The Bush administration appears to be taking a tragic direction in its review of US policy on antipersonnel landmines. The Department of Defense, with input from the State Department and the National Security Council, recently completed its part of the administration's review, and, reportedly the Department of Defense is recommending these changes:

• The abandonment of US plans to comply with the Mine Ban Treaty by 2006.
• The cessation of efforts to eliminate dumb mines from the U.S. arsenal by 2003.
  
• The termination of the search for alternatives to antipersonnel mines.
  
• The assertion of the indefinite need for antipersonnel mines, both smart and dumb, in Korea and elsewhere, particularly in special operations.

If true, and if adopted, these recommendations will undermine this administration's avowed commitment to protect both innocent civilians. And, they will move the US away from adherence to the Mine Ban Treaty, not toward endorsement. The 1997 treaty prohibited the weapon's use, production, transfer, and stockpile. The US declined to become a signatory, on the one hand saying landmines were still needed, especially in Korea, and on the other, promising to develop alternatives and enter into the treaty by 2006.

Despite the absence of the US, the treaty has already resulted in a significant decrease of landmine injuries and deaths, the destruction of millions of stockpiled weapons, and a virtual end to the transfer of antipersonnel mines. While the US has supported mine clearance and victim assistance around the world, we have failed to join with most of the modern militaries in the world, including our major allies in the war against terrorism, in ending the use of antipersonnel landmines.

The grounds for doing so rest heavily in the weapon's indiscriminate and disproportionate impact on unarmed men, women, and children. Tens of millions of landmines remain buried in over 80 countries, and innocent civilians in Africa especially are hard hit - over 80% of landmine victims are civilians. In Angola, an estimated one in only 334 persons is an amputee, a victim of landmines.

At this stage in the administration's policy review, it is particularly valuable for both our Congress and administration to hear from you. Given current postal difficulties, we recommend that you phone or send an e-mail to

President Bush, urging that he ensure that the policy this administration authorizes takes into account the indiscriminate consequences inherent in the nature, and moves us toward, not away from, becoming a signatory to the Mine Ban Treaty. Call the White House switchboard at 202-456-1414 or send an e-mail to

Your US Representative, asking that she or he endorse a "Dear Colleague" letter initiated by Congressmen James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jack Quinn (R-NY), and Lane Evans (D-IL). In that letter they are asking their fellow members of the House to sign a letter to President Bush precisely along the lines described above. Among various ways to make contact, you can find out how to call, fax, or email your legislator, visit http://www.vote-smart.org.

For further information, see the US Campaign to Ban Landmines website, www.banminesusa.org.