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Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs

GWI | 09.04.2003 22:14

Reports that the war is ending in Iraq doesn't tally with an increase in flights of B-52s from USAF Fairford armed with cluster bombs. (article 1)

Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs
Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs

Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs
Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs

Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs
Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs

Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs
Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs

Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs
Meanwhile at Fairford They're Loading Clusting Bombs


The first picture shows cluster bombs on waiting to be loaded onto a B-52 bomber on 8 April. The aircraft is already armed with JDAM. Secong pic is a close up of this. Third shows different type of cluster bombs - note the double yellow rings. Forth shows JDAM before load and fifth is general view of loading including flatbed of dumb free fall bombs on the right.

On this day there were eight B-52 outbound for Iraq, many carrying cluster bombs. This is a considerable increase in activity over the preceding few days.

For the last week we have seen an increase in the use of cluster bombs and large numbers of 'dumb' bombs being loaded onto the B-52s. Every other day, at least, a convoy of trucks usually six with two containers each, laden with new munitions travels from Welford to Fairford. The last we know of arrived at Fairford around 3pm on the 8th.

Don't assume the war is over yet. Don't assume the civilian casualties are over for a long time to come.

Links: Landmine Action
 http://www.landmineaction.org/news184.asp

Guide to dumb bombs:
 http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/index.html

GWI
- Homepage: www.gwi.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

I meant CLUSTER BOMBS

09.04.2003 22:22

oops finger trouble... sorry

GWI


DU

10.04.2003 01:32

Just a note that you will find the use of depleted uranium (DU) briefly mentioned about two weeks ago by the british forces's spokeperson(s).
A very quick mention of it being used on the 'biggest tank battle since second world war' is how I remeber it.

Did this really happen ie, a tank battle south of Basra remains to be verified amongst all the lies that were propagated during the 'battle for Basra'.

But the point to make is that Iraq has been campaignign for years to highlight the effects of DU and the 'link' to increased rates of cancer among locals and oil workers.

Services like the BBC started giving in by 1998 for sometime saying that a lot of DU was (being) used in southern Iraq.
DU is nuclear waste from reactors and I think is a banned weapon by international convention.

ram