Paul McCartney, Powell Discuss Ban on Land Mines

British musician Paul McCartney pushed for the worldwide eradication of land mines during a meeting Thursday with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell but evidently made no headway on a ban.

The United States, which has declined to sign a 139-country treaty outlawing land mines, has a stockpile of the weapons estimated at 11 million.

“We still have some concerns about the convention,” Powell said, then added, “There are many areas in which we can cooperate.”

The former Beatle was in Washington with his girlfriend, Heather Mills, who heads a charity campaign that provides limbs for victims of wars around the globe. Mills’ left leg was amputated below the knee in 1993 after a road accident.

“We had a really good meeting. Gen. Powell was very helpful,” McCartney said outside the State Department after the meeting.

Powell “expressed his support for Adopt-a-Minefield, which is hoping to clear all the mines in the world and to allow people to go back to their fields and their towns and get on with life,” McCartney said.

The U.S.-based Adopt-a-Minefield organization buys minefields for $25,000 a plot and clears them.

McCartney said the meeting with Powell was the start of a worldwide campaign in an effort to raise awareness of the horrors of land mines and to urge people to push their governments to support a ban.

The 1997 treaty prohibits the stockpiling of mines and requires each nation to destroy its stock within four years.

McCartney created a stir when he arrived early for the 9 a.m. meeting. A group of women screamed as he walked by. McCartney posed for photos and signed autographs for workers.