THE Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu has commended "the necessarily tough decision" to join the international ban on the use of cluster bombs.
Diplomats from more than 100 countries unanimously passed a treaty tonight to ban the use of the bombs around the world.
Delegates in Dublin also agreed to destroy any stockpiles of the weapons within the next eight years.
Campaigners against the use of cluster bombs declared the historic announcement in the Irish capital a triumph.
"These weapons were designed for use against massive military forces during the Cold War", the Archbishop said. "But tragically they have been used disproportionately, for quite different purposes in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Civilians have been caught by them and in Lebanon, for example, children have picked up unexploded bombs".
Dr Sentamu added that if the UK is to decommission these weapons, it would be logical to ban them being stockpiled on British soil by the USA and to refuse to join in military campaigns which would use them.
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