Perhaps this will add a bit of enlightenment as to the reasoning behind the exclusion:

http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.perl6.language/2004/05/msg17372.html

"We think that nowadays we can edge away from some of the less useful
C heritage, as long as we stay close enough to our Perl heritage.
(Some would say we've already blown it there... :-)"
[download]