NGO concerned over US landmine policies

An American NGO that campaigns against landmines said on Tuesday that Washington's refusal to join the international treaty banning the use of the mines had set a bad example to other countries that have not stopped using the weapons.

"[The] US refusal to work towards joining the treaty sets a dangerous example to mine-using countries such as Russia, India and Pakistan, which have laid hundreds of thousands of mines in recent years with devastating consequences to civilians," the US Campaign to Ban Landmines (USCBL) said in a statement issued to coincide with the week-long international summit on a mine-free world in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

The US government has, however, said it shares a "common cause" with all those who try to protect civilians from the indiscriminate use of landmines. "The US landmine policy increases funding for humanitarian mine action substantially," the State Department said in a statement issued on 26 November.

Washington, the statement added, had provided close to US $1 billion for humanitarian mine action efforts since 1993. It noted that its military forces had committed themselves to stop the use of all persistent landmines, anti-vehicle, as well as anti-personnel mines by the end of 2010 and to eliminate all non-detectable mines from their inventories.

The USCBL expressed concern in its statement over what it said was the promotion by Washington of the use of self-destructing mines, saying the so-called "smart mines" still posed great danger to civilians. It said the devices' self-deactivating mechanism had a failure rate of up to 10 percent.

"Many believe that the ability of wealthy nations to use sophisticated and expensive mines sets a bad example for poorer nations who may indicate that cheaper ‘dumb’ mines are the only type available to them," USCBL added. "All anti-personnel landmines should be banned and stigmatised."

USCBL encouraged the US to continue increasing funding mine action activities, saying it appreciated the fact that this year's financing of such programmes by the US had "increased significantly".

Human Rights Watch's Programme Director for Arms Division Steve Goose also said other countries that had not ratified the mine ban treaty, which came into force in 1999, could use the US example to ignore the convention.

"The US policy on landmines does give cover to other nations that are still outside the treaty," he told journalists on the sidelines at the conference convened to review the treaty. "The US has influence around the world, both politically and economically. So it gives others an excuse not to join the treaty." States that have not joined the treaty might feel that "they are in good company", he added.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines estimates that 15,000-20,000 people are killed or maimed by landmines every year.

The Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World is intended to review the implementation and status of the Convention on the Prohibition on the Use, Stockpiling Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines, also known as the Ottawa Convention, create a plan of action to
fulfil the convention's aims between 2005 and 2009, and increase acceptance of the treaty.

Anti-landmine campaigners estimate that six nations – China, India, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the US – may hold more than 180 million stockpiled anti-personnel mines, according to a document prepared by organisers of the Nairobi Summit. None of the six countries has signed the Ottawa Convention, which has already been ratified by 144 states.

Under the convention, state parties are obligated never to assist, encourage or induce anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a state party under the treaty.

SEE: IRIN Web Special on Humanitarian Mine Action, (with special focus on the 2004 Nairobi Summit of a Mine Free World)