U.S. Won't Attend Conference on Land Mines

[Khephra]

U.S. Won't Attend Conference on Land Mines




By GEORGE GEDDA
Associated Press Writer

November 26, 2004, 3:38 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- The United States will not attend a major review conference next week about a 1997 international treaty on land mines because of the cost of participation and disagreement with crucial elements of the pact.

In making the announcement Friday, the State Department said the decision should not be seen as a sign of U.S. indifference to the land-mine problem.

"We share common cause with all those who seek to protect innocent civilians from indiscriminately used land mines," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

The conference, starting Monday in Nairobi, Kenya, will review compliance with the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines. Ratified by 143 countries, the pact bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines and stipulates that mined areas be cleared within 10 years.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-landmines,0,211981.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Benhurst]

1. Of course not. Did anyone really think the Evil Empire would

attend?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

2. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Why would ANYONE think the bush administration would actually give a SHIT about land mines?

[MetaTrope]

14. Because they make such a nice profit off them?

[RC]

3. So much civilization destroyed in the last 4 years.

Both physically and socially by the criminals of the bu$h administration. And to think they have just started.

[VivaKerry]

5. I know. Bush has only just begun his reign of terror.

Unbelievable.

[troubleinwinter]

4. They make great toys for children, you know.....

"...the State Department said the decision should not be seen as a sign of U.S. indifference to the land-mine problem."

"...the State Department's top official on land mines, said the administration decided it could not justify using tax dollars to support the Nairobi conference. ...He said the United States would have had to pick up part of the cost for rental of the meeting site, translation services, catering, subsidies for participation by some poor countries and publications..."

"President Bush backed away from a Clinton-era policy of giving up all anti-personnel mines by 2006."

[liberalmuse]

6. Who cares about the born?

The only sacred life is the potential life that will eventually spring forth from a fetus. So a few living things get blown to bits? So most of the victims of land mines are children? Bah!

Anyone ever feel like all the steps forward human civilization has taken in the past 10,000 years are going to be completely wiped out by the time the Bush cabal is through?

[Tempest]

7. Is this what Boosh means when he says he wants to patch things up?

Bush says he wants to heal the rift between the U.S. and the rest of the world, then he blows them off.

[Erika]

8. Four More Years of Hell!

You're right. This evil administration continues its war and death tactics while saying the opposite.

[MaineDem]

9. I hope someone asks him about this in, ummmm

Ottawa!!!

[Deja Q]

10. It's clear to the world at this point. It seems the US idea of cooperation

is to say "My way or the highway, sucka".

:cry:

[LiberalFighter]

11. Can the land mines attend the White House or Crawford?

[VegasWolf]

12. Sorta like Rome attending a conference on lions. n/t

[demgrrrll]

13. Landmines? Hell yes! What would be great would be to get a bunch of

frogs and throw them on top of the landmines and watch em blow up.
Did that a little different when I was a kid but the blow up part would be about the same and I'd like that...your pal, gwb

[MetaTrope]

15. Leave Old Europe alone!

:bounce:

[spanone]

16. We're too busy planting landmines. This is criminal.

How long will the world allow these guys to get away with their shit?

[Erika]

17. It is also immoral

Falwell/Robertson/Coulter have always promoted the deaths of any who will not embrace their concept of Christianity.

[Arcturus]

18. Of course they won't hold a conference on land mines.

The land mines would explode if that were to happen!

...

I'm a terrible person.

[RedCon1]

19. I don't think we ever truly abided by the land mine treaty anyways

nor did many other countries. Landmines have become VERY advanced in the past decade, despite the treaty banning R & D. If they were scary before, they're the stuff of nightmares now. Think "kill-bots." Most of America's generals were very supportive of the Anti-landmine treaty because of how effective landmines are against our soldiers as well as enemy soldiers. The treaty just wasn't worth the paper it was written on... so to speak.

[Traction]

20. Some on the right are talking about putting them on the Mexican border

So it's no surprise.

[RedCon1]

24. doubtful

True Republicans love Mexicans. They work hard for next to nothing and they don't complain because it's better than they have had. They serve other purposes as well. I would be less surprised if they put landmines on the Canadian border to help prevent Americans from escaping once they seriously start sh*t.

[Stand and Fight]

21. It's all too obvious

This talking out of both sides of the mouth shit that the Bush is doing is really pissing me off. He's not reaching out to the world when he openly scoffs at peaceful aims. This man is a demon.

[Swamp Rat]

22. The alien lizard Ereli continued, "but now we are implementing new,

cost effective cybernetic body parts to replace the lost limbs on our biological units enabling them to return to the battlefield. As long as their CPUs remain intact we can utilize this important resource, despite collateral damage to a smaller percentage of units that get completely destroyed by anti-personnel mines."

Happy happy joy joy! :D

[AliciaKeyedUp]

23. Quick question for the more informed on this issue

If we agreed to a traty, what would happen on the Korean border. Aren't there like a million landmines or something there?

[RedCon1]

25. The treaty only prohibits researching and developing

new land mines. It doesn't prohibit the use of landmines already in place nor does it prohibit the use of landmines already in a member nations arsenal. The Army still uses claymores and antipersonel mines and anti-tank mines as well as the newer "FASCAMs" (Family of Scatterable Mines), devices that can instantly create a mine field via multiple launch rocket systems and other deployement vehicles i.e. aerial bombs, artillery, the volcano mine dispersal vehicle, etc. There is nothing that prevents us from using landmines except the discretion of our commanders.

[Sara Beverley]

26. The myth that is America.

Lies, lies, and more lies. The American Dream was and is a huge myth for most people in America.

[American Tragedy]

27. But land mines are so lucrative

We get to richly profit from Third World discord, and end all hope of reconstruction and development in the region, even decades after the conflict is over.

Furthermore, I defy anyone to come up with a more elusive and efficient way to kill and maim thousands of Cambodian children for years to come.

[struggle4progress]

28. Landmines are good for you! A public service message from ...

... the Ownership Society