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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Europe, UN to help Jordan clear landmines |
| 2008-04-25 |
| AMMAN - The European Commission and the UN Development Programme signed an agreement with Jordan on Thursday to help the desert kingdom clear landmines along its northern border with Syria. The commission said in a statement it will contribute 4.5 million euros (more than seven million dollars) to a two-year plan designed to demine around 12 square kilometres (4.8 square miles) of land bordering Syria. 'Through its support, the European Commission wishes to respond to the pressing development needs of northern Jordan, in the area bordering Syria,' it said. Under the 'Northern Border Clearance Project,' to be supervised by the UNDP, a military buffer zone between the two countries will be removed. 'The risk of mine accidents for the local population of 50,000 will be removed, the border area will become less militarised and Jordan will have made significant progress towards meeting its Mine Ban Treaty obligation,' the statement said. Most landmines on the border were laid during successive Israeli-Arab conflicts. Jordan began clearing minefields as early as 1993, one year before it signed a peace treaty with Israel. At the time more than 300,000 mines were strewn over its territory, mostly in the Jordan Valley, but also near its eastern border with Iraq and the northern border with Syria. Between 1993 and 2007 more than 170,000 landmines were removed, according to the government, which last year signed a deal with NATO for a 3.4-million-euro fund to support a two-year programme to destroy unexploded ordnance. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 I read that the best way to clear landmines was to run a herd of sheep across the area, nothing goes BOOM, all is well, any BOOMS and mutton for supper. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-04-25 17:41 |
| #1 The iranians have a much cheaper way of doing it. But Jordan would have to wait for summer vacation if they wanted to do it that way. |
| Posted by: Spusosing Fillmore4183 2008-04-25 12:06 |