As a veteran of the Gulf War, I would like to add my voice to those working to ban land mines.
In 1991, I was the communications officer for a Marine infantry battalion out of St. Louis. In briefings on Iraqi defenses prior to our departure, it was horrifyingly apparent that anti-personnel land mines were one of our most serious threats. The depth of the threat, however, became clear not during the battle for Kuwait, but afterward when the Iraqis had surrendered and the mines they laid had not. The whole country became a murderous booby trap for U.S. Marines and soldiers.
Mines are a greater threat to U.S. forces than a help. Not just because our armies are mobile and prefer the offensive, but because we often remain in a country for extended periods after the conflict ends.
Good discipline and leadership prevented many U.S. casualties in Kuwait. It is this same good discipline and leadership that asks the Angolan mother or Cambodian father to walk out from their village each day into minefields in search of food and work. Regardless of whether any temporary tactical advantage is to be gained by land mines, good old-fashioned soldier honor demands that weapons that don’t surrender be banned.
If President Clinton wants to protect U.S. interests, he should sign the Ottawa treaty.
