"Land mines — even 'smart' ones capable of destroying themselves — put our troops as well as innocent civilians at risk, with minimal potential benefits to our armed forces. High-level U.S. commanders have long argued that land mines are not a weapon worth keeping in our arsenal, borne out by the reluctance of many to use them during the Gulf War. A comprehensive study of anti-personnel land mine usedemonstrated that the risks of losing troops to your own land mines outweighs their potential value."
In an op-ed published by the Los Angeles Times, Professor Lesley Wexler argues that an expansion of the use of land mines will cause more problems for the U.S. military than it addresses.
Read the op-ed at latimes.com.
Note: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Illinois College of Law.