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Full-Text Articles in Defense and Security Studies

Kosovo, Country Profile Feb 2000

Kosovo, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Serbia and Montenegro are the only two remaining Yugoslavian republics. The federation began to dissolve in June 1991, when Croatia and Slovenia declared independence. The Republic of Serbia has two autonomous provinces, Kosovo and Vojvodina, which are administratively a part of Serbia. Most of the population in Kosovo is Albanian.


The U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program In The Balkans, Matt Murphy Feb 2000

The U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program In The Balkans, Matt Murphy

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As a result of years of conflict in the Balkans, countless landmines have been laid in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. Bosnia-Herzegovina's landmine problem is severe, with an estimated 750,000 landmines and an undetermined quantity of unexploded ordnance infesting some 186 square miles of land. These hidden killers have killed and maimed hundreds, vastly impeded the return of refugees to their homes, and hindered international efforts to help people in the region.


Responding To An Emergency: An Interview With Bob Macpherson, Care, Margaret S. Busé Feb 2000

Responding To An Emergency: An Interview With Bob Macpherson, Care, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In an interview with The Journal, Bob MacPherson spoke candidly and honestly about the challenges, successes and lessons learned in effectively responding to an emergency situation. MacPherson is responsible for landmine safety and awareness and is the emergency ream leader for CARE. Throughout 1999, he has been in Kosovo coordinating activities so that civilian lives can return to a stare of normalcy. Upon finishing our conversation, he was scheduled to fly to Chechnya to try to coordinate relief efforts for that war-ravaged country.


The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 4.1 (2000), Cisr Journal Feb 2000

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 4.1 (2000), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmines in Europe and the Caucasus


The Slovenian International Trust Fund For Demining, Stephanie Schlosser Feb 2000

The Slovenian International Trust Fund For Demining, Stephanie Schlosser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On the web page of The Slovenia International Trust Fund for Deming (ITF) there is an image that, at first glance, could be an advertisement for a toy score. The image is of a child's doll. She appears bright and happy, with red ponytails and yellow ribbons, and a sunny yellow dress. The doll 's eyes glance playfully to one side, as if she is about co join a group of similarly happy friends. Suddenly, the doll's face and body change. With web animation, the doll 's right leg disappears along with her smile. Then you remember, this is a …


Notes From The Field: Bosnia, Sinisa Malesevic Feb 2000

Notes From The Field: Bosnia, Sinisa Malesevic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

One day not long ago, just as the sun was setting on the city of Doboj, Serb Republic, Jovic Mirko stepped on a Yugoslav-made PMA-2 antipersonnel mine and lost a foot. Some call him "lucky," it was only a foot, and he will sometimes agree. His misery would have been so much greater if the victim had been one of his two children. The potential for greater misery is ever present in the Mirko household. For one thing, the mine field is somewhere in their garden, right behind the house that the family moved into two years ago. On that …


The Actuator: Demining Innovations, Lee Felsenstein, Steven E. Saunders Feb 2000

The Actuator: Demining Innovations, Lee Felsenstein, Steven E. Saunders

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This approach to humanitarian demining differs from generally accepted methodology. It has not yet been tried, and the purpose of this article is to ensure that the general concept is placed in the public domain, where it may be debated and modified without considerations of intellectual property. Interval Research Corporation, where this idea originated, is not in the business of mine clearance, or of manufacturing mine clearance systems, so the idea is being passed along to the community best capable of analyzing it.


Quality Assurance: Evaluation And Certification Of Humanitarian Demining Detection Equipment, Vjera Krstelj, Josip Stepanic Jr., Irena Leljak Feb 2000

Quality Assurance: Evaluation And Certification Of Humanitarian Demining Detection Equipment, Vjera Krstelj, Josip Stepanic Jr., Irena Leljak

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

An extensive number of humanitarian demining detection equipment (HDDE) in the development phase requires a well-established set of testing facilities. A combination of enthusiastic and scientific testing exists throughout the majority of these facilities. During the last several years, the process of humanitarian demining (HD) in Croatia has begun under the intense effort of the Croatian Mine Action Center and other institutions. The success in starting and performing the clearance of various mine-affected regions was a combination of mechanical demining and a systematic approach. Mechanical demining has given good results on the agricultural terrain and in the fields of homogeneous …


Developing New Technology For Humanitarian Demining, Russell Gasser, Terry Thomas Feb 2000

Developing New Technology For Humanitarian Demining, Russell Gasser, Terry Thomas

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Despite the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars on high-tech research over the last few years, local humanitarian deminers still use traditional prodders and metal detectors. The biggest recent technical innovation has been mechanical vegetation clearance which was mostly developed in the field and bypassed the research route.


Azerbaijan, Country Profile Feb 2000

Azerbaijan, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Azerbaijan declared independence from Russia in 1918, but was incorporated in the Soviet Union in 1920. It again declared independence in August 1991, following the collapse of the USSR. The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region is still unresolved after 10 years and Baku has yet to settle disputes with its neighbors over oil rights in the Caspian Sea. During 1988-1994, Karabakh Armenians declared independence and seized almost 20 percent of the country's territory, creating an estimated 750,000 Azerbaijani refugees. As a result of the war, western Azerbaijan is plagued with land mines. Both sides have generally …


Chechnya, Country Profile Feb 2000

Chechnya, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Chechnya is not recognized internationally as a sovereign state. It declared independence from Russia in September 1991, adopting the name Chechen Republic lchkeria. ln December 1994, the Russian Federation sent troops in the republic and used mines extensively. A peace agreement was signed in 1996, including the delay of the Chechen Republic lchkeria's official status until Jan. 1, 2001. Chechen leadership currently claims the independence of their republic but Russia maintains that Chechnya is part of the Russian Federation. Chechen law has been established but Russian law still applies. The humanitarian situation in Chechnya deteriorated steadily from the end of …


Georgia, Country Profile Feb 2000

Georgia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Following the April 9, 1991, independence from the former Soviet Union, Georgia was beset by ethnic and civil strife. The continuing argument over the political status of Abkhazia resulted in war. In September 1993, Georgian forces withdrew from the Abkhazia region. Although Georgia stabilized, South Ossetia and Abkhazia remain elusive. The conflict in South Ossetia has been dormant since spring 1994, but sporadic violence continues between Abkhaz forces and Georgian partisans in western Georgia. Of their estimated population of 5,000,000, Georgia still has about 250,000 internally displaced people as a result of these conflicts. After adopting a new constitution in …


Eudem: The European Union In Humanitarian Demining, Karin De Bruyn, Claudio Bruschini, Hichem Sahli, Jan Cornelis Feb 2000

Eudem: The European Union In Humanitarian Demining, Karin De Bruyn, Claudio Bruschini, Hichem Sahli, Jan Cornelis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The EUDEM project tried to provide the European Commission, as one of the largest sponsors of research in European humanitarian demining, with a survey titled "A State of the Art on Humanitarian Demining Technology, Products and Practice." Current practices and emerging technologies were discussed so that applied research can be directed toward solving real problems. Sustainable demining has to become more than "a man with a probe."


Knights In Armored Vehicles: The Halo Trust In The Caucasus, Richard Boulter Feb 2000

Knights In Armored Vehicles: The Halo Trust In The Caucasus, Richard Boulter

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The demise of the Soviet Union and the resultant rush to establish claims over disputed areas and to assert ethnic identity led to a widespread call to arms. Nowhere was this more the case than in the Caucasus. T he former southern Caucasian "soviets" of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia have all asserted their independence from Russia and all have witnessed bloodshed resulting from inter-ethnic fighting. In the north Caucasus there has been fighting in Dagestan, lngushetia, North Ossetia and most notably in Chechnya. The virtual abandonment of former weapons stockpiles accompanied by some very definite mischief by the departing Russian …


Road Trip With A Minecat, Stephanie Schlosser Feb 2000

Road Trip With A Minecat, Stephanie Schlosser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In The Journal of Mine Action 3.2, we spotlighted the Compact 230-Minecat, a multi-role platform suitable for both military and humanitarian applications whose primary role is to be a mine-clearance vehicle. Since that article in the summer of 1999, the Minecat has had a proper education, going through a series of tests in various landscapes and in front of rough judges. Landmine clearing is serious business and before a new piece of equipment can be put on the world market, it has to prove itself in rigorous settings. After all, the real customers in the demining marker are those people …


Notes From The Field: Croatia, Marijana Prevendar Feb 2000

Notes From The Field: Croatia, Marijana Prevendar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The disintegration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, accelerated by the Communist Party's electoral defeat, spurred the Republic of Croatia to declare its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. As a result, forces from the Republic of Serbia, the largest republic in the former Yugoslavia, launched a campaign to block Croatia's drive for independence. The Croatian Serbs, backed by the Yugoslav government and armed with weapons from the Yugoslavian army, started an armed rebellion against the newly established Croatian government in 1991.


Ukraine, Country Profile Feb 2000

Ukraine, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ukraine has been struggling for its independence from several countries that have tried to consume it and minimize its boundaries. The Bolshevik Revolution prompted the Russian Ukrainians to establish a new republic in 1917 while the Austrian Ukraine waited until a year later to establish their connection with the Russian Ukraine. Ukraine was excluded from much of the decision making during the closing of World War I and Poland was given the land they wished for, Galicia, in 1919. This single act sparked war once again. The war continued as the country itself was thrown into internal turmoil and change …


Slovenia, Country Profile Feb 2000

Slovenia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Republic of Slovenia is a Central European country about the size of New Jersey, with a population of two million inhabitants. After World War I, Austria-Hungary disintegrated and Slovenia joined the new state, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The people of Slovenia voted for independence and sovereignty at a national referendum held on Dec. 23, 1990, and on June 26, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia proclaimed its independence.


Ddasaccident321, Hd-Aid Jan 2000

Ddasaccident321, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred in a mined area that had been worked on at the provincial government request since January 10th 2000. The method used was conventional manual demining. At 06:51 “while working in a dense vegetation area, the deminer used a machete to cut some branches “… He dragged the cut branches out and heard a “strange click”. He ran about “15 metres into a cleared area and took cover a few seconds before the F1-grenade exploded”.


Ddasaccident335, Hd-Aid Jan 2000

Ddasaccident335, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred on land described as “agricultural, soft ground”. The demining group was engaged in Surveys (Levels 1 and 2). He found mines one on each side of the boundary lane and showed these to the supervisor. He was told to move the markers indicating the safe lane. As he turned, he stepped on a missed mine that was between the other two.


Ddasaccident264, Hd-Aid Jan 2000

Ddasaccident264, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Team Leader could not see any devices and had turned to call the Site Supervisor at 11:50 when a BLU-97 on the other side of the fence detonated. The boy "suffered a cut nose" and the Team Leader "was deafened in his right ear and received minor metal fragmentation… to his lower right calf".


Itf Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2000, Itf-Enhancy Human Security Jan 2000

Itf Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2000, Itf-Enhancy Human Security

Global CWD Repository

ITF Annual Report 2000