Patrick Leahy: “my amendment, which has been accepted by both sides, would authorize funding for the identification and development of…”

“my amendment, which has been accepted by both sides, would authorize funding for the identification and development of alternatives to anti-personnel landmines, including those used in mixed mine systems. I want to thank Chairman Thurmond and Senator Levin for their invaluable assistance, patience and support in getting this amendment adopted. This is a modest but important amendment. Contrary to what some misinformed people have suggested, it does not ban anti-personnel landmines. There is an international Convention that has been signed by 126 nations, including every one of our NATO allies except Turkey, which bans the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, but that is not this amendment. I mention it, though, because the White House recently committed the United States Government to sign that Convention when alternatives to anti-personnel mines are available, and to search aggressively for alternatives. They set a target date of 2006 for signing the Convention, and last September President Clinton announced that the United States will stop using anti-personnel mines outside Korea by 2003.”