Press release of Landmine Action and The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

(Wednesday 15 January 2003 )

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and Landmine Action believe the UK Government could commit a serious breach of the Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel landmines by allowing the US to use the British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia for stockpiling landmines and launching US aircraft carrying these weapons to drop on Iraq. They have pressed the Prime Minister for categorical assurances that the UK will not violate the Ottawa Treaty in this way.

They have also warned the Prime Minister that the use of indiscriminate weapons such as anti-personnel landmines, and cluster bombs would fatally undermine the credibility of claims that ‘collateral damage’ was being minimized. Analysis of the effects of cluster bombs from the Gulf War, Kosovo and Afghanistan shows that unexploded bomblets from cluster bombs cause even more post-conflict deaths among civilians, especially children, than landmines.

The charities have therefore called on the Prime Minister for additional assurances that the UK will not use cluster bombs in any war on Iraq, and will apply the strongest possible pressure on the US (who have not signed the Ottawa Treaty) not to use landmines and cluster weapons on Iraq.

In a joint statement, Andrew Purkis, Chief Executive of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and Richard Lloyd, Director of Landmine Action, said:"We call on the UK Government to exercise strong leadership in stopping the use of indiscriminate weapons which threaten collateral damage for years to come. Otherwise, any claims to be minimizing civilian casualties will be fatally undermined. We are asking for assurances that no UK territory will be used for stockpiling, transit or launching of landmines banned under the Ottawa Treaty, that the RAF will not use cluster bombs; and that our Government will press the US not to use landmines and cluster bombs."

Many international humanitarian organisations and Church leaders have already called for a freeze on the use of cluster munitions, pending the introduction of new international law obliging the users of such weapons to protect civilians by clearing or financing the clearance of any that remain unexploded.

-ends-

Notes to Editors:

A new briefing paper – Indiscriminate Attack? The potential use of landmines and cluster bombs in Iraq – is available.

• Cluster Bombs are not covered by the Ottawa Treaty. However their deployment in Iraq would risk breaching Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions (1977) because: civilian casualties for years to come could be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated the deployment of landmines and cluster bombs would not adequately discriminate between civilians and combatants.
• The UK ratified the Ottawa Treaty on 31 July 1998. It has been ratified by another 129 countries around the world.
• Photos available on request.

For more information, please contact:

• The Press Office, The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund - Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7902 5506/09/10 - Mobile: + 44 (0)7977 990 486
  - Email: pressSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERmemfund.org.uk
  - Website: www.theworkcontinues.org
  
• Richard Lloyd, Landmine Action
  - Tel: + 44 (0)20 7820 0222 - Mobile: + 44 (0)771 374 1004 - Email: richardSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERlandmineaction.org - www.landmineaction.org