White House Reverses Obama-Era Restrictions on Landmines

The Trump administration relaxed an Obama-era restriction on the use of anti-personnel landmines on January 31. Previously, the U.S. had banned the use of antipersonnel landmines outside of the Korean Peninsula, but this new ruling will now allow their use “in exceptional circumstances.” 

Landmines, which are typically hidden underground, explode when stepped on and cause “among the worst injuries” that military trauma surgeons face, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Landmine Monitor, a nongovernmental organisation, reports that of the more than 130,000 deaths attributed to landmines since 1999, the majority have been  of civilians. 

The Obama White House announced in 2014 that it would no longer produce or purchase antipersonnel landmines except to replenish stockpiles on the Korean Peninsula, considered critical to defending against North Korean troops at the 38th parallel. The measure brought the U.S. into closer alignment with the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use and possession of landmines. Although the U.S. has not formally signed the treaty, the government began spending billions of dollars to recover and safely remove landmines from more than 100 countries.

The Trump administration’s rollback of these policies, first reported by Vox, would once again allow for the deployment of antipersonnel landmines around the world. A White House statement noted that the Obama-era policy could place American forces “at a severe disadvantage during a conflict against our adversaries” and argued that allowing for the deployment of landmines would provide “the flexibility and capability” the military needs in war. This change in stance was prompted by a Pentagon review, initially ordered by then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, which found that the restrictions imposed by Obama’s policy “increased risk to mission success.” 

The Pentagon, however, stressed that the U.S. would only deploy non-persistent landmines, which are designed to self-destruct after a certain period of time to prevent civilian casualties. During a press briefing, a top Pentagon official noted that, though landmines could prove useful in conflicts involving Russia or China, their use would continue to be heavily regulated and require the direct approval of the secretary of defense.

Outside groups have questioned the necessity of landmines. Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, said that the United States had not used landmines since 1991 and that the Pentagon has failed to highlight what military challenges would require their use after such a long hiatus. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), also spoke out against the decision, calling the restrictions “the culmination of nearly 30 years of incremental steps” and urging the Trump administration to consult Congress before reversing “the gains we have made toward ending the carnage caused by landmines.”