1942 Landmines

The Guardian reports on a recent diplomatic kerfuffle between Germany and Libya:

President Muammar Gadafy yesterday embarrassed his latest high-profile western visitor, the German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, by demanding compensation for thousands of landmines left in the Libyan desert during the second world war.

During talks in Tripoli, Mr Gadafy complained that dozens of Libyans were still being injured and killed by the anti-tank mines, which were buried by Erwin Rommel and his retreating army more than 60 years ago.

In my opinion, Gadafy should barrage the British, Italian, and German governments with demands for assistance in removing the old minefields and for compensation for the civilians who have been injured by the vintage weaponry. As a former infantryman, I have a strong loathing for landmines, and I hope that the former antagonists in the Desert War do the right thing here (and anywhere else in North Africa where this is still a problem).