Western human rights teams criticize Biden due to Ukraine land mines
Date
11/24/2024 7:14:13 AM
(MENAFN) Human rights organizations in the West have strongly criticized President Joe Biden for providing Ukraine with anti-personnel land mines, accusing him of breaking his 2022 pledge to limit their use. The decision has provoked widespread outrage, with experts warning about the severe and long-lasting consequences of these weapons. Hichem Khadhraoui, Executive Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), stated that anti-personnel land mines are indiscriminate and cause death and injury to civilians, particularly children, long after conflicts end. Ben Linden from Amnesty International USA called the decision “devastating” and “shocking,” especially as it is made just before Biden concludes his term.
The reversal in policy comes amid growing concerns within NATO over Russia's territorial gains in Ukraine’s Donbass and Kursk regions. The US defends its decision by explaining that the mines are “non-persistent,” meaning they deactivate once their battery runs out, thus reducing the risk of detonation over time. However, critics argue that this does not remove the dangers, especially considering the already vast areas in Ukraine that are heavily contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance. Biden’s approval of land mines follows his controversial decision in 2023 to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, another move criticized for its potential to harm civilians. This new policy stands in stark contrast to Biden's 2022 commitment to limit land mine usage, a policy that had previously overturned Donald Trump's expansion of their use.
While the White House has urged Ukraine to restrict the mines to its own territory and avoid civilian areas, human rights organizations remain doubtful of these assurances. Although over 160 countries have signed the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines, both the US and Russia have not. Ukraine, which is a signatory, would be in violation of the treaty by accepting these supplies from the US, potentially setting a troubling precedent for the continued use of land mines in conflict zones.
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