Senate pushes Obama administration to sign treaty banning land mines

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

More than two-thirds of the Senate is urging the Obama administration to consider signing an international treaty that bans land mines, reviving a dormant campaign from the 1990s that left the United States divided from its closest allies.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said in an interview Friday that 68 senators had signed a letter to President Obama to support a "comprehensive review" of U.S. policy on land mines. The letter is an indication that there are enough votes in the Senate to ratify the treaty -- at least 67 would be required -- if Obama signs the measure, which has languished in Washington for a decade.

"We want to show we have enough people to ratify a treaty," Leahy said. "I think there's an excellent opportunity that we'll finally do it."

The pressure from Congress leaves the White House in an awkward position as it tries to navigate between Obama's desire to work closely with allies on security issues such as nuclear disarmament, while at the same time listening to advisers at the Pentagon, many of whom are leery of such campaigns.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/07/AR2010050705089_pf.html

[DCBob]

1. Very good news. Should have been done decades ago..

The President needs to sign this.

[lakercub]

2. to hell with the Pentagon

sign the treaty

[Xenotime]

7. Agreed. the arrogance of the US has shed way too much blood.

[peacebird]

3. Excellent! US should have banned Land Mines decades ago.

[progressoid]

4. This should be interesting.

[Chicago dyke]

5. i bet he won't sign it

can't look "weak" to the brass after all. he's a democrat. (unhappy emoticon)

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[progressoid]

9. I bet you would win that bet.

[nyy1998]

6. Um, hav you ppl here forgot the reason why we never signed the treaty?

We wanted an exemption for the DMZ, where they are a loads of landmines there. If that US got that exemption, they would've been happy to signed this deal.