March 12, 2002

George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

March 1 marked the 3-year anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty's entry into force. We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to urge you to bring the United States on board this historic agreement. We understand that your administration is in the midst of a formal review of U.S. landmine policies. We hope you will take this opportunity to renounce this weapon of terror that does not discriminate between soldiers and children.

Often called "weapons of mass-destruction in slow motion," landmines indiscriminately maim and kill 15,000-20,000 people each year in more than 80 nations. Most of the victims are civilians, and approximately one-third of them are children. Farming, travel, and economic development are severely inhibited by the terrifying presence of mines. For this reason, nearly three quarters of the world's nations, including all of NATO (except for the United States and Turkey), have banned the weapon.

We commend the United States for its generous support of demining and landmine victim assistance. These programs should continue and should be strengthened. However, U.S. political support of the global landmine ban is also vital. Our government's reluctance to participate in this successful accord gives political cover to armies that continue to use the weapon with disastrous civilian consequences.

Current U.S. policy mandates that the U.S. moves toward compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty by the year 2006 if certain military conditions are met. Notably, in May of 2001, 8 senior, retired U.S. admirals and generals, including a former commander of U.S. troops in Korea, wrote to you stating that antipersonnel landmines "are outmoded weapons that have, time and again, proved to be a liability to our own troops. We believe that the military, diplomatic, and humanitarian advantages of speedy U.S. accession [to the treaty] far outweigh the minimal military utility of these weapons" (see attached). Moreover, last November, more than 500 U.S. veterans from all 50 states sent a similar letter, reminding you that mines have caused over 100,000 U.S. Army casualties since 1942, including one-third of all casualties in Vietnam and in the Gulf War. Sadly, it comes as no surprise that American soldiers have recently had limbs blown off by landmines in Afghanistan.

It is our understanding that as part of this policy review process, the Defense Department recommended that you abandon all U.S. efforts to join the Mine Ban Treaty. However, 124 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, recently asked you not to heed these recommendations and encouraged you to eliminate antipersonnel landmines from the U.S. arsenal.

Last year at this time, more than 250 Americans and additional people from more than 70 countries came together in Washington, D.C. for Ban Landmines Week where they met with more than 300 Congressional offices and asked the U.S. government to prioritize this issue. We believe that our nation is above using weapons of terror such as landmines. As humanitarian, religious, human rights, veterans, arms control, and medical organizations, we represent a wide cross-section of American values and constituencies. The humanitarian, military, and diplomatic reasons to join the Mine Ban Treaty are so compelling that we are hopeful your administration will now find a way for our country to join the global ban of this indiscriminate weapon.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

The following major organizations based in the United States:

Adorers of Christ's Blood
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Nurses Association
Africa Action
Africa Faith and Justice Network
American Medical Student Association
Americans for Democratic Action
American Public Health Association
American Veterans Committee
Arms Control Association
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
CARE
Center for International Policy
Center for United Nations Reform
Center for Arms Control and Proliferation
Council for a Livable World
Church of the Brethren Washington Office
Church World Service
Christian Children's Fund
Clearpath International
Committee of Concerned Scientists
Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
The Episcopal Church
Equality Now
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Federation of American Scientists
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Foundation World without Mines
Friends Committee on National Legislation
The Fund for Peace
Global Exchange
Handicap International (USA)
Human Rights Watch
International Eye Foundation
International Council of Ophthalmology
International Institute for Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Landmine Survivors
International Pediatric Association
The International Rescue Committee
Jesuit Refugee Service USA
Landmine Survivors Network
Lutheran Peace Fellowship
Lutheran World Relief
Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns
Mennonite Central Committee, U.S.
Missionaries of Africa, North American Province
National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses
National Council of Churches of Christ
National Peace Corps Association
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Operation USA
Peace Action
Peace and Justice Alliance
Peace & Justice Resource Center
Physicians Against Land Mines
Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Presbyterian Church of the USA
Refugees International
Roots of Peace
Saferworld
Save the Children Federation USA
School Sisters of Notre Dame
SHALOM North America
Society of African Missions, Office of Justice and Peace
Steering Committee of the Militarism and Violence
Resolution Issue Group of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
United Nations Association
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Veterans for Peace
Voices in the Wilderness
Women's Action for New Directions
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, USA
Women Legislators' Lobby
Women of Reform Judaism, The Federation of Temple Sisterhoods
Women for Peace
World Federalist Association
World Vision

Additional State and Local Organizations that Have Signed Onto the Letter:

Atlanta American Friends Service Committee Africa Peace Education Program
Atlanta Chapter of the United Nations Association-USA
Board of Church and Society, California-Nevada Annual Conference of United Methodist Church
Children Against LandMines, Grade 5, St. Francis School of Morgantown
Dominican Sisters of San Rafael
Ecumenical Peace Institute/CALC of Berkeley, CA
First St. John's United Methodist Church of San Francisco
Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice
Iowa Peace Network
Iowa State Public Policy Group, Inc.
Medford Greens
Milwaukee Campaign to Ban Landmines
Minnesota Campaign to Ban Landmines
Minnesota Public Policy Group, Inc.
Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment
Nebraska Public Policy Group, Inc.
NYU School of Medicine Center for Health and Human Rights
Pax Christi St. Cloud
Peace Action of North Carolina
People Against LandMines, Grade 4, St. Francis School of Morgantown
Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi Morgantown, WV
Presbyterian Women in the Congregation of the 1st Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino, CA
South Dakota Peace & Justice Center
Seattle Colombia Committee
Seattle 9/11 Peace Coalition
Students Everywhere Against Landmines, Grade 6, St. Francis School of Morgantown
Theosophical Order of Service, Peace Department, PA
United Methodist Women, Alum Rock United Methodist Church
United Nations Association, Riverdale Chapter
Wake County, NC Chapter of Lutheran Peace Fellowship
West Triangle, North Carolina Chapter of the United Nations Association
West Virginia University Chapter of Physicians for Human Rights
West Virginia University School of Medicine Alumni Association
Veterans for Peace of Southeast Florida