The Consequences of Depleted Uranium Weapons use in Afghanistan and Iraq
Depleted Uranium weapons are used by both the American and British military in Afghanistan and Iraq. DU is toxic to mammals, ‘especially to the reproductive system and fetus development, causing reduced fertility, miscarriages and fetus malformations.’
DU is a by-product of nuclear power stations:
‘In the 1970s, The Pentagon reported that the Soviet military had developed armor plating for Warsaw Pact tanks that NATO ammunition couldn't penetrate. After testing various metals, ordnance researchers settled on depleted uranium.
DU was useful in ammunition not only because of its unique physical properties and effectiveness, but also because it was cheap and readily available. Tungsten, the only other candidate, had to be sourced from China.
Wiki
The Effect of Depleted uranium Use on the People of Afghanistan and Iraq
‘The Basra Hospital Data
Following the first gulf war, scientists at the Basra hospital and university have monitored the incidence of leukaemias and other malignancies of tumoral nature among children in the Basra area, and of congenital malformations in newborn children. The data for the period 1990-2001 show an incidence increase of 426% for general malignancies, 366% for leukemias and of over 600% for birth defects, with all series showing a roughly increasing pattern with time. It has been natural to consider the possibility that such increase had indeed been caused by depleted uranium contamination.’
Areas in which it has been used have seen huge rises in cancer and birth defects. The authorities seek to play down the danger of its use, and continue to use it.
This BBC article has this to say:
‘For the general population, neither civilian nor military use of DU is likely to produce exposures to DU significantly above normal background levels of uranium.’
Indeed this is the official line of military and goververnments.
'It is mildly radioactive in its solid form, and poses little if any cause for concern.’..
The key though is when it is fired in battle, it is not so benign, as the article continues…
‘When a weapon made with a DU tip or core strikes a solid object, like the side of a tank, it goes straight through it and then erupts in a burning cloud of vapour.
The vapour settles as dust, which is chemically poisonous and also radioactive.
there are hardly any published studies, none has ever been conducted (in the public domain anyway: Some exist but they're classified)'
The Damage Done
Given the scarcity of public scientific studies and the secrecy by the NATO forces, one source we can find out more from is Doug Rokke, a health physicist who became the Pentagon's most senior DU expert during the first Gulf War.
He became convinced DU was causing illnesses such as cancer, and that the Pentagon was downplaying its dangers. When he went public with his views, he was sacked.
Hear are some links to hear his views:
informationclearinghouse
prisonplanet
N.b the Prisonplanet link has some very disturbing photographs of victims.
In the first Iraq war, around 350 tonnes of DU was used. In this war it is around 1500 tonnes. And this time the use of DU wasn't limited to anti-tank weapons-as it had largely been in the previous Gulf war-but was extended to the guided missiles, large bunker busters and big 2000-pound bombs used in Iraq's cities. This means that Iraq's cities have been blanketed in lethal particles-any one of which can cause cancer or deform a child.
Depleted Uranium weapons are used by both the American and British military in Afghanistan and Iraq. DU is toxic to mammals, ‘especially to the reproductive system and fetus development, causing reduced fertility, miscarriages and fetus malformations.’
DU is a by-product of nuclear power stations:
‘In the 1970s, The Pentagon reported that the Soviet military had developed armor plating for Warsaw Pact tanks that NATO ammunition couldn't penetrate. After testing various metals, ordnance researchers settled on depleted uranium.
DU was useful in ammunition not only because of its unique physical properties and effectiveness, but also because it was cheap and readily available. Tungsten, the only other candidate, had to be sourced from China.
Wiki
The Effect of Depleted uranium Use on the People of Afghanistan and Iraq
‘The Basra Hospital Data
Following the first gulf war, scientists at the Basra hospital and university have monitored the incidence of leukaemias and other malignancies of tumoral nature among children in the Basra area, and of congenital malformations in newborn children. The data for the period 1990-2001 show an incidence increase of 426% for general malignancies, 366% for leukemias and of over 600% for birth defects, with all series showing a roughly increasing pattern with time. It has been natural to consider the possibility that such increase had indeed been caused by depleted uranium contamination.’
Areas in which it has been used have seen huge rises in cancer and birth defects. The authorities seek to play down the danger of its use, and continue to use it.
This BBC article has this to say:
‘For the general population, neither civilian nor military use of DU is likely to produce exposures to DU significantly above normal background levels of uranium.’
Indeed this is the official line of military and goververnments.
'It is mildly radioactive in its solid form, and poses little if any cause for concern.’..
The key though is when it is fired in battle, it is not so benign, as the article continues…
‘When a weapon made with a DU tip or core strikes a solid object, like the side of a tank, it goes straight through it and then erupts in a burning cloud of vapour.
The vapour settles as dust, which is chemically poisonous and also radioactive.
there are hardly any published studies, none has ever been conducted (in the public domain anyway: Some exist but they're classified)'
The Damage Done
Given the scarcity of public scientific studies and the secrecy by the NATO forces, one source we can find out more from is Doug Rokke, a health physicist who became the Pentagon's most senior DU expert during the first Gulf War.
He became convinced DU was causing illnesses such as cancer, and that the Pentagon was downplaying its dangers. When he went public with his views, he was sacked.
Hear are some links to hear his views:
informationclearinghouse
prisonplanet
N.b the Prisonplanet link has some very disturbing photographs of victims.
In the first Iraq war, around 350 tonnes of DU was used. In this war it is around 1500 tonnes. And this time the use of DU wasn't limited to anti-tank weapons-as it had largely been in the previous Gulf war-but was extended to the guided missiles, large bunker busters and big 2000-pound bombs used in Iraq's cities. This means that Iraq's cities have been blanketed in lethal particles-any one of which can cause cancer or deform a child.
(oh and a few sites that promise greusome pictures, no thanks)
