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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 22 June 2022

Most land mine use by U.S. military banned, except for Korea

By CHRIS MEGERIAN mitment with the principles
Associated Press of the (Ottawa) Conven-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- tion," the office tweeted.
dent Joe Biden's adminis- "We need to continue
tration announced Tues- our clearance efforts all
day that it would restrict around the world until we
the use of anti-personnel reach a #MineFreeWorld."
land mines by the U.S. mili- U.S. officials said that the
tary, aligning the country's Pentagon was working on
policy more closely with an alternatives to land mines
international treaty ban- on the Korean peninsula,
ning the deadly explosives. but did not detail what
"The president believes those might be.
strongly that we need to Daryl Kimball, executive di-
curtail their use worldwide," rector of the Arms Control
John Kirby, a national se- Association, said the ad-
curity spokesman, said at a ministration "needs to have
White House briefing. a better answer about
The United States has not when those alternatives will
extensively deployed the In this Aug. 1, 2010 file photo, South Korean Army soldiers search for landmines near the demilitarized be developed, rather than
mines since the Gulf War zone that separates the two Koreas in Yeoncheon, north of Seoul, South Korea. just kicking this down the
in 1991. But the announce- Associated Press road."
ment represents a shift from He said the U.S. should con-
a more permissive stance its efforts to help defend Her office praised the U.S. "We welcome this timely tinue working to complete-
under then-President Don- South Korea from a poten- announcement on Tues- decision and thank the ly comply with the Ottawa
ald Trump, and it concludes tial North Korean invasion. day. United States for your com- Convention.q
a review that has lasted for Although the U.S. does not
more than a year. currently have any mine-
Bonnie Jenkins, the State fields deployed there,
Department's undersecre- Washington has pledged
tary for arms control and support for Seoul's defense,
international security, said which includes anti-person-
the new policy fulfills "a nel mines.
commitment that President The U.S. has a stockpile of 3
Biden made as a candi- million anti-personnel land
date," when he described mines. Under the new pol-
Trump's decision as "reck- icy, any that aren't needed
less." to protect South Korea will
Anti-personnel land mines be destroyed. The Penta-
are buried underground or gon did not immediately
scattered on the surface, respond to a question
and they can pose a lethal about whether any will be
threat to civilians long after discarded.
combat has ended. Russia The exception regard-
has reportedly used the ex- ing the Korean Peninsula,
plosives during its invasion which was also in place
of Ukraine. during President Barack
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Obama's administration,
described the White House leaves the U.S. short of full
announcement as a "long compliance with the Ot-
overdue recognition that tawa Convention, the 1997
the grave humanitarian treaty intended to elimi-
and political costs of using nate anti-personnel land
these weapons far exceed mines.
their limited military utility." Russia is not a signatory to
"As welcome as this step the treaty either, and Hu-
is, the White House needs man Rights Watch said
to put the U.S. on a defini- it has documented Mos-
tive path to join the trea- cow's use of mines during
ties banning anti-personnel its invasion of Ukraine.
mines and cluster muni- Alicia Arango Olmos, Co-
tions," he said in a state- lombia's ambassador to
ment. "Neither of these the United Nations in Ge-
indiscriminate weapons, neva and a top official
the horrific consequences in the global campaign
of which we are seeing in against the use of land
Ukraine today, belong in mines, has urged Russia to
the arsenals of civilized na- stop deploying them. "Anti-
tions." personnel mines only cause
Under the new policy, the victims, they don't resolve
U.S. will restrict the use of any type of problem," she
these explosives outside of said in April.