Land mines present a number of problems in countries that have been contaminated by them. They first and foremost make the countryside incredibly dangerous to all manner of people. Children, farmers, herders, traders, vehicles, livestock... landmines truly are indiscriminate and can be triggered by a very light amount of pressure. One wrong touch could be a disaster for a group of young children playing. Roads all over Afghanistan and Iraq are lined with mines and there are thousands of acres that are unusable because they still contain unexploded ordinance on them.

Currently the UN has a treaty signed against the use of landmines in any conflict. The US has not signed this treaty and does not strictly adhere to it. Though there have been some technological advances in anti-personnel devices such as timers and fail safes that should disable their effectiveness after a certain time period the left over munition is still dangerous and volatile. Currently there are several organizations that are determined to disarm landmines across the globe and specifically Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these organizations are: UNDP (United Nations Development Program), DDG (Danish Demining Group), IRU (International Road Transport Union), and UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service) and they are responsible for developing, outfitting, and training teams to detect and dismantle landmines.

Civilians tripping unexploded landmines is not the only problem with using them in conflicts. A vast majority of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are made from left over munitions scavenged from American, coalition, and insurgent arsenals including landmines that were not detonated or improperly disposed of. These IED's are the number one cause of death to our troops and those troops of foreign nations. IED's are also responsible for the death's of Iraqi and Afghan troops and policemen as well as civilians. To raise awareness of landmines we can all "Lend our Leg" every April 4th for Landmine Awareness Day. This day just recently passed but we can all still join the cause by doing it once this month to spread awareness of the campaign to remove landmines from countries contaminated with them and the use of them in modern conflicts. Below is a video about the campaign to raise awareness.

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat): Ashur was once a great and powerful city built in the 3rd millennium BC. It was the first capital of Assyria, dedicated to their god Ashur (Assur), from the 14th to the 9th centuries BC and it was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians. It was located in the fertile crescent area in Mesopotamia, what is now modern Iraq. This ancient city preserves evidence of not only Assyrian culture but also of Akkadian and Sumerian as well. Currently the site is not well protected from flood of a local dam project. The recent conflict between Iraq and the United States of America halted that problem and has preserved it for the time being. Ashur is also not a well known site for tourism nor is it well publicized. Once the conflict reaches it's end point more publicity can be made and Ashur can be opened up to be a tourist attraction to help the fledgling infrastructure of Iraq's new regime. Without a comprehensive conservation and management plan the ruins of Ashur are in danger of keeping their secrets buried in the desert.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1130

The city of Samarra is a much better example of a world heritage site being better protected. Currently the major threat to Samarra is that the current regime is unable to come up with a proper management plan due to war in the area. When the war subsides it should be much easier for the current regime to plan conservation and management for this wondrous city. Already it has received more donations and funding then Ashur has as well as being touted as an upcoming attraction to Muslim historians. Collaboration will be able to happen better under a stable regime as will tourism opportunities. Samarra is only 140km from Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and that means that travel is not an unruly option. The area is currently under no threat of becoming too "touristy" and that helps it meet another criterion for successful world heritage sites. Samarra has a lot to offer and will in the near future as the U.S. continues to draw troops out of Iraq.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/276