CRUSADE AGAINST MINES

Crouched in the undergrowth around the village of Samaki in northern Cambodia are several dozen men wearing protective vests and visors, looking like alien invaders. They skim the ground in front of them with metal detectors, and occasionally one raises an arm, a whistle is blown, and everyone moves back carefully. The land mine just discovered is detonated remotely, an explosion jogs the ground, and the field officer gives the all-clear. Then the Cambodians, who work for a British-based de-mining organization called Halo Trust, resume methodically clearing the heavily mined land around the village, one square foot at a time.

Lou...