Senators Seek to Block First U.S. Landmine Production in 9 Years

(Washington, DC, August 1, 2006) The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines, a coalition of 500 U.S.- based religious, community, and human rights organizations, today welcomed the introduction of the Victim-activated Landmine Abolition Act of 2006. This important legislation, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (VT), Arlen Specter (PA), and others, would block Pentagon efforts to develop and produce the first new U.S. victim-activated antipersonnel landmines in nearly a decade.

"We fear that the U.S. restarting production of victim-activated weapons may provide an excuse for other nations that continue to use indiscriminate landmines," said Joe Volk, Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers). "If the most advanced military in the world continues to claim that it needs these weapons, why shouldn't everyone else?" Volk continued.

Instead of joining the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty banning use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of antipersonnel mines, President Clinton initiated a research and development program within the Pentagon to identify possible alternatives to antipersonnel landmines in order to "end reliance on [antipersonnel mines] as soon as possible."

The goal of the research and development program was to find a discriminate alternative to the antipersonnel mines. After ten years of research, the alternative weapons will soon be ready for full production. Unfortunately, current plans for the weapons look a lot like the conventional landmines.

"Congress should ensure that at a minimum the Pentagon is not spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new weapons that are unable to distinguish between the boot of a solider and the foot of a child," said Scott Stedjan, Coordinator of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines.

The "Victim-activated Landmine Abolition Act of 2006" would prohibit the procurement of landmines or other weapons that are designed to be victim-activated in any circumstance. It would ensure that all new U.S. munitions can only be detonated in response to an intentional act by a person.

"Senators Leahy and Specter must be commended for this important piece of legislation. More than 150 nations, including the U.S.'s closest allies, have banned antipersonnel mines forever. The U.S. should not be getting back into the business of producing and using these indiscriminate weapons," said Jody Williams, co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

While the United States has yet to sign the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, it has abided by many of the treaty's provisions. The U.S. has not used victim-activated antipersonnel landmines since the first Gulf War in 1991, has not exported mines since 1992, and has not produced mines since 1997. The production of new victim-activated mines would be a dramatic step away from previous U.S. practice and the Ottawa Treaty.

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The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines (USCBL) is a coalition of approximately 500 U.S.-based human rights, humanitarian, faith-based, peace, veterans', medical, development, academic, and environmental organizations dedicated to a total ban on antipersonnel landmines. It is one of 90 country campaigns that form the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. The USCBL is coordinated by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers), a Quaker peace lobby based in Washington, DC. For more information, go to www.fcnl.org or www.banminesusa.org.