19 January 2001 Alternatives to Anti-personnel Landmines Deferred to Bush The Defense Department issued a news release acknowledging President Clinton's January 19 decision to defer any selection of alternatives to existing anti-personnel landmines (APL) to the Bush administration. "The president's decision to defer further action on the APL alternatives programs will provide latitude to the incoming leadership of the Defense Department to review the APL efforts ...and make decisions based on an assessment of the policy and military factors involved," the release said. U.S. national security will not be adversely affected, it said, because current military systems will remain in place pending review by the incoming administration. The Pentagon "strongly supports efforts to eliminate the threat to noncombatants posed by irresponsible use of APLs," it stated. It also said that nearly three dozen nations benefit from an array of U.S. mine awareness and humanitarian demining programs. (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) Return to the Washington File