Naciones Unidas urge a Irak a resolver el problema con las minas

UN urges Iraq to lift de-mining restriction
1 July 2009

BAGHDAD - The United Nations on Wednesday said Iraq’s decision to ban civilian-led mine-clearance operations is seriously damaging the war-torn nation’s pledge to rid itself of the deadly munitions.

Iraq signed up to the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention last year, requiring it to clear all areas littered with such ordnance by 2018, but the UN warned this target is in jeopardy.

“The UN would strongly urge the Iraqi ministry of defence to lift this ban on civilian de-mining operations,” Andrew Gilmour, the UN’s deputy special representative of the secretary general to Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad.

“No one actor can accomplish this vast task of de-mining Iraq by itself — even one as powerful as the military,” he said.

“Civilian actors are also required, and preventing them from contributing to what has to be a joint effort is likely to prolong the problem for years, if not decades.”

Iraq’s army banned civilian contractors from mine-clearing activities in December last year, citing security concerns. It has been claimed that some villagers have dug up unspent munitions and sold them to insurgents.

At the launch of its “Overview of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War in Iraq” report, the UN said it acknowledged the army’s “totally legitimate” security concerns, but said more fundamental problems remain.

“The Iraqi armed forces do not have the necessary capacities to handle all de-mining operations across the country, thus other international and commercial de-mining operations must be allowed and supported by Iraqi authorities,” the report stated.

“If this matter is not resolved soon it may lead to the withdrawal and other support by donors.”

However, the Iraqi military disputed the UN’s findings.

“The ministry of defence has the ability and technical expertise to deal with de-mining,” Major General Ahmed Hashem said at the joint press conference in the capital.

“We do not need quality control because the ministry of defence is the specialist party on this issue,” he said.

The UN report said that the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, numerous skirmishes between rival ethnic and political parties, the 1991 Gulf War and widespread violence since 2003, have left Iraq littered with mines.

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BAGDAD - Las Naciones Unidas dijo el miércoles la decisión del Iraq de la prohibición civil dirigida por operaciones de remoción de minas está dañando seriamente la nación desgarrada por la guerra de la promesa de deshacerse de las municiones letales.

Iraq suscrito la Convención de Ottawa de minas antipersonal Convención sobre la prohibición del año pasado, que exige que se aclare todas las áreas sembradas con este tipo de artefactos para 2018, pero la ONU advirtió este objetivo se encuentra en peligro.

"La ONU se insto encarecidamente a los iraquíes el ministerio de la defensa para levantar la prohibición de civiles de las operaciones mineras," Andrew Gilmour, de la ONU representante especial adjunto del secretario general a Irak, dijo a los periodistas en Bagdad.

"No hay un actor puede lograr esta gran tarea de la remoción de minas por sí mismo Irak - incluso uno tan poderoso como los militares", dijo.

"Actores civiles también son necesarios, y que les impiden contribuir a lo que tiene que ser un esfuerzo conjunto puede prolongar el problema durante años, si no decenios".

El ejército de Irak prohibió contratistas civiles de actividades de remoción de minas en diciembre del año pasado, alegando motivos de seguridad. Se ha afirmado que algunos aldeanos han desenterrado municiones no utilizados y los vendían a los insurgentes.

En el lanzamiento de su "Panorama general de las minas terrestres y restos explosivos de guerra en Iraq", informe, la ONU dijo que reconoce el ejército de "totalmente legítimas" las preocupaciones de seguridad, pero dijo que más siguen siendo problemas fundamentales.

"Las fuerzas armadas iraquíes no tienen las capacidades necesarias para manejar todas las operaciones de remoción de minas en todo el país, por lo tanto, otras organizaciones internacionales y operaciones de remoción de minas debe ser permitido y apoyado por las autoridades iraquíes", según el informe.

"Si este asunto no se resuelve pronto, puede dar lugar a la retirada y otro tipo de apoyo de los donantes".

Sin embargo, los militares iraquíes de la ONU discute las conclusiones.

"El ministerio de defensa tiene la capacidad y los conocimientos técnicos para hacer frente a la remoción de minas", el General Ahmed Hashem dijo en la conferencia de prensa conjunta en la capital.

"No necesitamos control de la calidad debido a que el ministerio de defensa es la parte de especialistas en este tema", dijo.

El informe de la ONU dice que la guerra Irán-Irak de la década de 1980, numerosas escaramuzas entre rivales étnicos y partidos políticos, la guerra del Golfo de 1991 y la violencia generalizada desde 2003, han abandonado Iraq plagado de minas.

Call on Iraq to allow companies to remove the mines, civilian
Published Date: Wednesday 01-07-2009 09:41 pm

BAGHDAD - Fayha news

The United Nations called Wednesday for Iraq to allow foreign companies to civilian work in this country to clean up the mine fields in the form of faster.

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Andrew Gilmore told reporters in Baghdad that the "United Nations urges the Iraqi Ministry of Defense to cancel the ban, which includes civilian mine clearance operations."

"The one team can not carry out this operation, which is in Iraq to clean up the mines, even if the magnitude of the equivalent of (a) military," Rumsfeld said. He stressed that the problem of land mines that could last "for years and perhaps decades," unless something is done.
And to prevent Iraq in December last civilian companies to remove the mines has been limited to this task, which fears the Iraqi army to pull out of the mines and sold to the rebels.

The United Nations has approved the report of "concern at the security justification," to the Iraqi army, but stressed that the problem remains inclusive.

Gilmore commented "If not addressed this issue, some donors may backtrack on its support." During a joint press conference, said Ahmed Hashim, General Department of Defense has the capacity and expertise necessary for the management of the demining process. And left the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 1988 and the 1991 Gulf War and the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 many of the minefields in the country.

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