Most land mine use by US military banned, except for Korea

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it would restrict the use of anti-personnel land mines by the U.S. military, aligning the country’s policy more closely with an international treaty banning the deadly explosives. Bonnie Jenkins, the State Department’s undersecretary for arms control and international security, said the new policy fulfills “a commitment that President Biden made as a candidate,” when he described Trump’s decision as “reckless.” Anti-personnel land mines are buried underground or scattered on the surface, and they can pose a lethal threat to civilians long after combat has ended. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., described the White House announcement as a “long overdue recognition that the grave humanitarian and political costs of using these weapons far exceed their limited military utility.” “As welcome as this step is, the White House needs to put the U.S. on a definitive path to join the treaties banning anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions,” he said in a statement. The exception regarding the Korean Peninsula, which was also in place during President Barack Obama’s administration, leaves the U.S. short of full compliance with the Ottawa Convention, the 1997 treaty intended to eliminate anti-personnel land mines.