UN unable to defuse cluster bombs

Published November 10, 2001

ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: The United Nations on Friday expressed its inability to defuse cluster bombs, dropped by US planes over Afghanistan, which pose a threat to thousands of civilians in the country.

Speaking at a news conference, the spokesman for UN Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (UNMAPA), Dan Kelly said the US-led coalition had shared primary information about the cluster bombs.

However, he said that UNMAPA was not capable of defusing the bombs, but added that a programme was to be launched to train its staff to tackle new weapons used in Afghanistan.

He said: “Neither the conditions are conducive nor our staff is trained for defusing such latest ordnance.”

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