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Iran-Iraq: Landmine agreement signed
19.12.2005
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BAGHDAD, 18 Dec
2005 (IRIN) - The Iraqi government signed a
memorandum of understanding with Tehran last week
aimed at eliminating landmines planted in the
country during its war with Iran in the 1980s.
The defence ministry expects the accord, signed on
12 December, to result both in the eradication of
unexploded landmines as well as improved relations
with its neighbour. It is the first such agreement
between the two former enemies.
The Iran-Iraq conflict, which lasted from 1980 to
1988 and resulted in over a million casualties,
began when Iraq attacked Iran over disputed
territories.
“If we work in partnership, we can get rid of all
the mines,” said Ra’ad Shalal, a senior defence
ministry official. “Especially since Iran has
experience and information as to where landmines
were planted.”
The agreement was made on the last day of a five-day
meeting between the advisor and special envoy of the
Iraqi Defence Minister, Lt-Gen Youssef al-Emara, and
the head of Iran’s Landmine Removal Centre which is
affiliated with the Iranian defence ministry,
Hossein Vaziri.
According to Shalal, the greatest concentration of
unexploded landmines is in northern Iraq, along the
border between the two countries, particularly in
the districts of Kaladiza, Penjwin and Sharbazher.
“Based on studies done earlier this year, we found
that 25 percent of the provinces in the north of the
country are affected by unexploded landmines,” he
said.
Shalal added that some 150,000 families in the area
were endangered by the existence of unexploded
ordnance.
A joint Iraqi-Iranian committee, expected to be
established early in 2006, will be mandated with
training workers for landmine clearance. The
committee will also try to raise public awareness in
Iraq about the hazardous phenomenon.
Information on landmine-related deaths and injuries
is relatively scarce, but sources in the Iraqi
health ministry note that more than 2,000 prosthetic
limbs – often used by landmine victims – have been
needed in the last 10 years.
“With this accord we can save more lives in Iraq and
prevent more children being severely injured,”
Shalal said.
Many Iraqi landmine victims, meanwhile, complain
that aid organisations have been slow to help them
since the launch of the US-led invasion and
occupation of the country in early 2003.
“Years ago, there was always someone helping us, but
since 2003, we’ve been forgotten,” said Amira
Hussein, a landmine victim from northern Iraq. “No
aid has been released to us from any source.”
According to Shalal, all landmine victims will
eventually be registered.
He added that there was an expectation that victims
would also be compensated for their injuries.
www.irinnews.org
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