Britain has been urged to withdraw from the key landmine and cluster bomb treaties to counter the deteriorating global security situation, former defence secretary Ben Wallace has said.
With Russia’s military might growing and the US disengaging from Nato, Mr Wallace said that unless the treaties were updated, “we must leave them”.
A key driver argued in a paper published by the Policy Exchange think tank was the growing threat of Russia invading Eastern Europe after its aggression against Ukraine. Cluster bombs and landmines are estimated to have caused more than 300,000 Russian casualties, preventing them from taking more territory.
Now with several Eastern European countries indicating that they will withdraw from the treaties, this could create a “domino effect” across the continent, the paper said.
But global de-mining charities warned that more people would die as a result of any treaty withdrawal and that the tactical use of anti-personnel mines was outweighed by the civilian harm they caused.
With Africa, Afghanistan and South-East Asia particularly affected by decades of landmines being sown during the Cold War, their legacy has caused countless civilian deaths and traumatic injuries. As a result, in 1997 the Ottawa Treaty was agreed by 133 states, banning the use of anti-personnel mines.
Cluster bombs, which are made up of a single device spreading about 100 bomblets over an area of several football pitches, were also banned in 2008 in the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Treaty outdated
But “a lot has changed” since then, said Mr Wallace, who was defence secretary during Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He had first-hand experience of how the Ottawa Treaty prevented Britain and other allies supplying Ukraine with important munitions.
“I was beset by lawyers applying old and out-of-date treaties to new capabilities which are vital to saving life and countering Russian lethality,” he said in a foreword to the paper. The bans had become “tools for our adversaries to use to their advantage” and unless the treaties were “updated to reflect modern security imperatives, we must leave them”.
Domino effect
That intent has already been indicated by Poland, Finland and the Baltic States stating their desire to withdraw.
“Are we now going to see a domino effect over the next few months against the backdrop of a deteriorating security situation on Europe’s eastern flank?” the Policy Exchange paper asked.
[The] tactical utility of anti-personnel mines is outweighed by the civilian harm they cause
Mines Advisory Group
But given the global insecurity, the British government should urgently consider joining them to lead a more co-ordinated change that would act as a significant deterrent to Russia, it said.
More pressingly, with America now disengaging with Europe and Russia’s military power base expanding, “decisive action” was needed to increase stockpiles of the “critical weapons”.
Cluster bombs and landmines, which can remain in place for years after the fighting has finished, are highly effective defensive weapons to deter invasion and wear down an invading force, as demonstrated by Ukraine.
Cost to attackers
With divergence in the Nato alliance coming to a head under US President Donald Trump and the security of American military might no longer guaranteed, Europe could be fatally undermined in its ability to defend itself.
Modern warfare had also demonstrated the ease with which mines could be planted, with drones or missiles able to bury them behind enemy formations to hamper a retreat.
This had allowed Ukraine “to cede ground slowly while exacting a disproportionate cost to the attacker”.
Therefore, in any future war with Russia the arms would be “crucial weapons”, especially with cluster munitions able to the job of several artillery shells or rockets, the paper said.
Cluster bombs could halt a fast-moving Russian offensive with their ability to “saturate and destroy” concentrated armoured forces.
The current agreements restricted Europe’s defences therefore the British government should “urgently lay the legal framework to withdraw from both treaties” that will help them “actually fight and win a war with Russia", the paper concluded.
Withdrawal condemned
The Mines Advisory Group, a de-mining organisation, told The National that experience showed the “tactical utility of anti-personnel mines is outweighed by the civilian harm they cause”, something it witnesses daily.
“We recognise that there are no easy choices for states that feel under threat of armed aggression, but international humanitarian law is designed precisely for times like these, when people are in the gravest danger and the risk of conflict is at its highest,” a spokesman said.
The Halo Trust, which has removed millions of mines around the world, said it understood “the deadly nature of landmines better than most” and the treaty had been “instrumental in saving millions of people’s lives”.
But it also recognised that the invasion of Ukraine “has created a new reality for the defence of Eastern Europe”.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group C
Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
Oppenheimer
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Race card:
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m
7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m
10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m
Company%20Profile
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
