It's time for the United States to join the
Global Ban on Landmines

Some 25, 000 people a year - 70 per day, mostly children and civilians - are killed and maimed by landmines. They are truly an indiscriminate weapon of mass destruction.

In December of 1997, a treaty was initiated to address this humanitarian crisis. Many nations of the world gathered in Ottawa to sign a treaty that globally bans these terrible weapons. This historic breakthrough was achieved by an unprecedented partnership between citizen groups in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines - like Peace Action -- and mid-level powers led by Canada. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

That treaty, now with 133 nations as signers, goes into force on March 1, 1999. It bans anti-personnel landmines, which are specifically designed to kill or maim the person who steps on them without regard to whether they are a soldier or a child. Anti-tank landmines, which are placed near borders and can only be triggered by something as heavy as a tank, are not banned.
The Treaty requires participating nations to destroy their stockpiles of landmines in four years, and to withdraw and destroy all deployed landmines within ten years.

Tragically, the United States is not among the signers of this historic treaty that could save so many innocent lives, claiming to need landmines to defend against a North Korean invasion of South Korea. But it defies common sense that the U.S. (the sole remaining superpower) together with the South Korean military (one of the most modern in Asia) could not adequately defend without using such barbaric weapons.

Many top military commanders, including General Norman Schwartzkopf and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General David Jones, say landmines could be banned without undermining defense.

Even worse, President George W. Bush's new budget proposal for the year 2000 includes $50 million for the development of a new type of landmine! This clearly shows bad faith and contradicts previous administration pledges to eventually sign the treaty.

With the majority of the world's nations now committing to globally ban landmines, it is time for the U.S. to join this critical treaty. The United States took leadership in recent treaties to ban chemical weapons, to ban nuclear testing, and to reduce nuclear weapons. It is imperative that our nation now join this humanitarian treaty that will make the world's children safe - safe from landmines which kill and maim long after the war during which they are laid is over.

What you can do:

1. Contact:
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington DC 20500
Phone (202) 456-1111
Fax (202) 456-2461
president@whitehouse.gov

2. Contact:
Your US Senators*
Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone for all congresspersons
(202) 224-3121

3. Talk to friends and neighbors encouraging them to also take action.

4. Write to the editors of local and national newspapers.*

5. Call radio talk shows.

* Call the Coalition for Peace Action at (609) 924-5022
if you need the name of your senators or address of a newspaper.