Antipersonnel Landmines - Do Their Costs Outweigh Their Benefits?

Abstract

Should the US maintain its current policy concerning antipersonnel landmines (APL)? There are an estimated fifty million antipersonnel land mines buried in the earth's surface today. The mines are remnants of wars and conflicts past and present. They maim and kill thousands of people every year, and lay waste to valuable land. On the other hand, APLs between the Koreas contribute considerably to the maintenance of peace. Such is the dilemma regarding land mines - do their costs outweigh their benefits? This paper examines current US policy regarding the use of antipersonnel land mines. The policy is weighed against advantages and disadvantages, and nation-state and Non-Government Organization investment in producing or banning antipersonnel land mines. The paper concludes with a recommendation on the future course of US policy regarding the manufacture and use of antipersonnel landmines.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 07, 2003
Accession Number
ADA413655

Entities

People

  • Albert G. Marin Iii

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Anti-Personnel Mines
  • Anti-Tank Mines
  • Civil War
  • Department Of State
  • Employment
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Land Mines
  • Military Science
  • Mine Warfare
  • Minefields
  • Scatterable Mines
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design