If the United States chooses a ground invasion, military forces will face a variety of dangers, beyond the hostile government, terrorist networks and their supporters, and the unfriendly geography. U.S. troops will face additional challenges from landmines, unexploded ordnance, surface-to-air missiles, and other small arms.

 
Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Landmines have always been a danger to U.S. ground troops. In Vietnam, landmines were responsible for one-third of all U.S. casualties. During the Gulf War, landmines claimed percent of U.S. casualties. In Bosnia, landmines maimed or killed 50 NATO personnel. In fact, the first U.S. combat death in that campaign was caused by a landmine. But, nothing U.S. forces have experienced thus far can prepare them for the magnitude of danger from landmines they will face in Afghanistan, one of the world's most heavily mined countries. In 2000 alone, 13,542 anti-personnel landmines and 636 anti-tank mines were cleared and destroyed in Afghanistan. UN estimates place the number of mines in the country at between 5 million and 10 million. The shear number of landmines present throughout the country is even more staggering in light of the fact that approximately 11 percent of the total land area is contaminated with mines, and over half the country's terrain doesn't even lend itself to effective mining. Roads, agricultural areas, villages, even the capital city of Kabul are infected with major minefields. While the majority of landmines in Afghanistan are from the Soviet occupation and its immediate aftermath (1980-1992), landmines have been laid in recent years as well. Internal fighting throughout the country from 1992-1996 is responsible for landmines in Kabul and the city outskirts and, both the Taliban and Northern Alliance have accused the other of laying mines, but these numbers have not proven substantial.

Because the people of Afghanistan have lived with the threat of landmines for decades, landmine casualties in Afghanistan also remain high. However, landmine deaths have steadily decreased in the last10 years. Landmine Monitor reports an estimated 20 to 24 casualties per day due to landmines in 1993. In 1999, an estimated five to 10 people were killed daily by landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan; in 2000, that number had decreased to 88 per month. Nonetheless, U.S. forces, not accustomed to such heavy landmine usage, will have difficulty keeping troops safe.

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) also remains a grave danger to Afghan civilians and any invading troops. In 2000, 298,828 UXO were cleared and destroyed in Afghanistan. More than 1 million UXO were destroyed between 1990 and 2000. To date, however, only 126 million square meters of UXO and landmine contaminated land has been marked and mapped, and only about 104 million square meters cleared. Each step in Afghanistan must be careful and measured to avoid accidental explosions.

The dangers U.S. troops will face due to landmines in particular are not unique to Afghanistan. Afghanistan's neighbors also have landmine issues. Besides Uzbekistan, which has used mines in skirmishes with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan is reported to have mined its border with Afghanistan. Pakistan's government also has recognized landmine problems on its border with Afghanistan. Landmines will plague any ground force movement in Afghanistan, and their threat worldwide continues to be substantial.

 
Surface-to-Air Missiles

U.S. ground troops and the support aircraft protecting them will have to endure the notorious surface-to-air Stinger missiles. The United States supplied approximately 1,000 Stinger missiles to the Afghani mujahidin during the 1980s to help with their fight against the Soviet Union, and those missiles indeed were given significant credit for turning the tide of the war in the Afghan's favor. The United States has been so concerned about the proliferation of these weapons in the South Asia that the CIA is reported to have tried to buy back the surplus Stingers. U.S. pilots have reason to worry — lightweight enough to be easily portable, Stingers can shoot down helicopters and low-flying planes, including air-fueling tankers (Stingers have a range of 10,000 meters).

 
Small Arms

Afghanistan has one of the largest supplies of unaccounted small arms in the world. UN experts estimate that there are approximately 10 million small arms in circulation throughout the country. Moreover, the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan is home to one of the world's largest arms bazaars. Individuals and groups, from both sides of the border, readily come to the Khyber Pass city of Darra Adam Khel to purchase machine guns, (Kalashnikovs and knock-offs), anti-aircraft guns, hand grenades, and rocket launchers. The Taliban have also accused neighboring Tajikistan of funneling weapons to opposition forces in Afghanistan.

By Rachel Stohl
Senior Analyst
rstohl@cdi.org
 

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