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Chechnya wins something. Country w/ most landmines

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  • Chechnya wins something. Country w/ most landmines

    Chechnya said deadliest nation for mines

    By JONATHAN D. SALANT
    The Associated Press
    9/9/2003, 11:36 a.m. CT

    http://www.nola.com/newsflash/intern...dex.ssf?/base/
    international-2/106312584111190.xml

    WASHINGTON (AP) - More people were killed by land mines during
    the continuing conflict in Chechnya last year than anywhere else
    in the world, a watchdog group said Tuesday.

    The International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won the
    1997 Nobel Peace Prize, reported that 5,695 people were killed by
    land mines in Chechnya in 2002, more than double the 2,140
    casualties a year earlier. The group said Russian troops and
    Chechen rebels both use mines in the breakaway Russian region.

    "Fighting, replete with massive violations of human rights and
    laws of war, including widespread use of mines by both sides,
    continues," the group said.

    Overall, the group reported progress in its campaign. For
    example, 69 countries have destroyed 52 million mines in recent
    years.

    "Progress on the land mine issue remains firm," said Jody
    Williams, who shared the Nobel prize with the group she helped
    create. "Use is down dramatically. The amount of money given for
    mine clearance is up."

    A massive mine-clearing effort in Afghanistan is having the
    desired effect, lowering the toll from mines from 1,445 in 2001 to
    1,286 last year, still the world's second-deadliest toll.

    About $64 million was spent last year on mine-clearing
    operations, four times greater than in 2001, after U.S.-led forces
    ousted the Taliban government.

    The group said 136 countries, including Afghanistan, had ratified
    a treaty to ban land mines. The agreement awaits ratification in
    another 12. The United States, Russia and China are among the
    47 countries that have yet to sign the treaty.

    The Bush administration is reviewing the U.S. policy toward land
    mines. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines said the
    administration had stockpiled mines to use in the recent Iraq war
    but did not deploy them.

    Still, the number of reported deaths from mines in Iraq, which
    continued to deploy them until the U.S. invasion earlier this year,
    rose from 360 in 2001 to 457 in 2002.

    Six governments used land mines in 2002, down from nine in
    2001 and 13 in 2000, the group said. This year, only two
    countries - Myanmar and Russia - continued to use mines on a
    regular basis, the group said.

    The number of deaths in Myanmar, also known as Burma, doubled
    from 57 in 2001 to 114 in 2002. The Burmese military has been
    accused of forcing people to walk in front of patrols in suspected
    minefields, so-called atrocity de-mining.

    Another country that experienced a sharp increase in deaths was
    Colombia, where both rebel forces and paramilitary troops use
    mines. The number of casualties rose from 216 in 2001 to 530 in
    2002.

    The report found that 11,700 people around the world were
    reported killed by mines last year, including 2,649 children and
    192 women. The advocacy group said the total is higher because
    civilians are killed in areas with no help and no way to
    communicate, so their deaths are not reported.

    Nine of the world's 15 current land mine producers are in Asia:
    China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan,
    Singapore and Vietnam. Nepal was added to the list this year after
    the government in Katmandu admitted producing mines.

  • #2
    The use of landmines is not a breech of the conventions of warfare.

    And is to be expected.

    I don't see the big deal, there IS a war going on...

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by M21Sniper
      The use of landmines is not a breech of the conventions of warfare.

      And is to be expected.

      I don't see the big deal, there IS a war going on...
      True. In this war. Land mines have been less civilian killing than Russian Grad rockets, SU-30's. And those toys stuffed with explosives, that the Russians deliberately leave by Chechan towns.

      Comment


      • #4
        Yup, that's about how i see it.

        Comment


        • #5
          What about all those UN groups going around defusing minefields?
          Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

          Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

          Comment


          • #6
            Their not doing it right BR... the best way to 'deactivate' a mine field is to get a herd of sheep... then stampede the into the mine field. You just have to make sure what ever is behind them scares them more than whats in front. Of course you might have some leakers...
            Your look more lost than a bastard child on fathers day.

            Comment


            • #7
              Not this again,

              Lunatock, the Russians ain't that blood thirsty. The explosives in question is the aerial disbursal mine PFM-1(S), a copy of the American BLU-43(B) Dragontooth which looks like a butterfly. The design allows the mine to spiral down to the ground without the need of a parachute. The kids having seen how these things "fluttered" down to the ground thought they are toys when in fact these are AP mines that were used to great effectiveness.


              BLU-43
              Last edited by Officer of Engineers; 11 Sep 03,, 13:27.

              Comment


              • #8
                I don't give a damn what amnesy international says, landmines are damned effective devices, particularly for securing ones flanks on the attack, or for just about anything on the defense.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I tend to agree though I don't like these air disbursal things that has no time-delay expiry. I like to know where my mines are so that my people can pass through them while the enemy cannot. It's a bad minefield that denies movement to both the good guys and bad guys.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Yup. The dud rate of air dispersal systems is a bit high for my taste as well.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Officer of Engineers
                      Not this again,

                      Lunatock, the Russians ain't that blood thirsty. The explosives in question is the aerial disbursal mine PFM-1(S), a copy of the American BLU-43(B) Dragontooth which looks like a butterfly. The design allows the mine to spiral down to the ground without the need of a parachute. The kids having seen how these things "fluttered" down to the ground thought they are toys when in fact these are AP mines that were used to great effectiveness.


                      BLU-43
                      Actually it's much simplier looking mine. I've seen it many times and eveen had a pair defused and empty ones as souvenirs.

                      Below is a mine PFM-1S, PFM-1 differs in the middle section, which is smaller (no defusion mechanism) and all plastic outside.

                      Leeft part is a canister with liquid explosive, right part is a thin plastic 'wing'. Looks like everything but a mine. (just don't squeeze the left part :D )

                      p.s. although it's 'aerial disbursal', it's not meant to be used from the planes. Mines are deliveered by special "mortar"-looking container that can be installed on special vehicles, or from the ground by infantry.
                      Attached Files
                      Last edited by lurker; 26 Sep 03,, 19:29.

                      Comment

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