Political Quotes

“last week marked an important milestone in the campaign to rid the world of antipersonnel landmines. On September 17, Mozambique, where two decades ago an estimated 200,000 unexploded landmines were left over from a brutal 15-year civil war, became the first country with large-scale mine contamination to have all known minefields cleared. While accidents due to unknown mines and other unexploded ordnance in Mozambique will occasionally occur in the future as they still do in Europe 70 years after World War II, the number is a tiny fraction of what it once was, and it will continue to decline. The State Department recognized this milestone in a statement, which included the following: Since 1993, when Mozambique emerged from decades of conflict as one of the world's most landmine-affected nations, the United States has been proud to partner with the people of Mozambique, investing more than $55 million toward improving the safety and security of local communities though the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction program. Through that partnership--which includes the international donor community and humanitarian demining organizations--we have worked diligently to safely clear landmines and unexploded ordnance, prevent injuries through community outreach and education, and provide medical and social services to survivors of accidents involving these legacies of past conflicts.…”