Many of you may remember talk of the Bush administration choosing to renew research and testing of nuclear weapons in hopes of producing a more tactically practical nuclear weapon, a smack in the face to all disarmament/IAEA treaties that we and our allies have worked so hard to put together.
Now, they have decided to renew the production of land mines.
Years of hard work were put into the drafting and signing of the Mine Band Treaty of 1997 after President Clinton spearheaded the issue in the early 90s.
Much of that hard work has been repealed according to Human Rights Watch now that the Bush administration is poised to resume production of antipersonnel mines.
Land mines cause incredible amounts of civilian casualties and disfigurements for generations after deployment. According to the Landmine Monitor Report 2003:
In 2002 and through June 2003, there were new landmine casualties reported in 65 countries; the majority (41) of these countries were at peace, not war. Only 15 percent of reported casualties in 2002 were identified as military personnel. In 2002, the greatest number of reported new casualties were found in: Chechnya (5,695 casualties recorded), Afghanistan (1,286), Cambodia (834), Colombia (530), India (523), Iraq (457), Angola (287), Chad (200), Nepal (177), Vietnam (166), Sri Lanka (142), Burundi (114), Burma/Myanmar (114), and Pakistan (111). Significant numbers (over 50) of new casualties were also recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Laos, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, and Sudan.
Please write your reps and tell them you oppose this move. We can stop wanton, indescriminate killing before it starts.