Action Alert re US Mine Policy Rollback
Author/Origin: ICBL (Sue Wixley and Liz Bernstein) mediaSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERicbl.org |
(Monday 03 December 2001 )
Dear campaigners,
We are alarmed that the U.S. may be weakening its already problematic position on landmines. Please take urgent action on this by:
- sending letter/s to the US ambassador/diplomatic representative in your country, especially but not only in NATO countries. See sample letter below. (Also, where possible follow this up with telephone calls and/or visits to US embassies);
- urging your government to put pressure on the US to join the treaty and at least not dilute its existing policy. States Parties in particular should be called on to send a demarche to the US on this;
- publicizing this include information in your media and campaigning activities around the 3 December treaty anniversary and the Nobel anniversary.
Added link 1 March 2002:
VVAF Ad Campaign - http://vvaf.org/campaign/home.html
Sample letter
To: US Embassies and other diplomatic missions 3 December 2001 Dear XXX The XXX campaign is alarmed by reports that the United States is backing away from banning landmines and is even moving towards using them. Our colleagues in the United States Campaign to Ban Landmines inform us that the existing U.S. policy to eliminate antipersonnel mines over time is in jeopardy, as the government's landmine policy review nears completion. A decision to abandon the U.S. commitment to eventually ban the weapon would make a mockery of U.S. mine action programs and constitute a betrayal of mine victims everywhere. The humanitarian reasons for supporting the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty are clear: mines continue to maim and kill civilians in over 70 countries around the world. Many victims die before they get to medical care. Many are children. There are convincing military arguments for a ban and these are set out by respected military leaders, including Lt. General James Hollingsworth, former commander of U.S. troops in Korea, in a letter to President George W. Bush. There are also strong diplomatic motivations for joining the treaty: a global mine ban will lead to a tangible increase in U.S. security and U.S. support for a ban will help to further stigmatize landmine use of this indiscriminate and inhumane weapon. More than two thirds of the world's nations have joined the Mine Ban Treaty. Since it opened for signature on 3 December four years ago, the treaty has been ratified by 122 nations and signed by another 20. The U.S. and Turkey are the only two non-signatories in NATO. The U.S. and Cuba are the only two non-signatories in the western hemisphere and the Americas. We therefore call on the U.S. to honors its commitment to alleviating the humanitarian disaster caused by landmines and accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. Sincerely, Name, City, Country |
