If the US would have elected McCain then at least there would be a man of principles in office. I don't see what Conservatives in the US have to hate.
U.S. won't join landmine ban, administration decides - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/24/us.landmines/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn)
From Charley Keyes, CNN Senior Producer
November 24, 2009 -- Updated 2305 GMT (0705 HKT)
Washington (CNN) -- The United States won't join its NATO allies and many other countries in formally banning landmines, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said during his midday briefing Tuesday.
"This administration undertook a policy review and we decided our landmine policy remains in effect," Kelly said in response to a question. "We made our policy review and we determined that we would not be able to meet our national defense needs nor our security commitments to our friends and allies if we sign this convention."
Opponents of the U.S. landmine policy said they were surprised.
"It is a disturbing development," said Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch. "The administration never said a policy review was under way."
Goose said the decision to leave the policy in place is at odds with the administration's professed commitments to international agreements and humanitarian issues.
"The international treaty against landmines has made a a huge difference and it is a very strong deterrent," Goose said. "It has to have been a very fast and cursory review."
The United States will attend an international conference on landmines next week in Cartagena, Colombia, sending an inter-agency delegation from the State and Defense departments as observers.
Kelly said the United States continues to work with governments as well as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to help remove landmines.
"The U.S. is proud to be the world's single largest supporter of humanitarian mine action," Kelly said. "Since 1993 the U.S. has provided more than $1.5 billion worldwide dedicated to building new partnerships with more than 50 post-conflict countries and supporting efforts by dozens of NGOs to promote stability and set the stage for recovery and development through mine clearance and conventional-weapons destruction programs."
The United States is the only member of NATO that will not sign the landmine treaty, Goose said. Russia and China also have not joined the 156 nations that have endorsed the ban, he said.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Quote Originally Posted by Logic Dictates
View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/45596-barack-obullshit-us-still-wont-ban-landmines.html#post1295973)
We made our policy review and we determined that we would not be able to meet our national defense needs nor our security commitments to our friends and allies if we sign this convention."
So America protects itself and its allies through the use of landmines? Utter nonsense. Would the real reason be because Russia and China haven't signed either? Or because change is really actually bad?
Quote Originally Posted by Mr Pants
View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/45596-barack-obullshit-us-still-wont-ban-landmines.html#post1295978)
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
So America protects itself and its allies through the use of landmines? Utter nonsense. Would the real reason be because Russia and China haven't signed either? Or because change is really actually bad?
Same Old, Same Old
Well, we sure aren't worried about having to place landmines on the borders of the US to protect ourselves from invasion from Russia or China. We could wipe out their air and naval forces at the a drop of the hat.
Why we don't sign the treaty is North Korea. Landmines are vital in our defense of South Korea. That is why they always talk about the defense of our allies when they talk about this topic.
Wasn't 'Change' what Obama ran on? I think this site is liberal leaning but it is pretty entertaining:
PolitiFact | The Obameter: Tracking Barack Obama's Campaign Promises (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/)
This ain't surprising at all. The US and politicians in general are all the same...absolute SHIT!
Quote Originally Posted by Logic Dictates
View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/45596-barack-obullshit-us-still-wont-ban-landmines.html#post1295973)
The United States won't join its NATO allies and many other countries in formally banning landmines, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said during his midday briefing Tuesday.
Pricks
Obama Slammer the Power Kam Uh!
He was in China the other day with so called protection and chinese sidekicks. Looked so unreal in the newspaper. What's his plan for the future. More weapons perhaps, even more power for higher presidency or a means of more privatisation. Even better a change of currency could be on the cards considering the amount his new friends seem to be spending. i'm wondering where it's all coming from. I find it hard to come to terms with the american direction been it so confused.
Interest rates could go up to 20%...that will be when the shit really hits the fan and the world tumbles into a great depression (including China).
...but he's handsome. ...an' gives good speeches and that.
War is hell gentlemen, America is at war. I don't support the wars that we've become involved in, but if we're gonna fight, than we'd better use the same tools as our opponents. It's not like we're talking about nukes here.
You mean small arms and rockets? The insurgents in Iraq and the Taliban have very little compared with the US forces, but they're winning the war. If the US really wants to win in Afghanistan, they need to either get out now or fight like the Taliban. Pay the US soldiers more money? Would that work? They're up against fanatics. That's one of the other reasons why they are losing. The Taliban fighters are fighting for survival...the American troops are not. Eventually, we will see the US pull out just like they did in Vietnam.
Obama? He's just another politician who needs to follow his masters...the federal reserve. He ain't gonna do shit to stop the wars. He made promises, but I knew as soon as the words left his mouth he was full of shit. Another pathetic US President. I think he is worse than Bush II...he speaks all nice and sweet...but his words are empty...at least with Bush II you couldn't understand him and knew right away that he was a hawk looking to go fight wars...
The American public is being fooled once again..
AH! I see that the bloom is off the rose.[image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/pityparty.gif]
Quote Originally Posted by Lotuslevi
View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/45596-barack-obullshit-us-still-wont-ban-landmines.html#post1296429)
War is hell gentlemen, America is at war. I don't support the wars that we've become involved in, but if we're gonna fight, than we'd better use the same tools as our opponents. It's not like we're talking about nukes here.
Maybe we should get our heads out of our asses and actually follow our own damn procedures and have congress declare war. Technically, there is NO WAR IN AFGHANISTAN OR IRAQ. The assholes in congress are such big pussies they don't declare war and just let the president do everything so he can take all the blame.
The problem with Afghanistan and Iraq is I think we will have to basically declare war against all Islamists. I think in the end that is what might happen anyway so no big deal to me.
Quote Originally Posted by Lotuslevi
View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/45596-barack-obullshit-us-still-wont-ban-landmines.html#post1296429)
. It's not like we're talking about nukes here.
Not yet anyway
Well, I served as a combat engineer for 3 years and did some time doing landmine clearance in Croatia and Bosnia. Quite simply, the landmine is a very effective tool in the hands of a professional military. Further, when used by a professional military force, it's very easy to account for the position and location of each deployed weapon and removal of mines after the cessation of hostilities is not exceedingly difficult.
It's when these weapons get into the hands of non professional forces (choose your term: partisans, guerrillas, terrorists, paramilitaries, etc) that they tend to become a problem. These dingleberries tend to just plant the damned things at random and usually with the intent of targeting civilians. Banning landmines isn't going to stop these non-state actors from using such weapons as they're quite simple to make. Quick look at the IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan will show you that.
Taking landmines out of the arsenal of a regular military simply means that they'll be much more vulnerable when on the defensive as they lose the force-multiplier effect that landmines provide. It makes it that much harder to funnel an attacking force into a kill-zone.
I think it's stupid to ban them.