[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               IF YOU PICK THE FLOWERS YOU COULD EXPLODE
 Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have often spoken about the 
horrifying effects of antipersonnel landmines. There are 100 million of 
these hidden killers in over 60 countries.
  Here in the relative security of the United States, we can only guess 
what it is like to live in places like Cambodia, Bosnia, or Angola, in 
constant fear of losing an arm or a leg or your life, or your child's 
life, from a landmine. That is a daily, terrifying reality for millions 
and millions of people around the world.
  A recent article by David Remnick in the New Yorker magazine entitled 
``A Letter From Chechnya--In Stalin's Wake,'' illustrates what I am 
talking about. The Russians have dropped thousands and thousands of 
landmines from helicopters over Chechnya. I want to read the opening 
paragraphs of that article:

       ``If you pick the flowers, you could explode,'' Mayerbek 
     said.
       ``What?"
       ``If you go off the road and into the field, there are 
     mines. Russian birthday presents. Step on one, you might 
     explode.''
       Twenty miles by mountain road from Grozny, the Chechen 
     capital, it had seemed safe enough to get out of the Zhiguli, 
     a banged-up tuna can of a car, and take a short walk. 
     Apparently not. I backed out of the field of lilies and high 
     grass, one soft step at a time.
       ``Better,'' Mayerbek said. ``Much better. Now maybe let's 
     get back in the car and get going.''

  Mr. President, if you pick the flowers, you could explode. A 
horrifying thought. But not really a thought at all. It is happening 
every 22 minutes of every day of every year. The overwhelming majority 
of the victims of these indiscriminate, inhumane weapons are innocent 
civilians.
  My legislation, the Landmine Use Moratorium Act, which I plan to 
offer as an amendment in the coming weeks, aims to exert U.S. 
leadership to begin to put an end to this scourge. It would impose a 1-
year moratorium on the use of most antipersonnel landmines. It has 45 
cosponsors.


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