Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Israeli Landmine Policy And Related Regional Activity, Ahron Etengoff, Gerald Steinberg

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Although the dangers posed by landmines are particularly acute in the Middle East, responses to the Ottawa Convention are limited. Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia and Qatar are State Parties, and Algeria has signed but not ratified the Ottawa Convention. The lack of signatories in the region reflects the continuing conflict and instability as well as the role that mines play in territorial defense.

In Israel, there is significant support for both the concept and effort to abolish landmines, but security considerations and continued warfare outweigh arguments in favor of accession to the Convention. Israel is active in international cooperative programs to …

The Effects Of Landmines On Women In The Middle East, Mary Ruberry

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The countries of the Middle East are beset with troubles caused by nature as well as man-made strife. The region is prey to earthquakes, droughts and flooding, and years of conflict have left the region riddled with landmines and UXO. As a result, national economies have suffered, leaving social and medical infrastructure battered and scarred. Regional turmoil has caused the flight of millions of refugees and displaced persons who survive in sparse camps, many for decades.

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 …

Non-State Actors And Their Significance, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Non-State Actors must be involved in any considerations about reducing the use of landmines, a mission which the Non-State Actors Working Group has set out to accomplish

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 …

Combating Subterranean Terror, Her Majesty Queen Noor

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Over the past 25 years, driving past Jordan Valley mine fields fenced off by barbed wire, visiting with landmine victims, or tallying the grim statistics, I have grieved for the children and adults in the Middle East routinely maimed or killed by these weapons of mass destruction in slow motion. Our region has been called the landmine heartland of the world, with an estimated 50 million mines scarring the earth from Morocco to Afghanistan. Beyond the physical and psychological torture of those who have been injured, or lost loved ones, is the further punishment of land made desolate, lost to …

New International Standards Debut October 1, 2001, Suzanne Fiederlein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On October 1, 2001 the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) officially released twenty-two documents that comprise the initial set of new International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). The standards replace the International Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations. The new standards represent the culmination of two years of work to revise and expand the old standards based on changes in practices, procedures and norms that emerged from the continuing operations of mine action programs around the globe.

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.

The Necessity Of Implementing A Public-Health Approach To Humanitarian Demining, Daniel Wolf, Steven Barmazel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Clearing mines is expensive, and demining programs usually consume funding before reaching the task of mine removal. The authors suggest ways to make demining more practical, effective and economical using a "public-health" approach.

Mine Action – A Model For Other Global Challenges?, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A few short years ago, the humanitarian demining task seemed insurmountable. Not only was the prospect of eliminating landmines as a global threat deemed unachievable, but the political and organizational landscape was new, diverse and uncharted.

Korea United: North & South Set Aside Differences To Demine, Keith Feigenbaum

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Following a historic summit between leaders from North and South Korea, efforts are underway to clear a path through the DMZ. In the South, efforts are also being made to clear the paths civilians use in areas outside the DMZ.