President Trump issued a statement Tuesday condemning the decision by Joe Biden to send cluster bombs to Ukraine to use in the fight against the Russian invasion, warning Biden is “dragging us further toward World War III.” Trump also called out Biden for broadcasting to the world the U.S. is running short on munitions.
File photo of Biden and Zelensky meeting in Ukraine, February 20, 2023, White House photo.
Joe Biden should not be dragging us further toward World War III by sending cluster munitions to Ukraine—he should be trying to END the war and stop the horrific death and destruction being caused by an incompetent administration. These unexploded cluster munitions will be killing and maiming innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children for decades to come, long after the war—we pray—has ended. If, as Biden inadvertently admitted, the reason for sending cluster bombs now is that the United States is “running out of ammunition” (a great breach of classified information), that only further emphasizes the urgency of immediately deescalating this bloody, dangerous, and out of control conflict. It certainly means we should not be sending Ukraine our last stockpiles at a time when our own arsenals, according to Crooked Joe Biden, are so perilously diminished.
There could be no more vivid proof that Joe Biden’s policy of endless war in Ukraine has tremendously weakened the United States than the humiliating admission that the USA is now out of ammo, something our enemies are undoubtedly salivating over. This “admitted” weakness is an invitation to enemies all over the world. Joe Biden is needlessly and dangerously leading us into World War III, which would be a nightmare beyond imagination—obliteration!
We must stop this insanity, immediately end the bloodshed in Ukraine, and return to a focus on America’s vital interests. Most importantly, we must completely rebuild our depleted military so it is once again so strong—like it was just 3 years ago when I rebuilt it—that no nation would even think of threatening our people. We must have “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH” and in a short time, the Presidential election of 2024 will produce that result.
CNN transcript of Biden on cluster bombs and munition shortage:
ZAKARIA: You have news — the news is that the administration is going to provide cluster munitions to the Ukrainians. These are weapons that 100 nations banned, including some of our closest NATO allies. When there was news that the Russians might be using it admittedly against civilians your then press secretary said this might be constitute war crimes. What made you change your mind and decide to give them these weapons?
BIDEN: Two things, Fareed. I know it’s a very difficult decision in my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, discussed this with our friends up on the Hill, and we’re in a situation where Ukraine continues to be brutally attacked across the board by munitions, by these cluster munitions that are — have dud rates that are very, very low, I mean, very high that are a danger to civilians, number one.
Number two, the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition. The ammunition that they used to call them 155-millimeter weapons. This is a war relating to munitions, and they are running out of that ammunition and we’re low on it. And so what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to, not permanently, but to allow for in this transition period where we have more 155 weapons, these shells for the Ukrainians, to provide them with something that has a very low dud rate. It’s about — I think it’s 1.50, which is the least likely to be blown.
And it’s not used in civilian areas. They’re trying to get through those trenches and stop those tanks from rolling. And so — but it was not an easy decision. And it’s not — we’re not signatories of that agreement. But I — it took me a while to be convinced to do it. But the main thing is they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now from their — keeping them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they don’t. And I think they needed them.
“It took me a while to be convinced to do it,” President Biden tells @FareedZakaria about his decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine as its ammunition supply runs low. pic.twitter.com/eQNyYSHn1h
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 7, 2023
Complete Biden CNN interview. Go to 4:20 for the cluster bomb Q&A.
Excerpt from CBS News explainer on cluster bombs:
A cluster bomb is a type of weapon that is designed to disperse smaller bombs over a large area. They are also known as cluster munitions, with the smaller bombs referred to as submunitions or bomblets.
Cluster bombs can be dropped from the air or shot from the ground or sea, and the dozens or hundreds of bomblets they release can disperse over a large area. They were first used in World War II for the purpose of destroying multiple dispersed military targets or combatants.
Any people in that area at the time a cluster bomb is detonated could be killed or seriously hurt. Beyond that, many of the bomblets fail to explode immediately, meaning they can injure or kill people years later.
Why are cluster bombs controversial?
A significant number of bomblets do not explode on first impact as intended. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the submunition failure rate — referred to as the “dud rate” — has varied from 10% to 40% in recent conflicts.
On February 28, 2022, then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the use by Russia of cluster bombs on Ukraine would potentially be a war crime.
White House transcript excerpt:
Q Thanks, Jen. There are reports of illegal cluster bombs and vacuum bombs being used by the Russians. If that’s true, what is the next step of this administration? And is there a red line for how much violence will be tolerated against civilians in this manner that’s illegal and potentially a war crime?
MS. PSAKI: It is — it would be. I don’t have any confirmation of that. We have seen the reports. If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime.
Obviously, there are a range of international fora that would assess that. So, certainly, we would look to that to be a part of that conversation.
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