Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Strategic Planning In Yemen, Tim Lardner, Matt Craig

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The first ever Landmine Impact Survey was completed in Yemen in July 2000 by the Mine Clearance Planning Agency. With the help of Cranfield Mine Action, Yemen has been developing a strategy to maximize the efficiency of its mine action program.

Technology Needs: Mine Clearance In Egypt And Jordan, James Trevelyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

I visited Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon in September and October 1999 to learn about mine clearance techniques being used in the Middle East (Trevelyan 2000). This paper summarizes some of my observations and suggestions for further developments.

Response To Bob Keeley’S Letter To The Journal Of Mine Action, Daniel Wolf, Steven Barmazel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

We appreciate Bob being "picky" in examining our article on applying a public-health approach to demining. The lives at stake in demining are worth the extra care. As it happens, we generally agree with his views.

First, let’s do get our terminology straight. Thanks, Bob, for the lesson in British diction. We had hoped that placing the modifier mechanical before detonator would make our intentions clear. That it did not, we apologize to our readers. More substantive issues await us.

As Bob rightly points out, our ideas are not new. The public-health/cost-benefit approach predates the birth of everyone reading these …

Current Mine Action Situation In Afghanistan, Susanna Sprinkel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Millions of landmines littering Afghani soil pose a horrifying threat to civilians fleeing their homelands and soldiers entering the area in response to the rising war on terrorism. Meanwhile, those attempting to clear these lands face their own malicious enemies.

Mine Field Breaching In Desert Storm, Thomas Houlahan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During the Gulf War, Iraqi troops laid over seven million mines throughout Kuwait, which resulted in a need for advanced techniques allowing American troops to quickly breach landmine-afflicted areas.

Landmine Impact Survey In The Republic Of Yemen, Qadeem K. Tariq

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Republic of Yemen is located in the Middle East, bordering Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the northeast, the Gulf of Aden to the south and the Red Sea to the west with an area of 550,000 square kilometers and a population of approximately 15 million. The country is divided into 19 administrative units, called governorates.

Landmines in Yemen were laid as a result of several separate conflicts over a period of about 30 years, starting during the 1962—1975 conflicts between the Republicans and Royalists in the north. In addition, landmines were laid during the 1963—1967 war of …

The Quantification Of Safety And Risk: A Critical Review, Peter Schoeck

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

It is shown that the concept "safety factor," as presently used as a criterion for declaring a demined area safe for use, is impractical and should be replaced by its complement, called "risk factor," which stands for the ratio of the size of the mine-polluted portion of a demined field to its total area. An equation expressing the risk as a function of the efficiencies of the demining processes applied is developed. The limitations of applying this equation in the quantification of the risk are then shown by means of a case study. The necessity of an error analysis for …

Efficient Level 2 Surveys Using Mechanical Detonators: Returning More Land, Creating More Wealth, Saving More Lives, Daniel Wolf, Steven Barmazel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The biggest problem facing demining enterprises is this: productivity of individual deminers is so low that total labor costs per unit of land cleared remain exorbitant—despite minuscule wages in mine-affected countries. Clearing agricultural land in developing countries typically costs many times the land’s expected mine-free annual revenues. Most remediation is uneconomic for public and private parties alike, and funding is never enough.

Global Focus On Landmines In Afghanistan, Joe Lokey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Even though it has one of the longest running mine clearance programs, Afghanistan is still believed to be one of the most severely mine-affected countries in the world. The Mine Action Program in Afghanistan (MAPA), a United Nations-supported entity, is one of the largest and most successful national programs in the world and one almost exclusively run by the Afghans themselves with fewer than a dozen or so of the 5,000-person workforce being non-nationals.

What The Dog’S Nose Knows, Ian Mclean

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mine clearance is an ongoing process that is both tedious and expensive. Mine detection dogs are one tool in the toolbox. These dogs are far from fool-proof, yet they are constantly making strides in assisting demining efforts worldwide.

Background On The Mine/Uxo Problem, Mohamed Ahmen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Twenty-two years of conflict have left a significant number of unfenced and unmarked mine fields in southern Lebanon, requiring strong coordination between various organizations in order to meet emergency demands.

Cost Effectiveness Of The Ethiopian And Eritrean Demining Programs, Michael Litzelman, Wayne Perry

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Long after anti-personnel landmines (AP) were planted to gain military advantage in battle, they continue to destroy lives by killing and maiming civilians and livestock, inhibiting productivity and preventing economies from developing in poor, third world countries. Landmines contribute to political instability in regions vital to the United States. The U. S. Department of State claims that there are approximately 85 to 200 million mines in 63 countries, producing approximately 15,000 casualties per year, an average of 70 people per day, or 500 people every week, most of them innocent civilians (DOS 1994). Of these, an estimated 9,500 people are …

Comments On The "Detonation" Approach, Robert Keeley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Daniel Wolf and Steven Barmazel discussed the Public Health approach to demining in an article entitled "The Necessity of Implementing a Public-Health Approach to Humanitarian Demining," making some very valid points. However, Robert Keeley points out some problems with this approach that he feels need to be addressed before this method can be successful.

U.S. Humanitarian Demining In The Middle East, Stacy L. Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United States seeks to relieve human suffering caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) while promoting U.S. foreign policy interests. U.S. objectives are to reduce civilian casualties, create conditions for the safe return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes and reinforce an affected country’s stability. The U.S. seeks to accomplish these objectives by helping to establish and support sustainable indigenous mine action capabilities in mine-affected nations where appropriate. Since fiscal year 1993, the United States has committed almost $500 million (U.S.) to global mine action initiatives, including research and development and survivor assistance. Nearly $90 million (U.S.) …

The Southern African Development Community’S Technical Advisors Course, Salomon Schreuder, Kevin Bolton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With funding and support from South African and international groups, the SADC teams up with IMEESA to improve deminers’ management and technology skills.

The Development Of The Spatial Information Clearinghouse In Support Of Humanitarian Demining, Helmut Kraenzle, Gina Beale

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The James Madison University’s Geographic Science Team’s humanitarian demining project focuses on the development of a web-based Spatial Information Clearinghouse, which provides information on spatial data issues, Global Information Systems, and data systems. It also tracks where spatial data for different countries can be found.

On The Cutting Edge Of Landmine Technology, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The tools and technology of the demining world are constantly developing and improving. This article briefly describes several new instruments and techniques currently being developed that will hopefully aid in future demining activity.

Mine Detection Dogs In Central America: An Optimum Technology?, Jaime Perales

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Using mine detection dogs offers many benefits as well as challenges. In the often rough terrain of Central America, dogs can detect mines where machinery is useless, yet climate and disease pose threats to the dogs’ effectiveness and sometimes even their survival.

Fixor: A New Approach To Neutralizing Landmines And Uxo, C.J. (John) Anderson, A.W. (Bill) Bauer

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Canada’s MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited introduces a new approach to neutralizing landmines and UXO.

Imsma And Its Use In Nicaragua, Country Profile, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) was created to coordinate and manage information pertaining to land mine activity. The system was designed to be the source for establishing international standards on mine-related information in order to assist humanitarian demining efforts worldwide.

Feedback Prodders: A Training Tool To Improve Deminer Safety, Russell Gasser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Improved feedback prodders inform deminers of the amount of force exerted and alert them when the prodder’s angle approached or exceeds the 30 degree limit.

Quantum Magnetics Targets Landmine Explosives Using Quadrupole Resonance, Caroleen L. Williams, Peter Czipott, Lowell Burnett

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

San Diego-based Quantum Magnetics did not intend to develop the world’s best landmine detection technology, but it just might turn out that way. For the past five years, the company has been working to develop landmine detection technology that would be so specific and effective that it would minimize false alarms, thus saving lives and limbs of U.S. soldiers, citizens and landmine sweepers alike. Although Quantum Magnetics is also developing other security-related technologies for applications such as bomb, drug and concealed-weapon detection, it has continued to keep its core objective on course, and its scientists continue to concentrate on solving …

Bombs Away: A Proactive Approach, Lisa M. Vanada

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

UXO clearance in Guam and the Pacific Islands is considered mostly "emergency removal." The Journal examines how improper disposal, fatalities and a lack of survey or accident data compounds the problem for this region.

Rhino In Cambodia, Manfred Joehnk

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

RHINO, a large and powerful demining tool geared towards large clearance operations, has been put to the test--both on testing grounds and in the field. The result: a level of performance and operability that alleviates the concerns of critics.

Uxo Clearance In Guam And The Pacific Islands Is Considered Mostly "Emergency Removal." The Journal Examines How Improper Disposal, Fatalities And A Lack Of Survey Or Accident Data Compounds The Problem For This Region., Ruth Bottomley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Despite the dangers, villagers often resort to clearing mine fields, especially when the use of valuable agricultural lands is at stake. This practice is a common topic for discussion in the demining community, although it is far from being resolved.

The Mineseeker Airship: 'Supporting The U.N.', Elizabeth A. Cramer

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Lightship Group and the Defense Research and Evaluation Agency team up to help survey mine fields from above. Airship completed its flagship mission in 2000.

Koch Mine Safe And The Cordon Sanitaire Clearance Program, Henry Thompson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Through the work of Koch GmbH and Mine-Tech, the 359 km-long Cordon Sanitaire in Zimbabwe is being demined in one of the first humanitarian demining efforts of its kind.

K9 Demining Corp To Aid Clearance Efforts In Lebanon, Elizabeth A. Cramer

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Marshall Legacy Institute, with major contributions from the Humpty Dumpty Institute, is contributing six mine detection dogs to the Lebanese Army's mine clearance team.