Cautious optimism for landmine ban (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

BBC journalist Stuart Hughes, who lost his leg in a landmine explosion in Iraq in 2003, examines the success of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty.

In January 1997, Princess Diana walked through a minefield in Angola and brought the problem of landmines to the world's attention.

Her actions angered some who felt she was making a political statement but, less than a year later, shortly after Diana's death, Britain joined more than 120 countries in signing up to the Ottawa Treaty.

A decade on, campaigners describe the treaty as a "success in progress".

A total of 80% of the world's countries have now pledged not to produce, use or stockpile landmines. The global trade in the weapons has virtually ceased.

Just two governments - Burma and Russia - are known to have used landmines last year. More than 40 million landmines have been destroyed since 1997 and thousands of square miles of contaminated land has been cleared.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7124801.stm

Please, no Diana-bashing in this thread. Anyone who had accomplished nothing more in their life than to help ban land mines would still be more accomplished than most of us.

[Squatch]

1. As an Army dude...

I think banning AP (antipersonnel) landmines...especially those of the FASCAM varieties is a good thing. However, the use of AT mines as tactical battlefield shaping tools (in conventional warfare) needs to be retained.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Here's hoping!

This is one area where I really supported Diana!