March 1^st: Eleventh Anniversary of
the Mine Ban Treaty—It’s Time for
the U.S. to Join!

Tell President Obama that You Want the U.S. to Join the Mine Ban Treaty!
President Barack Obama’s administration has initiated a comprehensive review of U.S. landmine policy to determine whether the U.S. will join the Mine Ban Treaty. The USCBL needs your help to ensure that this process is timely, transparent, inclusive, and aimed at swift accession to the treaty. March is also a special month for us—March 1 marks the eleventh anniversary of the day the Mine Ban Treaty entered into force, and April 4 is the International Day for Mine Awareness. Make your voice heard during this important month and tell the administration that citizens like you want to end the use of this barbaric weapon once and for all.Join the call to action now!

Why U.S. Accession to the Mine Ban Treaty Is So Important:
The U.S. has not used antipersonnel landmines since 1991, has not exported them since 1992 and has not produced them since 1997. However, the U.S. is still one of only 39 countries that have not yet joined the Mine Ban Treaty. U.S. participation in the treaty is important. Even though landmine use has been significantly reduced worldwide, a few countries refuse to join—and even continue to use landmines—under the cover that they will not join if the U.S. has not joined. The U.S. also currently retains the right to use the 10.4 million antipersonnel landmines still stockpiled in U.S. arsenals. Learn more!

The Impact of Landmines:
Survivor Accounts
My son Travis, a U.S. Marine, was killed by a piece of unexploded ordnance during a clearance project in Karbala, Iraq, on July 2, 2003. After he was killed, my mission became to raise awareness about landmines and cluster bombs. While visiting landmine survivors in Cambodia, I witnessed what children live with on a daily basis and consider normal. One child I met lost his arm, leg and eye to a landmine that he picked up in his schoolyard. Others walk to class each day on a path surrounded by minefields. I thought to myself, “This is so very wrong. This is not the way children should grow up.” – Lynn Bradach, USCBL spokesperson. Read more of Lynn’s blog!.