    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [June 29, 1996]
    [Page 998]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the United States Demining Initiative in Bosnia
    June 29, 1996

        I am pleased to announce a new U.S. initiative to develop an
    indigenous demining capability in Bosnia. Using about $15 million in
    U.S. funds, we will train demobilized soldiers and fund new demining
    programs for former soldiers. U.S. Special Operations Forces will train
    and equip deminers from the former warring factions. Training by U.S.
    military personnel will be completed by the time IFOR leaves. No U.S.
    personnel will participate directly in mine clearance operations nor
    will U.S. forces enter active minefields.
        Achieving rapid progress on demining is vital to the success of
    rebuilding Bosnia. Demining supports IFOR's mission, ensures that
    humanitarian assistance gets to places it is needed, helps create
    conditions for refugees to return, and enables the rapid reconstruction
    of infrastructure and the country's basic economy.
        The United States has taken the lead in establishing the Mine Action
    Center (MAC) in Sarajevo, which coordinates all landmine-related
    activities, including collecting and disseminating landmine data,
    coordinating mine awareness campaigns, conducting mine surveys, and
    overseeing mine clearance operations. The new initiative I am announcing
    today builds on what we have accomplished so far.
        With an estimated 3 million landmines, Bosnia is one of the five
    most heavily mined countries in the world. The landmine problem in
    Bosnia is typical of a post-conflict state: inadequate and inaccurate
    minefield records, little institutional memory of where mines were laid,
    no experience in clearing mines to humanitarian standards, and a growing
    need for large numbers of people to move about.
        Returning refugees and displaced persons are vulnerable and the
    risks to children are enormous. Children often ``play war,'' but in
    Bosnia the toys available to them are real; bunkers and fighting
    positions are often stocked with weapons caches, landmines, grenades,
    and other forms of dangerous materials found in a battlefield.
        We must all work together to accelerate demining activity in Bosnia
    so that economic reconstruction can proceed, assistance reaches those
    most in need, our soldiers in IFOR can go about their job without fear
    of accident, and above all, the people of Bosnia can get on with their
    daily lives.