Lynn C. Woolsey: “last week a Defense Department spokesman announced that the United States is preparing to use landmines in Iraq. What an…”

“last week a Defense Department spokesman announced that the United States is preparing to use landmines in Iraq. What an insult to the 146 countries brave enough to sign the Landmine Treaty which forbids the use of landmines. Embarrassingly, the United States is not a signatory. Landmines do not know the difference between a soldier and a child. Instead of killing children, we need to educate them. Instead of seeding Iraq with explosives, we should plant seeds of peace and well-being worldwide. Instead of using landmines in Iraq, we should be cleaning up landmines in Afghanistan. Madam Speaker, the use of landmines is a step in the wrong direction. There are alternatives to war. Our problem is we have not prepared for them.”