Sunday, September 20, 2015
Mozambique Cleared of Landmines by Bi-Partisan Effort
Mozambique had more than 200, 000 landmines left at the end of the civil war in 1992.
The Halo Trust, a landmine-clearance non-profit, has declared the country cleared of landmines. This is the most landmines every cleared from one country by the trust.
Halo was founded in Britain. The effort in Mozambique was largely funded by the U.S. affiliate.
Halo Trust USA is chaired by Cindy McCain, wife of Republican Senator John McCain. The board also includes former Democratic Senator Mark Udall.
Removing landmines is a noble effort that people can join in across party lines, even in this highly partisan moment.
I commend the Halo Trust and the government of Mozambique for a great achievement.
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Hats off to the brave men and women who have been doing this work. There is no lonelier place on earth than standing in the middle of an abandoned minefield. (I know from personal experience.) Mines are absolutely necessary in modern warfare, and the US has wisely refused to sign or ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. To say that we have something that will save the lives of our troops but that we will refrain from using it is the antithesis of morality. If we send troops into harm’s way, we have to be ready to employ anything that will save even one American life, no matter the cost to others. Anyone who disputes that has never had the awesome privilege, honor, and responsibility of leading Marines or soldiers combat. However, when the war (by whatever name one calls it--police action, counter-insurgency, peace-keeping operation; a dead soldier or Marine in any one of those is just as dead as one killed in a war.) is over, reasonable efforts must be made to remove and neutralize the mines left behind.
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