Han Speckens on Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:12:01 +0100 (CET)


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[Nettime-bold] clustered food


30-10-2001

The warning, broadcast in the Persian and Pashto languages from a flying radio transmitter, comes amid reports of mounting civilian casualties as a result of the U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan.

Several aid groups as well as the U.N. have expressed fears that unexploded bombs could be picked up or disturbed by civilians, especially children attracted to them by their bright coloring.

The U.S. transmissions, broadcast from a specially fitted out C-130 'Hercules' aircraft, say that the military is taking care not to drop food aid and cluster bombs in the same area.

"Please, please exercise caution when approaching unidentified yellow objects in areas that have recently been bombed" it goes on to say.

The cluster bombs units used in Afghanistan are metal, shaped like a soft drink can and packed with high explosive.

The food aid packages, known as Humanitarian Daily Rations, are square and covered in yellow plastic.

Cluster bombs contain about 200 small so-called 'bomblets' designed to scatter themselves over a large area, targeting troops concentrations and military vehicles.

Villlage hit