Land mine
Land mines are static weapons designed to explode when pedestrians or vehicles pass nearby.[1] mine fields are laid by one side of a party in a conflict, or one side that anticipates an attack, that will deny the other side the ability to safely transit a location. The mines are hidden from casual detection. Most modern land mines are triggered to explode automatically, by the pressure of a pedestrian or vehicle passing over them, or by the magnetic field of a vehicle passing nearby. Alternately, the mine can be triggered remotely, by an observer watchine to see if an opponent is within the weapon's kill zone.
Anti-personnel land-mines represent a serious danger to civilians, in war zones, or former war zones.[2] Eighty percent of the victims of land mines are civilians. Land mines are often laid from the air, and so neither party in a conflict knows exactly where they are. Older or less sophisticated mines have no built-in expiry date, and can explode and kill civilians, or livestock, years or decades after the conflict is over. Even the more sophisticated, more modern land mines, that can be set to expire, can represent a danger for decades -- as a certain percentage of the mines will have the expire feature fail, and they will remain active.
Anti-personnel land-mines are designed to inflict horrific, debilitating wounds.[3]
Children in war zones or former war zones sometimes mistake land mines for toys. The United Nations estimates that one third of the victims of land mines are children.[2]
There is an international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel land-mines.[2][4] A few countries, including the United States, are not signatories to this treaty, and maintain they are free to continue to use anti-personnel land-mines.
References
- ↑ "Landmines". Global Security. 2011-07-07. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/landmines.htm. Retrieved 2012-06-24. "A landmine is an explosive device that is designed to destroy or damage equipment or personnel. Equipment targets include ground vehicles, boats, and aircraft. A mine is detonated by the action of its target, the passage of time, or controlled means."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Axworthy responds to reports of U.S. stockpiling landmines for use against Iraq". University of British Columbia. 2002-12-11. http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2002/mr-02-114.html. Retrieved 2012-06-24. "15,000 to 20,000 people are killed or maimed worldwide each year by landmines, according to the United Nations. Of those, 80 per cent are civilians and one-third are children."
- ↑ "SPEAKERS URGE IMPOSITION OF GLOBAL BAN ON ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES, AS SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES DEMINING IN PEACE-KEEPING CONTEXT". United Nations. 1996-08-15. https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/1996/19960815.sc6257.html. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "121 nations sign historic land mine treaty". CNN. 1997-12-04. http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/04/landmine.wrap/. Retrieved 2012-06-24. "The celebrated treaty to ban anti-personnel land mines became a reality Thursday when 121 nations signed the accord and pledged $500 million to implement it."
