Living in constant fear
Cluster bomb expert to speak at MSU Wednesday
by Nia Jonesz
Issue date: 3/3/09
Section: Speakers and Presentations
It's not a problem most citizens of the United States think about, but cluster bombs and landmines have many living in constant fear.
Virgil Wiebe, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, will speak at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Minnesota State's Ostrander Auditorium as part of the sixth annual College of Social and Behavioral Sciences advisory board lecture series.
Wiebe is a consultant to the Mennonite Central Committee, has attended United Nations conferences on landmines and weapons, addressed diplomats on international humanitarian law, serves on the Board of Directors of Mines Advisory Group America and recently served as a visiting Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.
Wiebe uses his wealth of knowledge on cluster bombs to ensure the issue is addressed by everyone involved - not just those experiencing the consequences.
"When the U.S., and in some cases Minnesota, have manufactured some of this [ammunition] that doesn't work, we should take responsibility," Wiebe said.
But the responsibility of landmines and unexploded cluster mines around the world is a large one.
According to Wiebe, 5 to 80 percent of these weapons do not go off and may be armed. The bombs, initially used during World War II but used most extensively during the Vietnam war, have been used in more than 12 countries, including Lebanon, Georgia and Laos.
It is believed that in Laos, 27-30 million bombs were dropped. Of those millions, 30 percent didn't go off. These bombs lie dormant in villages, fields, ravines and even schoolyards.
"Many of these are designed to kill or injure people or burn holes through a tank," Wiebe said. "A kid who is picking it up or a farmer that hits it won't fare well with that kind of force."
According to Wiebe, around 20,000 people are killed or injured by cluster bombs each year. But the damage caused by cluster munitions and land mines goes beyond physical injury and death.
Individuals in affected countries are often limited by fear. Areas the size of football fields are routinely avoided. Fear also means certain pieces of land are not available for farming or harvesting.
"Some stuff is just incomprehensible for those of us who haven't lived in a war zone and haven't had to deal with the consequences of it," Wiebe said.
Wiebe offers a few solutions to help prevent such consequences. His first hope is that nations will ban the weapons that have proven to be a problem by leaving ammunition behind. The U.S. has not been particularly receptive in accepting this train of thought, Wiebe said.
Another way to prevent the travesty cluster bombs can cause is by locating and cleaning the affected areas. But this reactive approach is expensive. It can cost millions of dollars to clear things such as landmines.
Wiebe encourages students to attend the presentation and get involved with a serious issue that affects so many.
"When someone else is harmed … it does a lot of harm to our global nation and to our [the U.S.'s] image around the world," he said.
Nia Jonesz is the Reporter news editor
Virgil Wiebe, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, will speak at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Minnesota State's Ostrander Auditorium as part of the sixth annual College of Social and Behavioral Sciences advisory board lecture series.
Wiebe is a consultant to the Mennonite Central Committee, has attended United Nations conferences on landmines and weapons, addressed diplomats on international humanitarian law, serves on the Board of Directors of Mines Advisory Group America and recently served as a visiting Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.
Wiebe uses his wealth of knowledge on cluster bombs to ensure the issue is addressed by everyone involved - not just those experiencing the consequences.
"When the U.S., and in some cases Minnesota, have manufactured some of this [ammunition] that doesn't work, we should take responsibility," Wiebe said.
But the responsibility of landmines and unexploded cluster mines around the world is a large one.
According to Wiebe, 5 to 80 percent of these weapons do not go off and may be armed. The bombs, initially used during World War II but used most extensively during the Vietnam war, have been used in more than 12 countries, including Lebanon, Georgia and Laos.
It is believed that in Laos, 27-30 million bombs were dropped. Of those millions, 30 percent didn't go off. These bombs lie dormant in villages, fields, ravines and even schoolyards.
"Many of these are designed to kill or injure people or burn holes through a tank," Wiebe said. "A kid who is picking it up or a farmer that hits it won't fare well with that kind of force."
According to Wiebe, around 20,000 people are killed or injured by cluster bombs each year. But the damage caused by cluster munitions and land mines goes beyond physical injury and death.
Individuals in affected countries are often limited by fear. Areas the size of football fields are routinely avoided. Fear also means certain pieces of land are not available for farming or harvesting.
"Some stuff is just incomprehensible for those of us who haven't lived in a war zone and haven't had to deal with the consequences of it," Wiebe said.
Wiebe offers a few solutions to help prevent such consequences. His first hope is that nations will ban the weapons that have proven to be a problem by leaving ammunition behind. The U.S. has not been particularly receptive in accepting this train of thought, Wiebe said.
Another way to prevent the travesty cluster bombs can cause is by locating and cleaning the affected areas. But this reactive approach is expensive. It can cost millions of dollars to clear things such as landmines.
Wiebe encourages students to attend the presentation and get involved with a serious issue that affects so many.
"When someone else is harmed … it does a lot of harm to our global nation and to our [the U.S.'s] image around the world," he said.
Nia Jonesz is the Reporter news editor
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