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Article: Buried in the sand: the succession of wars in the Middle East has left a dangerous legacy of unexploded landmines.(MINES & DEMINING)
- Article from:
- MEED Middle East Economic Digest
- Article date:
- August 11, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 MEED Middle East Economic Digest. All Rights Reserved. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The carnage suffered by both sides is the clearest common factor between the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the recent Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon. A less obvious link is the abrupt end brought to two of the Middle East's most advanced landmine clearance programmes. Unexploded landmines are in general, a topic accorded little publicity in the region. Yet they are present in virtually every country from North Africa through the Levant to the Gulf, endangering civilian lives and hindering economic development.
The extent and roots of the problem vary widely. Only the GCC states are largely mine-free. Kuwait was heavily mined during the Iraqi ...