Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

The Israeli Defense Force's Humanitarian Demining Efforts, Ahron Etengoff, Gerald Steinberg, Jennette Townsend

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) Engineering Corps is the mine action center of Israel. Currently, IDF is engaged in various activities in response to the Palestinian terror campaign and does not have the resources to participate in international demining programs. However, the Israeli government views the issue of international cooperation in the areas of mine clearance, mine awareness and mine victim rehabilitation to be of major importance, despite the difficult budgetary situation. In addition, IDF continues to prioritize mine action internally.

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 8.1 (2004), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Role of the Military in Mine Action

Mine Injury Casualties Report From The Iraq-Kuwait Dmz, B.M. Schneider, V. Ehmann, M. Gebler, M. Pohlers, J. Bronnert, M. Schneider, V. Bartke, H. Woltering, B. Domres

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After the implementation of the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) at the end of the first Gulf War in 1990, a medical team was set up in 1991 to support the UN troops in their difficult tasks in the demilitarised zone (DMZ), a remote desert area between Kuwait and Iraq. The medical team was designed to take care of the medical treatment for the UNIKOM members and the nomadic people living in the DMZ as pointed out in UN Secretary-General reports S/2001/287 and S/2001/913 on the official UN website.

Jordan's Military In Mine Action, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Jordan is a country rich in history and beauty. Throughout the years, with the increase of tensions in the Middle East, Jordan has been forced to protect its borders. As a result, Jordan has become a major actor in the mine action community and has taken a different approach by promoting the use of its military for demining and its non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for rehabilitation and mine awareness.

The Military In Mine Action: An Interview With Ltc Bob Crowley, U.S. Southcom, Nicole Kreger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Military in Mine Action: An Interview With LTC Bob Crowley, U.S. SOUTHCOM

On The Ground In Iraq, Jo Foster

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

MineTech International (MTI) has been stationed in southern Iraq since May 2003, working on humanitarian mine and ammunition clearing projects and as part of its brief, working to deliver rapid response demining support for the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS).

Itep/Jmu Database Of International Experiences: Supporting The Test And Evaluation Community, Franciska Borry, Dieter Guelle

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A new database has been added to the James Madison University (JMU) Lessons Learned database, with more specific content and aim. The specific content reflects the main tasks that the International Test and Evaluation Program (ITEP) for humanitarian demining has agreed on in its Memorandum of Understanding, namely to evaluate and standardise the process of equipment testing in the humanitarian demining industry. The JMU Mine Action Information Centre (MAIC) maintains the database, whereas the ITEP Secretariat is responsible for its content.

Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As the theme of this edition of the Journal of Mine Action is about the use of the military in mine action, I would like to remind readers of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) publication titled "The Role of the Military in Mine Action." This study was originally requested by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and completed in mid-2003. The study found that over the past 15 years, military forces—both local and visiting—have made a significant contribution to mine action.

A Profile Of Afghanistan, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Afghanistan is a dry, landlocked nation made up mostly of rugged mountains that run northeast to southwest and divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country. Bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, it also shares a tiny strip of land with China. Because of its cold winters and hot summers, nearly all of Afghanistan’s supply of natural fresh water begins as snow. This limited supply, however, has been severely depleted because of a four year drought from 1998–2002. Drought and the added thirst of two million returning refugees has left nearly 80 percent of Afghanistan’s population …

Ddasaccident422, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident happened at approximately 1015 hours at the [Demining group] Training classroom in Kukes. A KB1 bomblet, presumed to be FFE or inert, and that was in use as a training aid, exploded while being passed hand to hand among the students in the class.

Ddasaccident545, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On May 19, 2004 all deminers were called back to restart clearance operations on the minefield 603 in Darlaman after the first 10 minutes break. [The Victim] also went to his lane and started operations. Using the mine detector he found a signal and marked the area by a red marker. He was setting in kneeling position in an up hill and sloppy [sloping] portion of the field and while he had his personal protective suit and visor on started to prod the area using a bayonet and during the prodding he touched the mine and it went off.

Ddasaccident409, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the 6th of April 2004 at 1252 hours the WMF Wolf MPV, assisting in route clearance operations on the road from Chiede to Malungo wa Shikongo, set off an anti tank mine. The location of the accident was 34 kms south east of Chiede. The Wolf was supporting [Demining group]'s armoured grader while route-clearance was in progress towards Malungo wa Shikongo.

Ddasaccident531, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

[The Victim], deminer, at the time of the accident his role was to act as vegetation remover. At approximately 10:20 hrs after completing vegetation removal drill, he called his peer to conduct detection drill, then he told his peer that he would go to the toilet. The toilet in the cleared minefield was constructed at the north of the cleared area, but he went outside the minefield boundary into the uncleared area instead of going to the toilet. Then he stepped on a mine just one step from the minefield boundary, buried in the walking track that villagers frequently use …

Ddasaccident458, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

[The Victim] was going away from the lane. At about 10 m distance from [Name removed], who approached the base line, he slipped with his left foot below the tape into a non-examined part of the minefield and activated a PMA-3. The working path was narrower there because of a larger rock. After the explosion, [the Victim] fell into the working path, but with his legs lying in the non-examined part. Deminer [Name removed] pulled him out into the cleared part. The tip of the left shoe was damaged. It was taken off.

Ddasaccident530, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Details of this accident have been withheld by the demining NGO that employed the Victim. A spreadsheet including the Victim’s name and very brief details of the accident was made available in 2007. Some detail can be inferred from the information made available. For example, the fact that six people were injured during excavation of a small AP blast mine implies that safety distances were being ignored and field discipline was low. The main Victim also suffered head injuries that indicate that his head protection and visor were not being worn.

Ddasaccident544, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

During the BAC operations while they were collecting the fragments and scraps [Victim No.1] found a flare that was not smoking and sound and were half buried in the ground. When he picked up the flare by his right hand it took fire and burnt his face and forearms. As the fire was strong it burnt face of [Victim No.2] too.

Ddasaccident411, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The deminer was working in his clearance lane using a heavy rake to excavate the ground. The ground was very hard and use of the light rake was limited. At approximately 0710hrs an explosion occurred under the rake. The deminer was not wearing his visor correctly and as a result incurred facial injuries as outlined below.

Itf Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2004, Itf-Enhancy Human Security

Global CWD Repository

The International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) is a humanitarian, nonprofit organization devoted to the eradication of landmines in the region of South-East Europe and the world.

When first established by the Slovenian government in March 1998, ITF was to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in solving its landmine problem, and help surviving landmine victims with physical and socio-economic rehabilitation. However, as BiH was not the only country in the region affected by landmines (see Mine-contamination in the countries of ITF operations), it made good sense for ITF to spread its operations to include all other mine-affected …