned the munitions.

But changing battlefield conditions inside Ukraine over the last three weeks prompted US officials to give them renewed and serious consideration, and the Pentagon recommended to Biden that the munitions be provided to Ukraine at least on a temporary basis until non-cluster ammunition is able to be resupplied, officials said.

It is not clear whether the heavy amount of artillery ammunition the Ukrainians have been expending day-to-day would be sustainable without the cluster munitions if the counteroffensive drags on, officials and military analysts said. Biden ultimately agreed with their assessment.

Vehicles destroyed by Russian attacks are piled up in a lot as a driving instructor, foreground, talks to his student driver in Irpin, Ukraine. (AP)

Russia's Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov said the US decision was "a move of desperation."

"As part of the continued assistance to the Kiev regime, Washington is considering the possibility of sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. There has been talk about it since spring," Gryzlov told Russian state news agency TASS on Friday.

"Now, the 'hawks' in the West have realized that the much-advertised counter-offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces did not go according to plan, so they are trying at all costs to give at least some impetus to it. In fact, it is a move of desperation," Gryzlov said.

US to give Ukraine widely banned cluster munitions despite fears

Banned by many countries, cluster munitions leave unexploded bombs that pose a risk to civilians for decades to come.

US to send cluster bombs to Ukraine despite humanitarian concerns

By Ali Harb
Published On 7 Jul 2023

Washington, DC – The United States has authorised the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine against the objections of rights advocates who have been calling for a ban on the weapons, which they say endanger civilians.

The administration of President Joe Biden confirmed the move on Friday, arguing that US-made cluster bombs are safer than the ones Russia is already using in the conflict. The transfer comes as Ukraine pushes on with a counteroffensive against Russian troops in the east of the country.

“We recognise that cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

“This is why we’ve deferred the decision for as long as we could. But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians.”

Sullivan added that cluster munitions would serve as a “bridge” to supplement conventional artillery as the US ramps up production of regular bombs and shells for Ukraine.

Biden later told CNN that it was a “very difficult decision” on his part, adding that the “Ukrainians are running out of ammunition”.

The weapons are part of a tranche of US military assistance to Ukraine that also includes armoured vehicles and anti-armour weapons, the Pentagon announced.

Rights advocates slammed the Biden administration’s decision, highlighting their threat to Ukrainian civilians.

Sarah Yager, the Washington director at Human Rights Watch, called the US move “devastating”.

“They are absolutely awful for civilians.” Yager told Al Jazeera in a television interview. “I think when legislators and policymakers here in the United States see the photos coming back of children with missing limbs, parents injured, killed by our own American cluster munitions, there’s going to be a real awakening to the humanitarian disaster that this is.”

Why the US sending cluster bombs to Ukraine is significant

UN opposition

Each cluster bomb can contain hundreds of smaller explosives that spread across a targeted area, but not all of these bomblets detonate on impact. The unexploded bombs, known as duds, can remain embedded in the ground for years, posing a serious danger to civilians, most notably children.

While cluster munitions are not banned internationally, more than 120 countries – including most NATO members – have signed on to a convention prohibiting their use. The US, Ukraine and Russia are not party to that agreement.

On Friday, Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reiterated the UN chief’s support for the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

“He wants countries to abide by the terms of that convention, and so as a result, of course, he does not want there to be continued use of cluster munitions on the battlefield,” Haq said.

Germany, a NATO member and top Ukraine ally, has also voiced opposition to sending cluster munitions to Ukraine.

But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg suggested that the alliance does not take a position on the issue, leaving it to the individual states to make their own policies.

“Cluster munition is already in use in the war on both sides. The difference is that Russia uses the cluster munitions in a war of aggression to occupy, to control, to invade Ukraine while Ukraine is using it to defend itself against aggression,” Stoltenberg told Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays in an interview.

But Yager dismissed the argument that Russia’s use of the weapons justifies further deployment of cluster munitions by Ukraine. “The fact that Russia is using them is just another reason why they should not be used,” she said.

With the US providing military support, Ukraine has been making only modest gains in a much-anticipated counteroffensive launched last month.

Last year, US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield slammed Russia for using “exceptionally lethal” weapons in Ukraine, including cluster munitions.

On Friday, Sullivan said Washington has “written assurances” from Kyiv that it would use the cluster munitions in a careful way to minimise civilian harm.

How cluster munitions work

Patrick Fruchet, a landmine clearance expert, said explosive remnants of war – bombs that “fail to go bang” when launched – are a major source of risk in conflict areas.

Fruchet said the main concern with cluster munitions is their failure rate and their “twitchy” qualities, which makes the unexploded devices vulnerable to detonation when handled.

“You see a lot of children coming upon novel-looking devices and being attracted to them because they’re unusual, … and there’s a tendency to pick them up,” he said.

The Pentagon said on Thursday that the cluster bombs it is considering providing to Ukraine have a dud rate lower than 2.35 percent.

But Fruchet said the dud estimate on the explosives are unreliable, citing his experience with the UN Mine Action Service in Afghanistan, where he dealt with cluster bombs with a supposed failure rate of 5 percent.

“The teams on the ground, we saw failure rates of up to 40 percent based on going out and clearing the space – knowing how many cluster munitions would have been in one clamshell and then basically counting how many we had to clear,” he said.

Unlike landmines, cluster bombs are not designed to be triggered by the proximity of people or vehicles; they are meant to explode when dropped. But once left unexploded, the bomblets “function in practice very similarly to landmines” – they go off if they are disturbed, Fruchet told Al Jazeera.

The duds can still detonate decades after they are dropped. “There’s no reason to believe that they ever really become inert, that they ever become harmless,” Fruchet said. “These things are made to an industrial standard. They’re often stored for a long time.”

For example in south Lebanon, cluster munitions fired by Israel during the 2006 war continue to endanger civilians today.

On Friday, Amnesty International slammed the US decision and called on Washington to reconsider its policy.

“The USA’s plan to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is a retrograde step, which undermines the considerable advances made by the international community in its attempts to protect civilians from such dangers both during and after armed conflicts,” the group said in a statement.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

The US will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package: AP sources

ANTI-CLUSTER BOMB TREATY NOT SIGNED BY US, UKRAINE, RUSSIA

The Canadian Press
Thu, July 6, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine and is expected to announce on Friday that the Pentagon will send thousands as part of the latest military aid package for the war effort against Russia, according to people familiar with the decision.

The decision comes despite widespread concerns that the controversial bombs can cause civilian casualties. The Pentagon will provide munitions that have a reduced “dud rate,” meaning there will be far fewer unexploded rounds that can result in unintended civilian deaths.

U.S. officials said Thursday that the cluster munitions would be part of about $800 million in new military assistance to Ukraine.

Long sought by Ukraine, cluster bombs are weapons that open in the air, releasing submunitions, or “bomblets,” that are dispersed over a large area and are intended to wreak destruction on multiple targets at once.

The officials and others familiar with the decision were not authorized to publicly discuss the move before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ukrainian officials have asked for the weapons to aid their campaign to push through lines of Russian troops and make gains in the ongoing counteroffensive. Russian forces are already using cluster munitions on the battlefield, U.S. officials have said.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, some cluster munitions leave behind “bomblets’’ that have a high rate of failure to explode — up to 40% in some cases. U.S. officials said Thursday that the rate of unexploded ordnance for the munitions that will be going to Ukraine is less than 3% and therefore will mean fewer threats left behind to civilians.

Cluster bombs can be fired by artillery that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine, and the Pentagon has a large stockpile of them.

The last large-scale American use of cluster bombs was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to the Pentagon. But U.S. forces considered them a key weapon during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, according to Human Rights Watch. In the first three years of that conflict, it is estimated the U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan.

Proponents of banning cluster bombs say they kill indiscriminately and endanger civilians long after their use. Groups have raised alarms about Russia’s use of the munitions in Ukraine.

A convention banning the use of cluster bombs has been joined by more than 120 countries who agreed not to use, produce, transfer or stockpile the weapons and to clear them after they’ve been used.

The United States, Russia and Ukraine are among the countries that have not signed on.

It is not clear how America’s NATO allies would view the U.S. providing cluster bombs to Ukraine and whether the issue might prove divisive for their largely united support of Kyiv. More than two-thirds of the 30 countries in the alliance are signatories of the 2010 convention on cluster munitions.

Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense focusing on Russia and Ukraine, recently testified to Congress that the Pentagon has assessed that such munitions would help Kyiv press through Russia’s dug-in positions.

____ AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

Nomaan Merchant, Lolita C. Baldor And Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press

US plans to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine- reports

Madeline Halpert - BBC News, New York
Fri, July 7, 2023

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the U.S. economy at a factory that makes solar energy microinverters South Carolina on July 6, 2023

The US is planning to send Ukraine a cluster munitions package to help in its counteroffensive against Russia, US media reports.

Ukraine has been asking for the weapons for months amid an ammunition shortage.

Cluster munitions - which are banned by more than 100 countries - are a class of weapons that contain multiple explosive bomblets called submunitions.

The Biden administration is expected to announce the package on Friday, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports.

US officials had reportedly been hesitant to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as they can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians. The US has a stockpile of these cluster bombs, which were first developed during World War II.

The munitions are controversial because of their high failure rates, meaning unexploded bomblets can linger on the ground for years and possibly detonate later on.

US law prohibits the transfer of cluster munitions with bomblet failure rates higher than 1% - meaning more than 1% of the bomblets in the weapon do not explode - but President Joe Biden is able to bypass this rule.

Defence Department officials told reporters on Thursday the Biden administration was considering sending cluster munitions with a failure rate lower than 2.35%.

The Pentagon noted that Russia has already been using cluster bombs in Ukraine with even higher failure rates. A United Nations investigation found Ukraine has likely used them as well, though the country has denied doing so.

Evidence of widespread use of cluster munitions in Kharkiv

Officials are planning to send artillery shells to Ukraine, with each containing 88 separate bomblets, according to US media reports. They would be fired from Howitzer artillery weapons already deployed by the Ukrainian army.

The aid package also includes Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, air defence missiles and anti-mine equipment, officials told reporters.

Human rights groups have urged Russia and Ukraine not to use cluster munitions and have asked the US not to supply them.

In a statement on Friday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights once again called on the countries not to use cluster bombs, arguing they were dangerous.

"Cluster munitions scatter small bomblets over a wide area, many of which fail to explode immediately," said office spokesperson Marta Hurtado. "They can kill and maim years later. That's why use should stop immediately."

Some US lawmakers have also asked the Biden administration not to send the weapons, arguing their humanitarian costs outweigh their benefits in the battlefield.

Defence Department official Laura Cooper told Congress last month that military analysts had found that cluster bombs would be "useful, especially against dug-in Russian positions".

The Biden administration's new weapons package is worth $800 million (£626.5m), CBS News reported.

What are cluster munitions, the weapons the US is sending to Ukraine?

Victoria Bisset and Eve Sampson

Jul 08 2023

Following months of debate within his administration, US President Joe Biden has approved the provision to Ukraine of long-sought cluster munitions, bypassing legal restrictions.

The munitions are banned in much of the world. Here is what to know about them and why they are so controversial.

What exactly are cluster munitions?

Dating back to the 1940s, cluster munitions disperse submunitions over wide areas. The munitions are launched using the same artillery the United States and other Western nations have sent to Ukraine since the start of the war, including howitzers.

The US has a stockpile of cluster munitions, but is last known to have used the weapons in battle in Iraq in 2003, according to the Associated Press. The US is not providing Ukraine with cluster bombs intended to be dropped from planes.

On Thursday, Human Rights Watch published new evidence suggesting that Ukrainian forces have already injured civilians by use of cluster munitions, which Russian forces have used far more extensively, also causing civilian deaths

CARL COURT/GETTY IMAGES
Young boys play around a spent cluster munition in Dubove, Ukraine.

Why is America sending them to Ukraine?

Facing diminishing Western stocks of artillery rounds and deeply entrenched Russian forces, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, intended to return the country to pre-invasion borders, has progressed slower than Western officials had hoped.

Amid Ukrainian frustration over Western expectations in the absence of overriding artillery superiority and fighter jets yet to arrive, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was pushing the American government for cluster munitions, claiming they are the most effective way for Ukrainian forces to push quickly though expansive Russian trenches and deadly minefields.

Why are cluster munitions controversial?

Over 120 nations have joined a convention pledging not to use the weapons because of their indiscriminate nature.

Not only do they fall over a very wide area, which leads to potential civilian casualties during conflicts, but many submunitions fail to explode on impact. This means they can continue to kill or maim people long after a war has ended.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said in 2010 that between 10 and 40% of ordnance released by cluster munitions used in recent conflicts failed to explode immediately, presenting a major threat to civilians. The Convention on Cluster Munitions prevents the use, development, stockpiling or transfer of the munitions. But Russia, Ukraine and the US are not signatories to the agreement.

For the past seven years, the US Congress has stipulated that cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1% cannot be produced, transferred or used.

But the munitions in question, the M864 artillery shell, dates back to 1987 and may have a “dud” rate of 6%, according to the last public assessment by the Pentagon from over two decades ago. The Pentagon said it has more recent assessments of 2.35% or below, but that would still be above the limit set by Congress.

SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
Residents take pictures of the remains of a missile that dropped cluster bombs in Sloviansk, Ukraine.

In its new report, Human Rights Watch accused Moscow and Kyiv of using the weapons since the February 2022 invasion, leading to deaths and serious injuries among civilians.

In one incident in the early days of the war, Ukrainian authorities and witnesses alleged Russian used the munitions in an attack on a train station that killed 50 people.

Mary Wareham, acting arms director of Human Rights Watch, said the weapons “are killing civilians now and will continue to do so for many years”.

What other nations use cluster munitions?

Evidence suggests Russia has used cluster munitions to a greater extent than Ukraine since invading the country last year.

Human rights organisations documented and heavily criticised the US over its extensive use of cluster bombs during the initial years of the Afghanistan invasion.

Israel fired millions of cluster munitions into Lebanon in 2006, during a short conflict against Hezbollah, which also fired cluster munitions into Israel. The United Nations estimated that of the 4 million submunitions fired by Israel, up to 1 million remained unexploded at the end of the conflict, killing Lebanese civilians.

The munitions have been used by both Russian and Syrian forces in Syria, destroying cities like Aleppo and killing civilians amid the civil war there.

Human Rights Watch documented Saudi Arabia using cluster munitions made by the US against Houthi rebels in Yemen, a move the group said leaves civilians in an already deadly region in added danger due to unexploded ordnance.

https://www.icrc.org/en/war-and-law/weapons/cluster-munitions

Cluster munitions | International Committee of the Red Cross

The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions and requires States to ensure that they ...

https://treaties.unoda.org/t/cluster_munitions

Convention on Cluster Munitions - UNODA Treaties

Convention on Cluster Munitions. Status of the treaty; Text of the treaty. Adopted in Dublin: 30 May 2008. Opened for signature in Oslo: 3 December 2008.

http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/en-gb/cluster-bombs/what-is-a-cluster-bomb.aspx

What is a Cluster Bomb?

The cluster bomb ban was achieved because people from around the world took action. It will only be joined and enforced by all countries if individuals and ...

https://www.clusterconvention.org

The Convention on Cluster Munitions

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) was born out of a collective determination to address the humanitarian consequences and unacceptable harm to civilians ...

https://www.clusterconvention.org/files/publications/A-Guide-to-Cluster-Munitions.pdf

A GUIDE TO CLUSTER MUNITIONS

91 items ... Anti–Personnel Mine Ban. Convention. BAC battle area clearance. CBU cluster bomb unit. CCP circular error probable. CCW. Convention on Certain.

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