Obama administration will not sign land mine ban...as 150 other countries have agreed to

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided not to sign an international treaty banning land mines.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly says the administration recently completed a review and decided not to change the Bush-era policy.

More than 150 countries have agreed to the Mine Ban Treaty’s provisions to end the production, use, stockpiling and trade in mines. Besides the United States, holdouts include: China, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Russia.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1214322&srvc=rss

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. You'd think that *Bush was one hell of a pres, so much of his "stuff" is retained....

Funny, I thought that he was one regrettable disaster after another....

[Raine]

12. Yeah, doesn't seem to be much difference

why aren't these things being reversed. :banghead:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Another step to the right.

Another change I did not vote for or look for.

How much more to the right is he going to go?

I am very disappointed in this stand.


K&R

[Kaleva]

33. Obama has moved neither left or right on this as there is no change.

[branders seine]

3. Is bush still in charge?

Sure seems like it most days.

[Captain Hilts]

4. For us it's all about the border between the Koreas. Long-term policy, unfortunately. nt

[kenny blankenship]

5. Landmines make it more feasible for the small volunteer US military to fight in places where

it would naturally be outnumbered. That is to say, to fight other people in their own lands. They will never go along with that.

[Bluebear]

9. "to fight other people in their own lands"

[kenny blankenship]

17. yes that is the material consequence

and it keeps on coming years after the fighting is over. Fighting other people in their own lands of course has horrific moral and material consequences whether you use landmines and machineguns, or machetes and mallets. I wish our country would recoil from those consequences and the policy that spawns them, but...

[Bluebear]

18. This planet, evidently, will never evolve beyond these atrocities

:(

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Sadly, a not at all not surprising policy from a centrist pol.

[Dr Robert]

7. V for Vendetta?

[JeffR]

8. Appalling and unconscionable.

Disgusting.

[QC]

10. Bush got the bark stripped off him around here for holding the same position.

Now, of course, there's probably a very good reason to oppose banning landmines, and I have no doubt that someone will soon come along to tell us all about it.

[Bluebear]

13. It's something to do with Korea, evidentment.

So suddenly and miraculously there are all these Korean DMZ experts posting here now.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Any minute now. It's okay if Obama does/doesn't support it.

You're correct, bush was eviscerated for just this sort of 'policy'.

[QC]

16. Hey, as long as Obama looks dreamy in his swimsuit, what's a few mangled kids? n/t

[Bluebear]

19. Comme ci, comme ca.

[Bluebear]

20. .

[sandnsea]

11. Not a good move at all

They need to rethink this one.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Did 2/3 of the Senate ratify a treaty when I wasn't looking?

[Luminous Animal]

23. The president signs, then the senate ratifies.

[VMI Dem]

27. pwned.

lulz.

[Kaleva]

21. The land mines in the DMZ of Korea belong to South Korea

The US has in stock and is developing non-persistent land mines which self destruct or self-deactivate. The Mine Ban Treaty, if I recall correctly, does not differentiate between persistent and non-persistent mines. It's the persistent mines, which can remain a hazard for decades, that pose the threat to civilians.

[yui]

22. Make it stop!

I just want to wake up from this nightmare.

This cannot be who I voted for, who I worked so hard to elect.

I was very non-political - apathetic and disgusted. Then Obama came along and I got inspired. I got involved. I read "The Audacity of Hope" and I listened to Obama's speeches and read everything I could about him and for the first time in my life I was excited for my country, hopeful for our future. From his words, his manner, I knew he would try to work with the Republicans, to try to bring together all the people, and I believed that he would use his charisma and his intelligence and his talent to do what he said he would do, that is, to change the way things are done in Washington for the good of the American people.

Instead we have gotten business as usual.

Now this.

[natrat]

31. you got taken to the cleaners,,, i just liked him better than hrc,,,basically democracy done for now

[SnakeEyes]

24. I'm starting to wonder...

Maybe actually becoming president changes a person somehow.

[proteus_lives]

25. It's because of Korea.

We might be willing to sign if they allowed a provision for the DMZ.

[Kaleva]

26. The arguement seems to be about non-persistent mines

The US is acquiring non-persistent mines (those which become non-lethal or self destruct after a set period of time) but the Ban doesn't differentiate between non-persistent and persistent mines. It is the persistent mines which pose the hazard to non-combatants as they can remain active until the firing mechanism becomes so corroded it doesn't work or until someone or something sets it off.

[VMI Dem]

28. This is chess.

Not checkers.

[OneBlueSky]

29. you don't play chess OR checkers with kids' lives and limbs . . . n/t

.

[spoony]

30. Really? Loses like Risk to me. nt

[natrat]

32. looks like delusional neocons still calling all the shots

[Forkboy]

34. And these are the pieces....

[Bluebear]

35. The photo is of chess pieces