Problems of Landmines Landmines are used as antiperso

Landmines are used as antipersonnel weapons in war. they are placed in the path of oncoming soldiers or vehicles, or where one army believes that the opposing army may be at some time. They are seen as a cheap way to protect territory and to undermine the enemy. However, they also an insidious weapon that is as likely to snare a civilian as a soldier, and another problem is that they remain in the ground long after a war may be ended. Proposals have been made to ban landmines so that such situations will not develop again. This is a movement parallel to one dedicated to removing the landmines that have already been left in the ground and that maim and kill thousands of civilians each year. The United Nations has been debating this proposal, which has also been circulated to member states for ratification. The United States has only recently joined in the demand for some sort of action, though the U.S. is balking at signing the proposed accord or at agreeing to ban landmine use completely.

There are former battlefields all over the world, with many still mined and dangerous. Among the more dangerous parts of the world today in terms of landmines are parts of Africa, Bosnia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. A recent report from the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) was released on the eve of a UN conference in Vienna and stated that there were more than 100 million unexploded landmines buried around the worl

Related Essays

Impact of the Ottowa Treaty Impact of Ottawa Treaty (60086) The .... of World War I. Mines have been used frequently in .... the UN There are several other problems with the .... only seeks to control anti-personnel landmines and ignores .... (2194 9 )

Impact of Ottawa Treaty Impact of Ottawa Treaty (60086) The use of .... of World War I. Mines have been used frequently in .... the UN There are several other problems with the .... only seeks to control anti-personnel landmines and ignores .... (2197 9 )

US-Sudan Foreing Policy Relations .... of Sudan have most often used religion as the .... directly with Sudan's own enormous problems, to disentangle .... bullets, guns, missiles, planes, landmines, and other .... (4350 17 )

stockpile at the current level of inventory. President Clinton then announced that by 2003, the United States would no longer use antipersonnel landmines outside Korea and even within Korea would pursue an objective of having alternatives to antipersonnel landmines ready by 2006. V. THE ISSUE TODAY The issue has come more to the awareness of the public because of the death of Princess Diana of England, who had made eliminating landmines one of her important causes. Another reason is the fact that the organization she supported, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, received the Nobel Peace prize this year. The scope of this problem is clearly of import to the entire world, and since the United States provides moral leadership on issues of this sort, what the U.S. does with the Ottawa Treaty will influence others. After the announcement of the Nobel peace Prize this year, even Russia changed course and agreed to sign the treaty. The refusal of the U.S. to do so therefore deserves closer study. VI. ANALYSIS OF THE UN PROPOSAL The nature of the world demand for a solution to the landmine problem and the response of the United Nations and many member states shows that the controversy has changed over the last

Category: Government - P