Summary

The Obama administration announced that the US will no longer produce or acquire anti-personnel land mines and plans to join an international treaty . The treaty is called “Ottawa Convention”. It pronibits the use, stockpiling, pruduction and transfer of the mines. The head of delegation for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, said US announcement is some progress and a positive change, although there is no guarantee or timeline for doing so. Also US still possess over 9 millions land mines in storage around the world. He concluded that US should join at least set a targert date to join the treaty and immediately pledge not to use land mines and begin destruction of its stockpiles.

My Reaction

I truely agree wih banning the use of land mines. I have heard a lot of stories in which innocent people are hurt by those land mines. The people lose their legs, part of bodies or their lives because of the land mines.  It is hazardous. Land mines can not target a specific person or object. So it hurts and kills people randomly. The mines are also very difficult to be removed.  Land mines do not make anybody happy.

I think US action was right and brave, although it is little late to decide to do so.  I hope the movement of banning land mines will have more progress as the big user of land mines has come to end the use of the deadly weapon. Japan actually has not signed the treaty, yet. It is a shame. We should join the treaty and cooperate to prohibit the land mines as fast as possible.

hdaiki