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Major Issues
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Landmines
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Other Foreign Policy Efforts
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Landmines
Since coming to the
Senate, Senator Leahy has been active in the international effort to ban the
production, export and use of anti-personnel landmines. In 1992,
Leahy wrote the first law enacted by any government to prohibit the
export of these weapons. He has worked in Congress to develop programs to
assist mine victims, including establishing a special fund in the
foreign aid budget. The
Leahy War Victims Fund provides $10
million annually to address the needs of disabled victims of
conflict, particularly mine victims. Leahy has also worked to
establish programs at the State and Defense Departments to support
humanitarian de-mining.
In 2005, the Nairobi Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Min-Ban
Treaty convened, marking a milestone that few would have thought
possible five years ago. |
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The 144
nations that have joined the treaty and the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines together have shown that the goal
of a worldwide landmine ban is within reach. But it will
remain beyond the world’s grasp as long as the United
States, Russia and China refuse to join this effort.
Our country
has made many contributions to the effort to de-mine areas
of the world where landmines pose the greatest danger to
innocent civilians, but our refusal to join the treaty gives
nations that are the worst offenders an excuse to do the
same. The Clinton Administration made a strong commitment
to find alternatives to these indiscriminate weapons.
Leahy is concerned that the Bush Administration did not participate
in this important conference. Leahy is hopeful that
the U.S. can begin to
look for constructive ways to lead the world toward the goal
of ending the use of these deadly weapons. |
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