Where Are The Landmines In The World?

Statistica: Where are the Landmines?  

Due to their indiscriminate and devastating effects, the long-lasting threat posed by their presence and the painstaking efforts required to remove them, anti-personnel landmines have been prohibited by the United Nations since 1997 - a treaty joined by over 150 countries. Nevertheless, there is still an alarmingly large number of them contaminating countries across the world.  

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WNU Editor: On the Belarus border Ukraine has just finished laying 500,000 mines .... Half a million mines laid on the border with Belarus (Euromaidan).

Former US Special Forces Engineer Says Russian Minefields Are Unlike Anything He Has Ever Seen

Members of the armed forces removing landmines from the ground in Ukraine. Sons of Liberty International/Facebook  

Insider: Former Special Forces engineer says Russian minefields are unlike anything he has ever seen and battling these hidden death traps is 'exhausting' 

* Ryan Hendrickson has been working to clear heavily mined areas in Ukraine. 

* The former US Special Forces engineer says the overwhelming numbers of land mines is wildly different from anything he saw in Afghanistan. 

* "How do you clear all of this out?" Hendrickson asked in an online interview with a Ukrainian YouTube channel. 

A decorated former US Army Special Forces engineer who cleared out improvised explosives in Afghanistan and has since been tackling threats in Ukraine says the monstrous minefields Russia is laying down are unlike anything he has ever seen. 

"The biggest difference is the sheer number of mines," Ryan Hendrickson, who previously served in Afghanistan with the Green Berets and is now removing deadly mines as a volunteer in Ukraine, told Ukrainian Toronto Television. 

"There are millions and millions of mines in Ukraine," many put down by the Ukrainians, but significantly more by the Russians. In one field, for instance, Hendrickson and his team found over 700 anti-tank mines, though they estimated there may have been thousands in total. That was just one field.  

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WNU Editor: What makes the situation even more dire is that Russia has the ability to deploy landmines in fields behind Ukrainian lines that have been cleared of landmines. The Ukraine army also have the same capability .... Russian forces battling Ukraine's assault are discovering a nasty danger behind them, courtesy of the US (Insider).

White House Reimposes Near Total Ban On Landmine Use

 

Daily Mail: Biden administration announces U.S. will 'align' its policy with treaty prohibiting use or transfer of landmines, citing their 'devastating impact' in Russia's war on Ukraine 

* Anti-personnel land mines which detonate to kill on contact have a disproportionate impact on children and civilians, the White House said 

* Under the new policy, the U.S. will restrict the use of such explosives except in the Korean Peninsula 

* U.S. officials said a commitment to defending South Korea against its northern counterpart prevents them from banning the use of land mines there 

* The move realigns the U.S. with the 1997 Ottawa Treaty which banned banned the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines 

President Biden moved to limit the U.S. military's use of land mines Tuesday, in a realignment with the 1997 Ottawa Treaty. 

Anti-personnel land mines which detonate to kill on contact have a disproportionate impact on children and civilians, the White House said in announcing the new policy that overturns former President Trump's move to loosen restrictions on land mines.  

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White House Reimposes Near Total Ban On Landmine Use 

FACT SHEET: Changes to U.S. Anti-Personnel Landmine Policy -- White House  

Most Land Mine Use by US Military Banned, Except for Korea -- AP  

U.S. to limit use of anti-personnel landmines, White House says -- Reuters  

Reversing Trump, US reimposes near total ban on landmine use -- AFP  

U.S. bans military use of anti-personnel land mines everywhere except South Korea -- UPI 

Biden moves to restrict military’s use of land mines -- The Hill  

Biden reverses Trump policy and commits to limiting US military's use of anti-personnel landmines -- CNN  

Biden restricts landmine use in reversal of Trump-era policy -- Al Jazeera  

Biden Administration to Limit Use of Land Mines -- Sputnik  

Biden administration rescinds Trump-era rule on landmines -- Axios

Rat Called Magawa Awarded The George Cross Medal For Sniffing Out Mines In Cambodia

NBC: Rat called Magawa awarded prestigious gold medal for Cambodia landmine detection

"Every discovery he makes reduces the risk of injury or death for local people," said PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin.

LONDON — They get a bad rep, especially for being dirty.

But one rat redeemed his species on Friday becoming the first rodent to receive a gold medal for his work in sniffing out unexploded landmines and saving countless lives in Cambodia.

Magawa, a so-called "hero rat" was presented with a small blue collar and mini-gold medal by the British veterinary charity the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) on Friday.

"Magawa's work directly saves and changes the lives of men, women and children who are impacted by these landmines. Every discovery he makes reduces the risk of injury or death for local people," PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin, said in a statement.

"We are thrilled to award him the PDSA Gold Medal."

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WNU Editor: That is one big rat.

More News On A Rat Called Magawa Awarded The George Cross Medal For Sniffing Out Mines In Cambodia

How rat Magawa became the world's greatest landmine detector: Winner of the animal's George Cross was bred from previous heroes and trained from just ten weeks old to smell TNT -- Daily Mail
'Hero rat' wins gold medal from UK charity for hunting landmines -- CNN
Giant rat earns animal hero award for sniffing out landmines in Cambodia -- FOX News
Magawa the mine-detecting rat wins PDSA Gold Medal -- BBC
Magawa the rat wins bravery medal for sniffing out mines -- DW

Report: Trump Administration To Allow US Troops To Use Landmines By Overturning Obama Ban

Soldiers of the 789th Ordnance Company prepare a cache of landmines, mortars and 107mm rockets to be disposed of by a high explosives charge, near Besmaya region southeast of Baghdad. Army researchers are designing smarter, safer and more mobile landmines for future operations. (Army)

Daily Mail: Trump to allow US troops to use landmines by overturning Obama ban - but they will have 30 day self-destruct function

* Donald Trump will reportedly allow US troops to use landmines again by overturning an Obama administration ban
* The explosives that have killed about 130,000 civilians over the past 20 years
* Pentagon sources told CNN the change was to make sure countries such as Russia or China will not be able to get access to critical terrain
* It's based off a Secretary of Defense-led review launched in 2017 which found lack of landmines outside of Korea 'increased risk to mission success'
* Since 1993 it has cost about $3.6billion to clear excess weapons and explosives from over 100 countries, many of them African
* The woman who received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize together with International Campaign to Ban Landmines, blasted the decision Thursday

Donald Trump will allow US troops to use landmines again by overturning an Obama administration ban on the explosives that have killed about 130,000 civilians over the past two decades, a report says.

In the coming days the president is expected to loosen the restrictions set in 2014 in line with the Ottawa Treaty's aim to prevent the production, stockpiling and transfer of the weapons of war.

But troops will only be able to use mines that self-destruct or self-deactivate in 30 days as the US prepares to be well equipped in case of major conflict with a 'great power'.

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More News On Reports That The Trump Administration Will Allow US Troops To Use Landmines By Overturning Obama Ban

Exclusive: State Department cable reveals new Trump policy expanding landmine use -- VOX News
Trump to reportedly allow use of landmines, reversing Obama-era policy -- The Guardian
Trump administration expected to loosen restrictions on use of landmines -- CNN
Trump administration to roll back restrictions on land mine use: report -- The Hill
Trump Administration Expected to Loosen Military’s Limits on Land Mines -- The New York Times
White House Prepares to Expand Ability to Use Land Mines -- Bloomberg

Where Are The World's Landmines?

BBC: Prince Harry in southern Africa: Where are the world's landmines?

In 1997, Princess Diana walked through a field scattered with deadly landmines in Angola. The images became world famous.

As part of his tour of southern Africa, the Duke of Sussex will visit the country to highlight continuing efforts to remove and destroy them.

Landmines continue to take thousands of lives in dozens of countries. So where in the world are they and what progress has been made?

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WNU Editor: Sadly, there are a lot of landmines around the world.

The U.S. Wants 'Smart' Landmines For Future Wars

Soldiers of the 789th Ordnance Company prepare a cache of landmines, mortars and 107mm rockets to be disposed of by a high explosives charge, near Besmaya region southeast of Baghdad. Army researchers are designing smarter, safer and more mobile landmines for future operations. (Army)

Army Times: Army researchers building ‘smart’ landmines for future combat

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Army leaders see a future battlefield with networked minefields a commander can see from across the globe through satellite communications and that can be scattered in minutes but also retrieved and reused when needed.

The push is an effort to keep landmines of various types in the weapons portfolio while still meeting the agreements made to get out of the old school “dumb” landmine use.

Smart mines being developed now are a way to replace some of the aging stocks in the “Family of Scatterable Mines” run by the Army’s Program Manager Close Combat Systems.


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WNU Editor: There appears to be a lot of obstacles to make this happen anytime soon.

Using Bacteria To Help Find Land Mines

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem say they can spot land mines using genetically engineered bacteria and a laser-based scanner. PHOTO: HEBREW UNIVERSITY

Wall Street Journal: The Bacteria That Can Help Find Land Mines

Israeli scientists say that a harmless, genetically engineered version of E. coli can detect invisible vapors that explosives emit over time

In 2015, land mines killed or injured 3,233 people in 61 countries, according to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines—and 78% of those casualties were civilians. Buried explosives can remain armed and lethal long after wars end.

One key problem is detecting the mines, which can be slow, hazardous work. Current methods, which rely on metal detectors, X-rays and other legacy technologies, often require placing people or animals dangerously close to buried explosives.

Now scientists at Israel’s Hebrew University, reviving an American technology, have demonstrated a way of detecting land mines using genetically engineered bacteria and a laser-based scanner. The technique works, they say, without sending people, animals or even robots into harm’s way—and could eventually be extended to detect a host of different contaminants in a range of settings by tailoring bacteria as needed.

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WNU Editor: It is a work in progress .... and also a positive sign that better detection methods are being worked on

A New Way To Clear Mines?

Brothers' Sweeper

Brothers Massoud (on the right) and Mahmud (on the left) Hassani test out a Mine Kafon Drone. Courtesy of the Hassani brothers

Popular Science: These Brothers Built A Mine-Sweeping Drone To Clear Land Mines Without Casualties

Brothers Massoud and Mahmud Hassani grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, knowing that one wrong step could end their lives. “When we walked to school, we had a special path to follow—otherwise we would end up in a minefield,” Massoud says. Mines are cheap to manufacture and deploy, but slow and expensive to remove. An estimated 110 million land mines litter the globe, killing 15,000 to 20,000 ­people a year. Living among them “becomes like a mental disorder,” Massoud says. “The fear is on your mind all the time.”

After the Hassani family relocated to the Netherlands, the brothers created an anti-mine device based on a ­wind-powered tumbleweed toy they’d built as children. The Mine Kafon (kafon means “explode” in Dari) could roll through a minefield, detonating any mines it crossed and thus marking out a safe path. Though more conceptual than practical, it became a hit; New York’s Museum of Modern Art even bought one in 2012.

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WNU Editor: A video showing how it works is below:

Deaths And Injuries From IEDs And Landmines Hit A 10-Year High

A sign warning of the danger of landmines in eastern Ukraine (file photo).

BBC: Landmine casualties at 10-year high - report

he number of people killed or injured by landmines and similar weapons reached a 10-year high last year, a new report has revealed.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said the number of casualties worldwide rose to 6,461 in 2015, up 75% on the previous year.

The report said civilians made up more than three quarters of victims and 38% of them were children.

Most victims were in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Ukraine.

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More News On Deaths And Injuries From IEDs And Landmines Hitting A 10-Year High

'Factory scale' use of homemade mines pushes global casualties to 10-year high - study -- Reuters
Landmine casualties increased sharply last year: monitor -- AFP
Deaths, injuries from landmines and IEDs hit 10-year high in 2015, report finds -- CBC
Land Mine Casualties Jump 75% as Funding for Their Removal Declines -- New York Times
Landmine Casualties Increased Sharply In 2015 -- RFE

Global Landmine Casualties Continue To Increase

Reuters: Global landmine casualties increase, Afghanistan largely to blame: study

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Long-term progress in reducing the number of landmine casualties was reversed last year, and rebel groups used the mines in 10 countries, the largest number since 2006, researchers said on Thursday.

Non-state groups were still using the deadly devices in the 12 months to October 2015 in Colombia, Libya, Myanmar, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen, and in Afghanistan, where there was a sharp increase in casualties from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Landmines were also used by rebels in three countries - Iraq, Tunisia and Ukraine - where they were not used last year, and by three states: Myanmar, Syria and North Korea.

"While the world has made great progress, the past year has seen disturbing steps backward in terms of new use of and casualties from landmines," said Jeff Abramson, editor of the study, which was carried out by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a lobby group.

WNU editor: The International Campaign to Ban Landmines' website is here.

U.S. Army And Air Force Are Working Together To Develop Lasers That Can Blast Mines Out Of The Ground.

Infrared cameras, driver vehicle enhanced capabilities and two alternators were installed to provide more than 1,100 amps of power.

Daily Mail: Army reveals armoured trucks fitted with LASERS to blast mines out of the ground and explode stray bombs

* Uses a laser to detonate bombs up to 300 meters away
* Interrogator arm and manipulator claw can move 50 pounds of debris
* Could be used instead of bomb disposal experts in body armour

The U.S. Army and Air Force are working together to develop laser weapons that can blast mines out of the ground.

The vehicles would be able to safely explode mines and other explosives from a distance.

Currently highly-trained bomb disposal specialists wore body armour, protective suits or used robots to render an area safe.

WNU Editor: You have to love American innovation.

UN Chief Appoints '007 James Bond' Actor Daniel Craig As Global Advocate For The Elimination Of Landmines

Daily Mail: Now pay attention 007, we DON'T want you to blow any of this up: Daniel Craig is appointed U.N. advocate against landmines

* The James Bond actor was given a 'license to save' by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Tuesday
* Craig will spend the next three years raising awareness for the U.N. Mine Action Service and political and financial support for the cause
* Just last month, Craig walking cooly through smokey debris moments after a massive move magic explosion erupted on a Mexico City street

As secret agent James Bond, Daniel Craig has a license to kill, but on Tuesday the United Nations gave the British actor a 'license to save' by appointing him as the first global advocate for the elimination of mines and explosive hazards.

Craig - who's often seen standing dangerously close to explosions as the dapper, martini-drinking agent 007 - will spend the next three years raising awareness for the U.N. Mine Action Service and political and financial support for the cause.

More News On The UN Appointing '007 James Bond' Actor Daniel Craig To Be The Global Advocate For The Elimination Of Landmines

Daniel Craig appointed UN Ambassador: Ban Ki Moon gives 007 actor 'license to save' as global advocate for the elimination of mines -- The Independent
Daniel Craig named by U.N. to lead anti-mine efforts -- Washington Times
Bond actor Daniel Craig's new 'licence to save' role -- BBC
007's Special UN Mission To Eliminate Mines -- SKY News

WNU Editor: Working to deactivate bombs and mines in former (and current) war-zones .... I have always believed that this job has to the most dangerous in the world .... but it is also probably one of the most awarding .... you are saving lives everyday.

Global Landmine Casualties Have Fallen 25 Percent In The Past Year To A 15-Year Low

A member of the Afghan National Police (L) holds a tray of land mines while speaking to members of the U.S. Army's 52nd Ordinance Group, 63rd Ordinance Battalion, 766 Explosive Ordinance Disposal company near Combat Outpost Hutal in Maiwand District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, January 21, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Andrew Burton/Files

Landmine Casualties Fell By 25 Percent Over Last Year To 15-Year Low -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Fewer people were killed or wounded by landmines over the past year than at any time since record-keeping began in 1999, and production of the weapons has almost stopped, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines said in a new report on Wednesday.

The drop in casualties caused by landmines, victim-activated explosive devices and unexploded weapons left behind after war came despite the spread of conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe over the past year.

The Nobel-prize-winning group said in its annual Landmines Monitor that 3,308 people were killed or wounded by mines and other explosive war debris over the past year, nearly a quarter less than the 4,325 in the previous year.

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More News On Landmine Casualties Falling 25 Percent In The Past Year To A 15-Year Low

Land Mine Casualties Hit a Low and Production Seems to Halt, Group Says -- New York Times
Child landmine victims rise, Afghanistan and Colombia rank worst -- Reuters
Campaigners winning war to wipe out landmines -- AFP
Landmine Deaths Reach All-Time Low: Study -- Sputnik
Pakistan has world's second largest stockpile of anti-personnel landmines: Report -- Express Tribune/AFP

After Afghanistan, Colombia Is Second In The World For Land Mine Victims

Colombia Is Second In World For Land Mine Victims, Behind Afghanistan -- FOX News

Six children are the latest victims of Colombia’s ongoing land mine crisis, as a 3-year old was killed and five others wounded following an explosion in the central-western department of Tolima.

This recent incident has helped the Andean nation reach what Colombian Vice President Angelino Garzón called the "dishonorable figure" of 10,001 landmine victims, making it the second most affected country in the world in terms of land mine incidents after war-torn Afghanistan.

"Girls, boys, teens, women, indigenous, farmers, workers, soldiers, police and heroes of the country have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and security of the Colombians. We want a Colombia without more victims of anti-personnel mines and free of these artifacts," Garzón said, according to Colombia’s Radio Caracol.

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My Comment: This is a tragedy that will continue for the next few decades .... claiming the lives of victims that have not even been born yet.

Peru And Ecuador Partner Against Land Mines

Ex-Foes Peru And Ecuador Partner Against A Scourge Of War: Land Mines -- Christian Science Monitor

Some 41,000 land mines left over from a 1995 skirmish still litter the Peru-Ecuador border. The two nations' cooperative efforts to remove them is setting a global standard.

Peruvian Army Maj. César Andía was too young in February 1995 to play an active part in the country's short but intense skirmish with neighboring Ecuador that took more than 400 lives on both sides.

But today, his job in the Army has him in the same trenches working on one of the final legacies of the conflict: the land mines on the Peruvian side of the rugged jungle that separates the two countries.

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My Comment: Landmines are clearly one of the greatest scourges of modern war that continue to cause casualties long after a conflict draws to a close.

Iraq's Legacy Of Unexploded Mines

Photo: Mines and grenades were among the hundreds of weapons unearthed by Marines from B Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 in Mushin, Iraq, in 2006. USMC

Iraq Suffers From Heavy Legacy Of Unexploded Mines -- AP

BAGHDAD (AP) — Twenty-five percent of the world's unexploded land mines are buried in Iraq, making it one of the most contaminated countries, the environment ministry said Tuesday.

More than 20 million mines are scattered in the war-plagued nation, deputy environment minister Kamal Hussein Latif said.

"That has become a heavy legacy on the country that hobbles its economy and health," Latif told reporters in Baghdad.

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Update #1: Iraq: Moving ahead to improve lives of Iraqis affected by landmines -- Relief Web
Update #2: IRAQ: Lack of mine maps hampers demining -- IRIN

My Comment: I am still trying to digest the information that there are 20 million landmines still scattered in Iraq. Sighhh .... this tells me that there will still be casualties years from now, and some of them will be inflicted on innocent civilians who have yet to even be born.

An Inexpensive Land Mine Detection System?

Physicists Build Inexpensive Land Mine Detection System Using Off-the-Shelf Components -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (June 17, 2010) — Anyone who is an online shopper and humanitarian might find this research project appealing. Physics professor John Scales is working on a low-cost, human-focused, high technology effort to stop the devastation of unexploded buried land mines with a novel acoustical/microwave detection system.

The work is described in the Journal of Applied Physics, which is published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

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The Story Of One Man And His Personal Mission (And Risk) To Clear Landmines In Cambodia

Aki Ra -- Badass of the Week

Aki Ra is a Cambodian guy who goes out into the jungle and disarms landmines with a pocketknife and a really sharp stick. While I feel relatively confident that I can probably just post that sentence by itself along with a picture of this crazy bastard unscrewing a densely-packed bomb of unexploded TNT with his bare hands and a seemingly-endless supply of raw bravery, over the years you guys have come to expect a minimum word count out of me on these sorts of articles, so perhaps a little further explanation is going to be required.

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My Comment: A truly incredible story. Read it all.

Hat Tip: Extra Good Shit

Advances In Minefield Technology

The Virtual Minefield Metal Storm

From Popular Science:

From a tactical military standpoint, land mines have a certain set-it-and-forget-it appeal; you blanket an area in munitions and move on, secure in the fact that if the enemy tries to cross that terrain they'll find an automated resistance waiting for them. But we all know that land mines are also one of modern warfare's most indiscriminate and devastating developments, with the capacity to kill and maim innocent people even decades after hostilities have ceased. To remedy this problem, arms maker Metal Storm has developed a virtual minefield that delivers the tactical advantage of land mines without blanketing areas with dangerous ordnance that could be left behind.

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My Comment: The launcher must be well camouflaged so that it cannot be detected and destroyed. Otherwise .... this is a brilliant piece of war-technology.