DATE=1/27/95

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-19452

TITLE=U.S. LANDMINE REPORT

BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST

DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED A REPORT (EDS:

FRIDAY) SAYING THAT THE WORLD-WIDE PROBLEM POSED BY UNCLEARED

MINE FIELDS IS GROWING WORSE. V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST REPORTS FROM

THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE UNITED STATES IS SEEKING MORE

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR CURBS ON LANDMINE EXPORTS, AND MORE

MONEY FOR MINE-CLEARANCE PROGRAMS.

TEXT: THE LANDMINE PROBLEM IS BEING DESCRIBED HERE AS A GLOBAL

CATASTROPHE -- WITH OFFICIALS SAYING THAT AT LEAST 25 TIMES MORE

MINES ARE BEING PLANTED IN COMBAT ZONES AROUND THE WORLD EACH

YEAR THAN ARE REMOVED IN CLEARANCE EFFORTS LED BY THE UNITED

STATES AND U-N.

IN ITS SECOND REPORT ON THE ISSUE IN AS MANY YEARS, THE STATE

DEPARTMENT SAID THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC BURDENS IMPOSED BY THE

INDISCRIMINATE USE OF SUCH WEAPONS ARE BEYOND CALCULATION -- AND

THE WORLD HAS TO TAKE STRONGER STEPS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

THE UNITED STATES ANNOUNCED A UNILATERAL BAN ON ANTI-PERSONNEL

MINE EXPORTS TWO YEARS AGO, AND HAS INTRODUCED A U-N GENERAL

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION CALLING ON ALL WEAPONS-EXPORTING STATES TO

FOLLOW SUIT.

BUT OFFICIALS HERE SAY BOTH THE RESPONSE TO THE MORATORIUM, AND

THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THE ISSUE, HAVE

BEEN INADEQUATE -- PROMPTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO RELEASE ITS

LATEST REPORT ON THE ISSUE WITH GREAT FANFARE AT A STATE

DEPARTMENT CONFERENCE. SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER

OUTLINED THE DIMENSIONS OF WHAT HE TERMED THE "STAGGERING" GLOBAL

LANDMINE PROBLEM:

// CHRISTOPHER ACTUALITY///

BY OUR ESTIMATES 80 TO 110 MILLION OF THESE WEAPONS ARE

SCATTERED OVER 64 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. THEY CLAIM

500 VICTIMS EVERY WEEK. THEY DON'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN

CIVILIANS AND COMBATANTS, INDEED THEY PROBABLY KILL MORE

CHILDREN THAN THEY DO SOLDIERS. AND ONE OF THE WORST

THINGS ABOUT THEM IS THEY DON'T CEASE THEIR KILLING WHEN

PEACE TREATIES ARE SIGNED OR THE OTHER WEAPONS OF WAR

FALL SILENT.

// END ACTUALITY //

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER SAID MINES STREWN IN FARMLANDS, SCHOOLYARDS

AND ROADWAYS IN AREAS OF REGIONAL CONFLICT MAKE ENTIRE

COMMUNITIES UNINHABITABLE -- AND GREATLY COMPLICATE POST-WAR

EFFORTS AT REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, RECONSTRUCTION AND

RECONCILIATION.

THE U-S REPORT SAYS THE COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST SEVERE LANDMINE

PROBLEMS ARE AFGHANISTAN, ANGOLA AND CAMBODIA -- WHERE A COMBINED

TOTAL OF 28-MILLION MINES REMAIN BURIED AND COLLECTIVELY CAUSE

ABOUT 22-THOUSAND CASUALTIES A YEAR. OTHER COUNTRIES WITH MORE

THAN ONE MILLION UNRECOVERED MINES INCLUDE IRAQ, SUDAN,

MOZAMBIQUE, SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA.

THE ASSISTANT U-S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY

AFFAIRS, THOMAS MCNAMARA, SAID THE SOVIET UNION'S MASSIVE USE OF

LANDMINES IN THE AFGHAN WAR WAS THE TURNING POINT TOWARD

UNCONTROLLED PROLIFERATION. MAKING THE SITUATION WORSE, HE SAID,

WAS AN ARMS-INDUSTRY SHIFT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME TOWARD CHEAP

PLASTIC COMPONENTS FOR ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES:

// MCNAMARA ACTUALITY //

IN THE LATE 1970'S, THE INDUSTRY MOVED TOWARD PLASTIC

ENCASEMENT OF MINE DEVICES. AND THAT MEANT NO LONGER

WOULD THEY SIMPLY DETERIORATE, RUST AND BECOME INACTIVE

AND INOPERABLE. INDEED THE PLASTICS WILL LAST FOR

GENERATIONS SO THAT 15 TO 20 YEARS FROM NOW, A MINE

THAT'S LAID IN THE GROUND WILL BE JUST ABOUT AS DEADLY

AS IT WAS THE DAY IT WAS LAID.

// END ACTUALITY //

THE UNITED STATES, WHICH HAS MINE-CLEARANCE PROJECTS UNDER WAY IN

SEVERAL AFRICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES, IS HOPING THAT A

U-N CONFERENCE IN GENEVA NEXT MAY CAN INCREASE INTERNATIONAL

INTEREST AND FUNDING FOR MINE-REMOVAL. BUT THE COST OF AN

EFFECTIVE EFFORT WILL BE ENORMOUS. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY, A KEY

SPOKESMAN IN THE CONGRESS ON THE MINE PROBLEM, ESTIMATED THE COST

AT CLEARING AWAY EXISTING MINES AT 100 BILLION DOLLARS. (SIGNED)

NEB/DAG/CF

27-Jan-95 3:23 PM EST (2023 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America