The administration under Trump is bringing back the use of certain kinds of land mines, which were banned in Obama’s era. According to the U.S officials, this change in policy came in support to the military in the battlefield.
This change is expected to be announced in the White House and at the Pentagon on Friday. This will partially reverse the unilaterally decided ban, which is instituted in 2014 to prevent the confiscation and utilisation of land mines. The White House under Obama also ordered the pentagon to research for alternative ways to comply with a 1997 international treaty that is signed by 160 countries. The aim of the treaty was to ban weapons altogether, in which the U.S was not a signatory.
Trump’s administration is being criticized by the human rights groups and other who believe that the administration is resorting to illegal means to achieve upper hand in the battle field.
This change implies that military commanders will have more latitude in placing land mines to kill the opposite troops or to change their movements in the times of crisis.
According to the officials, the U.S will allow its commanders to place new kinds of mines that can be programmed to self-destruct within 30 days.
Though White House, State Department and Defence Department officials declined to comment, Defence secretary Mark Esper had recognized on Thursday that there would be a change in the policy.
Nishtha Sarabhai after working for three years in a Bank switched to writing to balance her work and home. She is a mother of two beautiful kids. She enjoys writing on Aerospace, Science and new invcentions. She has been with VMR news since its inception.