Are 'Mines' Always Bad?

Human Rights Watch just put out a press release saying that the Pentagon is about to start making mines again--and shipping some to Iraq. That may be a  bad thing, since  mines   are historically among the most indiscriminate weapons around, killing kids and farmers  years after they were planted.

But, it's worth noting that the mine being shipped to Iraq, known as the Matrix system, may not be in the same category. While most mines are detonated by the target itself--"victim-activated"--the new-fangled Matrix apparently is command-detonated. That is, it will only blow when somebody pushes a button.

I just spoke to the folks at HRW, who said they have no problem with such a device. Their objection is that the Matrix may have an override that turns the thing back into a traditional mine. (The Pentagon has refused to say one way or the other but the Matrix replacement already on the drawing board does have such an override.)  Apparently, the feature is meant to only be used in only one circumstance: When your base is about to be overrun. Human Rights Watch objects to such an override button. But I'm not inclined to agree with them.

Yes, an override button would turn the Matrix weapon back into a regular old indescriminate mine. But the question is  whether such an override would become common-place rather than an extraordinary measure used in only desperate circumstances. I suspect it would stay the latter.

The Matrix--as it's described here--isn't the kind of thing you drop by the thousands in the countryside. They're large, complex and designed to do things like protect bases. That's what it's mission will be in Iraq. They'll be placed around bases in an attempt to head off the mortar fire-type attacks  that insurgents have been able to constantly launch.  Which is good by me--even if they do have "Alamo" buttons.

Comments

[Cal]

Another problem is that these mines make it harder to ban landmines completely. No 3rd world country is going to sign on to a treaty that bans dumb mines when only the industrialised countries can afford the smart mines.

[focus]

Re: "While most mines are detonated by the target itself -- "victim-activated" -- the new-fangled Matrix apparently is command-detonated. That is, it will only blow when somebody pushes a button."

You mean like a cellphone-activated roadside bomb? They already have them in Iraq.

[Kirils]

Unclean ground call UFO to burn matches.