• US anti-personnel mines to Ukraine both desperate and depressing

    From ltlee1@21:1/5 to All on Sun Nov 24 15:54:48 2024
    "In the final weeks of his presidency, Joe Biden, has agreed to give
    Ukraine a further hand in shaping the land war against the Russians.

    On October 17, he granted permission for Ukraine’s armed forces to use
    the long-range ATACMS missiles against targets in Russia, a move that
    prompted the UK to do the same. Ukraine has reacted by using both
    countries’ missiles in attacks on Russian soil, prompting a stern
    warning from Moscow.

    The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, subsequently signed off on
    changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which makes it easier for Russia
    to launch a first strike.

    But Biden’s decision to send anti-personnel mines (APLs) to Ukraine to
    help it shore up its defenses against the relentless Russian offensive
    has sparked controversy. These landmines are reported to be “non-persistent,” meaning they can be set to be active for a limited
    amount of time and deactivated once their batteries fail.

    But in an era when the use of anti-personnel mines carries such a taboo
    – 164 countries (but not the US or Russia) are signatories to the Ottawa Convention (also known as the mine ban treaty) that prohibits the use, stockpiling or transfer of APLs – the move has been condemned by international humanitarian organizations."

    https://asiatimes.com/2024/11/us-anti-personnel-mines-to-ukraine-both-desperate-and-depressing/

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