McCartney, Powell meet about landmines

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Paul McCartney and his girlfriend, Heather Mills, met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Thursday to discuss their efforts to clear minefields around the globe.

VIDEO U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Heather Mills, who leads a campaign providing limbs war victims, and McCartney speak to the press Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Powell said there were a number of areas where the U.S. government can cooperate with them even though the United States opposes an international convention that would ban the use of land mines.

Mills said issues they discussed with Powell included the Adopt-A-Minefield program to remove mines and the use of "smart mines" that can be identified after minefields have been abandoned.

McCartney said "we basically expressed our point of view" and Powell had expressed support for many of the programs to get rid of land mines.

The Adopt-A-Minefield program is sponsored by the U.N. Association of the USA and the Better World Fund. It raises money for the clearing of minefields worldwide.

Former Beatle McCartney became interested in the landmine issue after becoming acquainted with Mills, who has aided efforts to provide artificial limbs to landmine victims. Mills, a former model, lost her left leg below the knee in a traffic accident in 1993.

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Adopt-A-Minefield
United Nations Association of the USA
Better World Fund
Cambodian Mine Action Centre
United Nations Mine Action Service
UNICEF Report, Land mines: A deadly inheritance
The Humanitarian Foundation of People Against Landmines
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
United States Campaign to Ban Landmines
Clear Landmines Internet Campaign
Physicians Against Land Mines
Mine Ban Treaty text

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