Most of the landmines in Cambodia were put there by the Khmer Rouge, not the Americans.
When I was in Cambodia, I saw the results of what landmines did, they're fucking horrific. They aren't designed to kill someone, but to only blow their foot off and maim them.
I believe that they're one of the most barbaric weapons of war. It's a damn shame that the USA, China, and Russia won't ratify the Ottawa Convention.
I don't think it's fair to list the US on that list in the same sense as China and Russia.
The US has declared that it's going to abide by the treaty except on the Korean peninsula, which is entirely about the mines in the Korean DMZ meant to stop North Korean tanks from rolling in.
That's not comparable to the general use of anti-personnel landmines in warfare. It's a specific cordoned off area with big signs surrounding it saying "enter here and die".
It would increase sales too. Seems that would heighten interest. How would the mine know when to start degrading through? Having that happen during storage would be unfortunate.
Me too, good point. However I understand that some explosives degrade in such a way that they get more unstable rather than less, so the problems may remain.
Reminded me of the Takata airbag recall. From this article:
"A propellant made with ammonium nitrate would swell and shrink with temperature changes, and eventually the tablet would break down into powder. Water and humidity would speed the process. Powder burns more quickly than a tablet, so an air bag whose propellant had crumbled would be likely to deploy too aggressively."
When I was in Cambodia, I saw the results of what landmines did, they're fucking horrific. They aren't designed to kill someone, but to only blow their foot off and maim them.
I believe that they're one of the most barbaric weapons of war. It's a damn shame that the USA, China, and Russia won't ratify the Ottawa Convention.