A MINE clearance specialist is preparing to enter Iraq on a post-war humanitarian crusade.

Mike Wilson, 44, from Wootton Bassett, is heading up a team of experts for the Swindon-office of the Canadian International Demining Corps charity.

Their aim is to prevent a humanitarian disaster after any conflict.

A bomb disposal expert in the army for 16-years, Mr Wilson, who is married with two young children, was due to fly to Kuwait today.

There, he was set to liaise with British troops and other aid agencies at the Humanitarian Operations Centre to form a post-conflict mine clearance strategy.

Many like Mr Wilson believe a humanitarian crisis looms with large swathes of Iraq particularly Basra and Baghdad littered with landmines and unexploded cluster bombs.

Such dangers, brought to the world's attention by CIDC supporter Diana, Princess of Wales, still exist in countries like Mozambique, Bosnia and Kosovo.

They are the main threat to the Iraqi civilians who will roam the streets after a war in search of water and food.

Saddam Hussein is known to have planted thousands of landmines at strategic points like road junctions, beside river beds, water supply heads and at oil wells to cause maximum destruction in the event if an invasion.

Mr Wilson, the CIDC's executive director, said: "Our first task will be extensive intelligence gathering with regards to which targets the Allies intend to bomb. People are going to need to be fed and watered so we will have to establish that the areas where this happens are safe we can't have people roaming all over the place.

"This is an immediate post-conflict scenario and any war will have been lost if we can't implement a plan to help displaced civilians afterwards."

Around 20 mine detection dog teams and 14 bomb disposal teams, specifically trained in the neutralisation of landmines, will assist Mr Wilson and his staff on their mission.

Between five and 10 per cent of all cluster munitions used by coalition forces fail to explode during any conflict. During the last Gulf conflict more than 120,000 cluster bombs failed to explode.

Mr Wilson expects thousands more civilians than soldiers to die in the looming Iraqi conflict.

He said: "Landmines are designed to maim, not kill, and they explode underfoot, shattering the leg but if a child steps on one it will blow its leg and pelvis off. My wife is not very happy at all and recognises the dangers involved in the operation."

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