U.S. Urged to Conclude Longstanding Review on Landmines

At an artificial limbs centre in Kabul. Credit: Najibullah Musafer/Killid/IPSBy Carey L. BironWASHINGTON, Feb 3 2014 (IPS) The U.S. government is being urged to conclude a review of national policy on landmines that has dragged on for more than four years, a lag that some say has indirectly led to the injury or death of more than 16,000 people. Rights and advocacy groups are now mounting a new campaign to urge President Barack Obama to finish the review, hold true to pledges that have been lingering for years, and formally join an international treaty to ban antipersonnel mines. In a letter sent to the president on Friday and publicly circulated on Monday, critics of U.S. policy on the issue urged the administration to sign on to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and to move to begin to destroy the millions of landmines that remain in the country’s stockpiles.“It’s a real paradox. The United States has shown extremely good behaviour on this issue in recent years, yet it still reserves the right to use these weapons." -- Mica Bevington “Your administration’s review is now into its fifth year, and it is hard to understand why the process should be delayed any further, particularly after the administration said more than one year ago that the review would conclude ‘soon’,” the letter, signed by 17 rights, watchdog and advocacy groups on behalf of several hundred civil society organisations, states. “We have repeatedly urged the US to fulfill its long-held intention to j...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Active Citizens Armed Conflicts Civil Society Headlines Health Human Rights North America Peace TerraViva Europe TerraViva United Nations World Handicap International Human Rights Watch (HRW) Landmines Mine Ban Treaty Ottawa Source Type: news