Iraqi shepherds bring in a new crop - landmines

If you need another reason to support the landmine treaty....

Risking their lives, Iraqi shepherds are increasingly venturing into these deadly fields to dig up mines planted during the Iran-Iraq war two decades ago, according to U.S. soldiers, who say insurgents then use the mines to fashion roadside bombs that kill American troops.....

"They're going out there and farming them," said Capt. Jesse Stewart.... "Shepherds are digging them up and selling them on the black market."

One of the great unreported fiascos of this extended war is that the US has allowed a training ground and test bed for guerilla tactics and technology.

There has been a ton of press about the EFP's, but what's getting severely underreported is that their development, application, and tactical use were greatly hastened by Hezbullah's use of them against the Israelis last summer, and now that knowledge has spread into Iraq.

Similarly, Iraqi style IED technology is beginning to show up in Afghanistan and attacks against Pakistan. Even the tactical applications are spreading. Look at the "complex" two stage attack yesterday in Afghanistan.

Going back a little further, it was the IRA that "perfected" the car bomb and many other improvised explosives, and much of that technology has since shown up in other conflicts around the world including Iraq.

We will be facing the technologies and tactics honed in Iraq for decades, and we can only expect them to metastatize into other regions and conflicts.

So, when I read about "farming" land mines for IED's, I can't help but thinking about the 50-80 million landmines spread across some 80 countries.

And, the US still refuses to sign the landmine treaty.