March 12, 2002

George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

March 1 marked the 3-year anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty's entry into force. We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to urge you to bring the United States on board this historic agreement. We understand that your administration is in the midst of a formal review of U.S. landmine policies. We hope you will take this opportunity to renounce this weapon of terror that does not discriminate between soldiers and children.

Often called "weapons of mass-destruction in slow motion," landmines indiscriminately maim and kill 15,000-20,000 people each year in more than 80 nations. Most of the victims are civilians, and approximately one-third of them are children. Farming, travel, and economic development are severely inhibited by the terrifying presence of mines. For this reason, nearly three quarters of the world's nations, including all of NATO (except for the United States and Turkey), have banned the weapon.

We commend the United States for its generous support of demining and landmine victim assistance. These programs should continue and should be strengthened. However, U.S. political support of the global landmine ban is also vital. Our government's reluctance to participate in this successful accord gives political cover to armies that continue to use the weapon with disastrous civilian consequences.

Current U.S. policy mandates that the U.S. moves toward compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty by the year 2006 if certain military conditions are met. Notably, in May of 2001, 8 senior, retired U.S. admirals and generals, including a former commander of U.S. troops in Korea, wrote to you stating that antipersonnel landmines "are outmoded weapons that have, time and again, proved to be a liability to our own troops. We believe that the military, diplomatic, and humanitarian advantages of speedy U.S. accession [to the treaty] far outweigh the minimal military utility of these weapons" (see attached). Moreover, last November, more than 500 U.S. veterans from all 50 states sent a similar letter, reminding you that mines have caused over 100,000 U.S. Army casualties since 1942, including one-third of all casualties in Vietnam and in the Gulf War. Sadly, it comes as no surprise that American soldiers have recently had limbs blown off by landmines in Afghanistan.

It is our understanding that as part of this policy review process, the Defense Department recommended that you abandon all U.S. efforts to join the Mine Ban Treaty. However, 124 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, recently asked you not to heed these recommendations and encouraged you to eliminate antipersonnel landmines from the U.S. arsenal.

Last year at this time, more than 250 Americans and additional people from more than 70 countries came together in Washington, D.C. for Ban Landmines Week where they met with more than 300 Congressional offices and asked the U.S. government to prioritize this issue. We believe that our nation is above using weapons of terror such as landmines. As humanitarian, religious, human rights, veterans, arms control, and medical organizations, we represent a wide cross-section of American values and constituencies. The humanitarian, military, and diplomatic reasons to join the Mine Ban Treaty are so compelling that we are hopeful your administration will now find a way for our country to join the global ban of this indiscriminate weapon.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

The following major organizations based in the United States:

• Adorers of Christ's Blood
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• American Nurses Association
• Africa Action
• Africa Faith and Justice Network
• American Medical Student Association
• Americans for Democratic Action
• American Public Health Association
• American Veterans Committee
• Arms Control Association
• Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
• CARE
• Center for International Policy
• Center for United Nations Reform
• Center for Arms Control and Proliferation
• Council for a Livable World
• Church of the Brethren Washington Office
• Church World Service
• Christian Children's Fund
• Clearpath International
• Committee of Concerned Scientists
• Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
• The Episcopal Church
• Equality Now
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Federation of American Scientists
• Fellowship of Reconciliation
• Foundation World without Mines
• Friends Committee on National Legislation
• The Fund for Peace
• Global Exchange
• Handicap International (USA)
• Human Rights Watch
• International Eye Foundation
• International Council of Ophthalmology
• International Institute for Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Landmine Survivors
• International Pediatric Association
• The International Rescue Committee
• Jesuit Refugee Service USA
• Landmine Survivors Network
• Lutheran Peace Fellowship
• Lutheran World Relief
• Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns
• Mennonite Central Committee, U.S.
• Missionaries of Africa, North American Province
• National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses
• National Council of Churches of Christ
• National Peace Corps Association
• NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
• Operation USA
• Peace Action
• Peace and Justice Alliance
• Peace & Justice Resource Center
• Physicians Against Land Mines
• Physicians for Human Rights
• Physicians for Social Responsibility
• Presbyterian Church of the USA
• Refugees International
• Roots of Peace
• Saferworld
• Save the Children Federation USA
• School Sisters of Notre Dame
• SHALOM North America
• Society of African Missions, Office of Justice and Peace
• Steering Committee of the Militarism and Violence Resolution Issue
• Group of the Interfaith
• Center on Corporate Responsibility
• United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
• Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
• United Methodist Church -General Board of Church and Society
• United Nations Association
• U.S. Fund for UNICEF
• Veterans for Peace
• Voices in the Wilderness
• Women's Action for New Directions
• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, USA
• Women Legislators' Lobby
• Women of Reform Judaism, The Federation of Temple Sisterhoods
• Women for Peace
• World Federalist Association
• World Vision

Catherine Gordon
Associate for International Issues
Washington Office, Presbyterian Church (USA)
110 Maryland Ave. Suite 104
Washington, DC 20002
www.pcusa.org/washington
Phone: 202-543-1126
Fax: 202-543-7755