The US military’s use of anti-personnel mines will be curtailed, says President Joe Biden’s government. The country’s policy must also be more closely aligned with an international treaty banning the deadly explosives.
It is a more restrictive stance than that of former President Donald Trump – when he in turn lifted the restrictions imposed by former President Barack Obama.
According to Bonnie Jenkins, who is in charge of arms issues and international security at the US State Department, the new policy fulfills “a commitment made by President Biden as a presidential candidate”, when he described Trump’s decision as “careless”.
Under the new policy, the use of anti-personnel mines will be restricted, with the exception of the Korean Peninsula and the mines needed to help South Korea defend itself against a possible North Korean invasion.
The United States has a stockpile of three million anti-personnel mines, and according to the policy, the mines that are not needed to protect South Korea will be destroyed.
Personal mines are triggered when a person steps on them, or when someone touches a wire that triggers the mine. They can pose a deadly threat long after fighting in a particular place has ended.