uscbl -- The Mine Ban Treaty Celebrates Another Anniversary: What is President Obama Waiting For?

Talking Points

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Since the policy review began, the administration has received letters of support for the Mine Ban Treaty from 68 Senators, NGO leaders, key NATO allies, 16 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, victims of U.S. landmines, and countless concerned Americans like you.

I appreciate that your administration initiated a review of its landmine policy, but it's been over two and a half years since you made the announcement that the process had begun. I ask that you accelerate efforts towards accession, work diligently to overcome obstacles to joining--if any have even been identified, and submit the treaty to the Senate for consent without delay.

The United States is one of only 37 countries that have not yet joined the treaty. In the Western Hemisphere, only the U.S and Cuba are nonsignatories. Every other member of NATO except Poland (which has already signed and plans to ratify in 2012) are also States Parties to the treaty. The rest of the world recognizes that the human costs of these weapons far outweigh their military utility. Why cant we? As an American, I am embarrassed that we are still not among those nations that have categorically condemned the use of these barbaric weapons.

I am glad to hear the U.S. is no longer using persistent "dumb" mines, but it's time to finish the job by banning all types of landmines. Landmines are indiscriminate killers, whether persistent landmines or those designed to self-destruct after a period of time. While active, even smart mines are triggered by the victim and cannot distinguish between an enemy combatant, a U.S. soldier, a mother working in the fields or a young child on his way to school.

The U.S. has not used antipersonnel landmines since 1991, has not exported them since 1992 and has not produced them since 1997. Surely if we have been able to defend our country for the last 21 years without using landmines, we have already found alternative solutions.

Its time to commit to not using the 10.4 million landmines currently stockpiled in U.S. arsenalsif not for moral reasons, then also to save the enormous amount of taxpayer money spent on stockpiling and maintaining these stigmatized weapons.

As you know, U.S. participation is important to the universalization of the treaty. Even though landmine use has been significantly reduced worldwide, a few countries refuse to joinand even continue to use landminesunder the cover that they will not join if the U.S. has not joined.

Joining the Mine Ban Treaty would also confirm and show concrete evidence that the Obama administration is serious about a renewed emphasis on multilateralism and disarmament.

The U.S. was one of the first governments to call for the elimination of landmines in the mid-1990s, but we postponed joining until 2006. We have been planning on joining since the treatys creation, but President Bush reversed the U.S. policy stance in 2004. It is time for us to finally abandon the Bush-era policy, get back on track and fulfill the promise the U.S. made to the international community almost than 15 years ago. It is time for the U.S. to finally accede to the Mine Ban Treaty and join the rest of the world in ending the barbaric use of landmines once and for all.