Our country appears to be in denial about depleted uranium dangers. [View All]

[madfloridian]

I just read babylonsister's post about a mother seeing her son die of cancer.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x779330

Lori Brim has joined other parents, hundreds of other sick soldiers, legislators, research scientists and environmental activists who say the cause of their problems results from exposure to depleted uranium, a radioactive metal used in the manufacture of U.S. tank armor and weapon casings.

I had been working on some info about various views on depleted uranium and its dangers. It appears our country has been in denial about it, either on purpose or through ignorance on the subject.

Starting with the BBC in January 2001. They have a lot of research linked from that page.

Possible European ban on depleted uranium.

The European Parliament has called for a ban on the use of depleted uranium (DU) while investigations into a possible link between DU and cancer are carried out.

MEPs voted for the resolution by 339 to 202 after an emergency debate in Strasbourg. The motion is not binding but it will add pressure on states to support a moratorium on the use of DU munitions.

..."Several Nato member countries have expressed concern that incidences of cancer and other illnesses among soldiers who served as peacekeepers in the Balkans might have been caused by exposure to DU, which is mainly used in armour-piercing shells.

And interview on CNN in 2002 with an American general as the US prepares for its 2nd invasion of Iraq.

CNN Transcript November 8 2002 with General Clark

BLITZER: Yesterday on this program, exactly this time, Dr. Helen Caldicott, an anti-war activist, pediatrician, was on this program saying that the U.S. Army's use of these depleted uranium shells, these tank shells during the Gulf War a dozen years ago have caused enormous problems, cancer problems for young kids in that -- in southern Iraq. What can you tell us about the dangers from these depleted uranium shells which, of course, are stock equipment in the U.S. Army?

CLARK: Well we've looked at this extensively over a number of years. We use it not only for the tank shells but also for the armor of the tanks because it's a very effective material. And the honest truth is depleted uranium has less radioactive material in it than naturally occurring uranium. There's been study after study after study done and none of it substantiates the claim that this depleted uranium causes cancer.

In fact, during the Gulf War we had a number of U.S. soldiers exposed to the dust of the depleted uranium shells after they had struck targets. I think some 60 soldiers in a study. They've been in this study since the Gulf War. There's no evidence of any sign of cancer there or any of the radiation types of cancer in those troops and we're continuing the study. But I think, although certainly any environmental hazard is a concern, there's no reason in this case to believe that depleted uranium is a significant environmental problem

BLITZER: All right, General Clark, as always, thanks for joining us.

CLARK: Thank you, Wolf.

In 2005, Jim McDermott called for an investigation into the dangers of depleted uranium. There is a link to his House speech: If Depleted Uranium is Safe, Let them Prove It.

McDermott Leads Congressional Call to Study Effects of Depleted Uranium

"The need is urgent and imperative for full, fair and impartial studies," McDermott said. "We may be endangering the health and lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. All we've gotten so far from the Pentagon are assurances. We need facts backed by science. We don't have that today."

...."The Depleted Uranium Munitions Study Act of 2005 has 21 original co-sponsors, all Democrats, including: Reps. Charles Rangel, Pete Stark, Sherrod Brown, Peter DeFazio, Maurice Hinchey, Raul Grijalva, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Wexler, Sam Farr, Tammy Baldwin, Robert Andrews, Bob Filner, Jay Inslee, Jose Serrano, Lynn Woolsey, Earl Blumenauer, Bart Stupak, Mike Honda, Tom Udall, Barney Frank and Ed Markey.

Has anyone seen a follow-up to this investigation?

Skip ahead a bit to a Raw Story article with a powerful and very disturbing video from CNN. The article was posted on Raw Story in February 2007 with a link to the CNN video.

Army made video warning about dangers of depleted uranium but never showed it to troops

Scroll down a bit for the video.

A special investigation on the effects of depleted uranium reveals the Army made a tape warning of the effects of depleted uranium which was never shown to troops despite the fact the Pentagon knew the agent to be potentially deadly, CNN reports Tuesday.

Depleted uranium -- or DU -- was used in the Gulf War as a projectile that could penetrate tank armor. A group of soldiers are suing the US government because they are sick from exposure; despite the unshown video, the Army denies that depleted uranium represents a serious health risk.

CNN reporter Greg Hunter explains. The soldiers "report similar ailments. Painful urination, headaches and joint pain. They say Army doctors blame their symptoms on post traumatic stress. We showed them a tape the Army made in 1995, a tape the Army never distributed. It warned of potential D.U. hazards. The army's expert on D.U. training concedes some information contained on the tape is true. For instance, radioactive particles can be harmful."

A doctor who once investigated DU for the Army now believes that the health risks are serious.

Here is the entire CNN transcript from February 6, 2007.

CNN transcript from 2007

One of those interviewed referred to some areas in Iraq as a "radiological sewer".

HUNTER: Dr. Durakovic says one thing is for sure: a large part of Iraq is contaminated, particularly in the south where heavy tank battle took place. He calls it, quote, "a radiological sewer." The Army adamantly denies that.

O'BRIEN: When you go back and look at another war and another toxic agent, in that case Agent Orange in Vietnam. Veterans there had similar claims. Were sick because we were in contact with this Agent Orange. Ultimately, did they get claims from the military, and is that likely what's going to happen here?

HUNTER: Some did, but it took decades. And let me tell you, Agent Orange is tame compared to radiological dust that you can breathe into your lungs, stays in your body forever, has a half life of 4.5 billion years. This stuff stays around forever. So it is -- it is quite a controversy.

There are many videos on a search at Yahoo and Google. Here is just one example from the BBC. Looks like about 2000 or 2001...had to look up the date by reporter and subject.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1095322642

It appears they are saying the government will have testing for the military because of health problems from Kosovo. Here is an article that might be about the same time.

BBC: Pressure grows for uranium tests