The factsheet released this quarter by the ICBL makes for a sobering read: over 300 landmines, cluster bombs and anti-personnel mines are destroyed every day by careless children wandering into the minefields of Afghanistan, Cambodia, Laos, Angola, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Chechnya, Lebanon, Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Sahara, Chad, Eritrea, Tajikistan, The Sudan and Uganda.

Since the use of landmines is now frowned upon, and no army or militia currently deploys them on a large scale, they have become rare and important items of military history. Triumphs of engineering such as the BLU-91, the Flachmine 17, the Na-Mi-Ba, the Pignone P-1 and P-2, the TQ-Mi and the YaM-5 Box Mine are in danger of being wiped out completely by the straying children.

But they are not the ones truly at fault here; it is to their parents that the responsibility ultimately falls. We all have a tacit moral obligation to preserve our martial history, none moreso than those who live and work in former war zones and therefore in close proximity to obsolete and treasured explosive devices.

For shame, parents of these historical vandals. If you really live in such poverty as you claim, can you not spare five minutes from your 'busy' schedules to school your children in the importance of respecting our military heritage?

The situation cannot continue as it has been continuing. The plight of undetonated ordinance today might be likened to that of an endangered biological species. Let us redouble our efforts to preserve our precious landmines, lest we lose the art of explosive maiming and killing altogether.

Link: http://www.icbl.org

	- by Patrick Pending (Editor-in-Chief)
Your a very sick Man. Perhaps you need to go for a long walk.. I would suggest Bosnia as it is probably nearest and we wouldn't want you to tire yourself out. Don (celticdon@hotmail.co.uk), 11:00, 19 June 2008 Post a comment Name 3 + 4 = (security to avoid spam) Email (optional)