Chuck Hagel: “I am proud to serve as the principal Republican sponsor of this important legislation. I want to express my gratitude to…”

“I am proud to serve as the principal Republican sponsor of this important legislation. I want to express my gratitude to my colleague from Vermont, Senator Leahy, for the dedication and leadership he has shown in bringing this issue before the U.S. Senate. I approach this issue from two perspectives. First, I've had a real life experience with this issue. My brother and I were wounded twice together in Vietnam as a result of landmines. Second, I am a strong supporter of our military. It's important that we not take any action that would inhibit the military's ability to fight and win wars, do their jobs, and maintain valuable weapons options and strategies. However, we are dealing with a different world than we fought in world wars, Korea and Vietnam. Our recent military actions have been actions where we've been in and out relatively quickly. I am concerned with the effects of laying down mines and then leaving them behind when our troops leave. There are already an estimated 110 million landmines in the ground around the world, and the destruction that these mines continue to inflict on innocent lives is devastating. It's the indiscriminate nature of their killing that makes landmines so hideous. I believe this legislation addresses a number of the concerns expressed by the military. Exemptions have been provided for when the military needs specific options, such as Korea and the use of antitank mines and claymores.”