Bombs for Peace

Appearing in the House of Commons, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon was asked whether Iraqi mothers of children killed by cluster bombs would be likely to thank British forces for their actions. "One day they might," Hoon replied, pointing out that cluster bombs were "perfectly legal" and have an "entirely legitimate military role."

Said Hoon: "I accept that in the short term the consequences are terrible. No one minimizes those, and I'm not seeking to do so. But what I am saying is that this is a country that has been brutalized for decades by this appalling regime and that the restoration of that country to its own people, the possibility of their deciding for themselves their future . . . and indeed the way in which they go about their lives, ultimately, yes, that will be a better place for people in Iraq."

Additional reporting: Phoebe St John and Joanna Khenkine