Open Letter to Senator Leahy

GENERAL LOUIS C. WAGNER, JR., USA, RET.

7 July 1998

Honorable Patrick Leahy
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510-4502

Dear Senator Leahy:

I appreciate receiving your letter reference the “Open Letter to the Senate” signed by my
retired
colleagues and me. I do not believe our letter was a “glaring misstatement” of your amendment;
certainly not of the ultimate intent of the amendment.

I have opposed a ban on the use of non-self-destructing anti-personnel landmines in Korea
and
self-destructing anti-personal landmines for the remainder of our forces because our soldiers
should never be deprived of any means to ensure their survival on today’s lethal battlefield. This
is particularly true today in the world’s unsettled environment when our Armed Forces are
constantly being projected into harm’s way.

My colleagues and I have extensive operational experience and do not believe that there are
any
evolutionary or revolutionary “tactics and operational concepts” that will replace mixed landmines
in the near or mid-term for our Armed Forces. I also have an extensive background in research
and development which has convinced me there is no “silver bullet” to replace our current
self-destructing landmine mix. Even if a substitute could be developed, the $17.2 million
authorized
to explore substitutes would not begin to cover its development costs. With the currently
inadequate budget resources available to the Armed Forces, one would be naive to believe that
the hundreds of millions of dollars required for procurement would be available without seriously
reducing funds for other required modernization items. I also strongly object to establishing
target dates for any development which might restrict the use of the military’s self-destructing
mines. Target dates tend to become “written in stone” and cause irrational decisions relative to
the deployment of inadequate systems.

I have personally seen the effects of non-self-destructing anti-personnel landmines on both
combatants and non-combatants. You can be assured that I strongly support their eventual
removal from the inventory of the world’s munitions. Unfortunately, treaties have failed to
diminish the use of weapons of this sort by nations who may well pose a threat to our soldiers.

In closing, I strongly recommend that the Administration and Congress adhere to the advice
of the
nation’s warfighting CINC’s who are ultimately responsible for the safety of our fighting men and
women. They have universally objected to the removal of self-destructing anti-personal landmines
from their arsenal.

Sincerely,

/signed/
LOUIS C. WAGNER, JR.
General, USA Retired