Word: oslo
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...OSLO: Ignoring U.S. objections, delegates from nearly 100 nations have endorsed a draft of the proposed global ban on land mines, leaving President Clinton stranded in a political minefield of his own. According to TIME Pentagon correspondent Mark Thompson, Clinton's unhappy dilemma is this: On the one hand, he would love to be seen signing a widely popular (and Princess Di-endorsed) pact and to avoid being lumped with such pariah states as China and Libya. On the other hand, he faces intense Pentagon hostility to the agreement...
...sought to continue using mines in Korea and to withdraw from the agreement in times of war. It had delayed the vote on the accord by 24 hours, to engage in an ultimately futile round of last-minute lobbying. The Oslo conference is expected to formally ratify the accord Thursday, following which it will be presented to governments for ratification in December...
...TIME's Pentagon correspondent Mark Thompson reports that the military is aware of the current emotional climate ? but isn't happy with the Oslo accord, and doesn't even think some of its anti-personnel weaponry should be on the table. "It looks like there?s no room for compromise unless Clinton is willing to steamroller the military, which I don?t believe he?s likely to do,? says Thompson...
...Among Washington?s objections: they want to keep mines along the Korean border and to be able to nix the accord altogether in time of war. These have been rejected by the other parties at Oslo ? which leaves the White House negotiating a particularly tricky political minefield...
Last week President Clinton, feeling the pressure of mounting public opinion, ventured into an area once declared off-limits by his Joint Chiefs. He announced that next month the U.S. will join Canadian-sponsored talks in Oslo on a worldwide ban of land mines. Clinton had been reluctant to go against the advice of the Pentagon, which says it still needs mines for defense reasons, but a highly visible campaign that included such figures as Princess Diana, General Norman Schwarzkopf and Elizabeth Dole persuaded the President to change his mind. A treaty is scheduled to be signed in Ottawa...