Free Republic

At a moment global humanitarian and hunger relief groups are warning of a “catastrophe” for already vulnerable populations particularly in Africa and the Middle East which rely heavily on Ukrainian and Black Sea region grain exports, the United Nations has said it will likely take “months” to de-mine Ukraine’s ports. The war-torn country is the fourth biggest exporter of grain in the world. Hundreds of merchant vessels had been stranded in the war’s opening months at Ukrainian ports following the Russian invasion, and still nearly 100 remain stuck along with their crews. This week a special advisor on maritime security...

Ben, a mine dog with the 49th Mine Dog Detachment and his handler, Army Pfc. Thomas Martin, also of the 49th, clear a path to a “wounded” soldier during a training exercise at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Sept. 14. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jim Wilt Efforts Continue to De-Mine Afghanistan Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, and removing them is no easy task. By Sgt. Jim Wilt Combined Joint Task Force-82 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 24, 2007 — For most people, running over a land mine equates to a bad day. For contractors...