fuck landmines
Out of context: Reply #14
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- lowimpakt0
also re. self destruct mines.
The ideas of a safer mine still baffles me. kind of like friendly fire. The Landmine Protocol of CCW (to which the US and China belong) allows for a 10% failure rate which is 10% too much. Some nations have claimed that it would take 15-20 years to convert their mine stockpiles to self-destruct mines. The Landmine Protocol allows nations 9 years before the regulations on use of smart mines come into effect. Anyway, introducing the concept of a smart mine only legitimizes the further use of mines which is not right. A report by the ICRC drafted with consultation by 30 military experts from 12 countries concluded that
"Because of the vast numbers [of mines] involved, and the complete absence of any [mine] marking, it is likely that the number of civilian casualties resulting from a large-scale strike with remotely delivered mines will greatly exceed the casualty rates seen with conventional minefields.... Even the doubtful benefit of self-destruction and self-deactivation at a later date will not prevent widespread casualties in the initial days after the strike. There is little doubt that the development of remotely delivered mines has increased the probability of a major rise in post-conflict mine casualties."
Any attempt to weaken international consensus to develop a regulatory framework is counter productice and in my view immoral and well, shit.