The U.S. dropped over 2 million tons of ordnance on Laos, including cluster bombs, in the 1960s and '70s. To this day, many people are killed, crippled and disfigured by them, writes Lewis M. Simons.
U.S. officials maintained Friday that Ukraine has provided written assurances to minimize civilian casualties with the use of the controversial munitions.
More than 100 countries ban such weapons because unexploded bomblets can be picked up by civilians, causing injury or death. An announcement is expected Friday.
Once fired, cluster munitions open in midair and rain down dozens or even hundreds of smaller submunitions, or "bomblets," over a large area the size of one or several football fields.
