Countless animals are mine casualties. Water buffaloes, the tractors on many Vietnamese farms, have misstepped and destroyed the lives of peasant families. The New York Times ran a picture of an elephant with its ankles bandaged, a land-mine victim. This was a working mother who had her cub with her as she hauled logs in Thailand. They had nothing to do with the wars that left the mines.
American eyes glaze over when the subject of land mines comes up.
Although 139 countries signed up, President Bill Clinton, facing visceral opposition and the unremitting hostility of the Pentagon, could not join in. Muller rounded up 14 retired generals and admirals who said that we could perfectly well defend ourselves and our allies without land mines, but it was to no avail. Apart from everything else, the military would not give Clinton the satisfaction of a humanitarian victory. Leahy, like other anti-land mine crusaders, is hopeful of real progress with a Bush in the White House. The military dotes on him and might let him succeed where Clinton failed.