Sir, – The Convention on Cluster Munitions adopted in Dublin in 2008 included an undertaking never, “in any circumstance”, to “transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly” cluster munitions. Since the US announced that it was sending cluster bombs and depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine, several aircraft on contract to the US military have been refuelled at Shannon airport on their way to locations in Poland, including Rzeszów Jasionka airport located just 50 miles from the Ukraine border and to Poznan airport in Poland where the US now has a large logistic base called Camp Kosciuszko, which is being used to support the Ukrainian military forces.
An independent report by Humanity and Inclusion found that almost 700 people had been killed or injured by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022. No US aircraft in Shannon has ever been checked to ascertain if it contains these or any weapons.
As the host country for the adoption of the convention on cluster munitions, surely the time has long passed for Ireland to check these aircraft for the presence of such weapons. – Yours, etc,
ELIZABETH CULLEN,
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Kildare.