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 Depleted
uranium is used by the military to fabricate armour-piercing conventional
weapons, tank armour plating and in the metal flight control counterweights
in aircraft. It was incorporated into these conventional weapons
without informing armed forces personnel that depleted uranium
is a radioactive material, and without procedures for measuring
doses to operating personnel.
The
U.S. military and its representatives claim that DU munitions
are safe, but they have not publicly addressed health and safety
issues that apply after DU munitions have been fired. Apparently
the official view is that in a combat situation it is acceptable
for unprotected personnel to be exposed to the combustion products
of fired DU munitions and assume any health risks involved.
The
use of Depleted Uranium in weapons is a suspected cause of lung
disease, leukaemia, higher incidences of stillbirths and miscarriages,
Gulf War Syndrome, damage to DNA, birth deformities, kidney failure
and respiratory diseases. New studies are showing the damage DU
does to health. The US and British governments saw these effects
after using it in Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo.
The use of depleted uranium (DU) in the first Gulf War was a disaster
linked to massive increases in childhood cancers and birth deformities
in Iraq and the suffering of soldiers from both sides through
Gulf war syndrome. By using it again in Iraq, the Bush and Blair
governments have lost credibility in their assertions of looking
after their troops. What of the Australian troops also sent to
the war in Iraq?
 In
this latest Iraq war, DU weapons were used more extensively in
urban, densely populated areas. This will result in much greater
civilian exposure to environmental contamination. The environment
in Iraq will be polluted for decades to come and the effects of
this war will linger long after the fighting stops.
What actions are being taken to limit or stop the use of DU munitions?
- The
European Parliament has called for a moratorium on their use.
- The
Royal Society, the chief body of scientists in Britain, has
warned of the dangers of DU, and has been very disturbed that
the Blair and Bush Governments have misused its work on DU.
Professor Brian Spratt, Chair of the Royal Society working group
on DU, opposed the use of DU in Iraq, and publicly stated that
“DU is radioactive and it’s toxic”, that it presents
a “short and long term” threat to the health of civilian
populations and that it is “highly unsatisfactory to continue
using DU without knowing people’s exposure levels”.
He is quoted in the BBC as saying: “The Coalition needs
to acknowledge that DU is a potential hazard, and make inroads
into tackling it by being open about where and how much has
been deployed. He has called for the decontamination of Iraq,
the testing of soldiers and field hospital staff, and the monitoring
of water and milk supplies. See original reports here.
- The
United Nations Environmental Program has called for scientific
studies and decontamination to begin, stressing the need for
an immediate public awareness raising campaign into the dangers
of DU to prevent unnecessary exposures. UNEP has said it will
do the study into DU with the World Health Organisation and
the International Atomic Energy Agency and are waiting to go
into Iraq.
- International
Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War has advocated a permanent
moratorium on use of DU munitions … unless independent
studies prove that they are not harmful to health.
- The
New Scientist magazine has challenged the UK Government’s
standard claims that no studies have found “a connection
between DU exposure and illness”.
- US
Congressman Jim McDermott has introduced legislation requiring
studies on the health and environmental impact of DU. This Bill
(1483) also demands the cleanup of DU-contamination at sites
within the US where DU has been used or produced. McDermott,
a medical doctor, has been concerned about this issue since
veterans of the Gulf War started experiencing unexplained illnesses.
His concern deepened after visiting Iraq, where Iraqi paediatricians
told him that the incidence of severely deformed infants and
childhood cancers has skyrocketed. This bill can be seen here.
- The
Australian Greens have called for testing of returning Australian
troops.
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The
US uses DU at many of its training ranges and has contaminated
areas around the world. We can not allow its use in Western Australia
at the Lancelin Defence Training Area.
Depleted
Uranium Links
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