Question about depleted uranium dangers.

[madfloridian]

Have depleted uranium dangers been debunked? Or is it a way of avoiding taking responsibility for the illnesses of our soldiers?

http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2004/8.html

http://www.fair.org/extra/0301/blitzer.html

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0615-01.htm

http://www.iacenter.org/depleted/du60min.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uranium/0,7368,419839,00.html

http://nuclearfree.lynx.co.nz/duposes.htm

My question is sincere, as I have seen its use defended this morning. I was surprised, and I wondered if I were out of the loop on this. I thought it was dangerous. But I am not a scientist.

[sistersofmercy]

1. Well, our government has taken issue with Iran over depleted

uranium, if it's not dangerous why bother bickering over it's disposal? Originally, the Russsians were to dispose of the DU from Iran but the two governments began sqabbling over who is to pay who for what. The Russians wanted to charge the Iranians for disposal and the Iranians fired back that DU is an item which countries who utilize it in weapons will pay for.
In addition, I've read GW I vets have claimed the GW syndrome is a result of exposure to DU. Also there have been accounts of major birth defects occuring in Iraq after GW I . For the moment the issue in my opinion will remain tagged a conspiracy theory but I do believe, that say in a decade or so, evidence will be quite the opposite and DU will be revealed to be the toxic substance that it is.

[Tinoire]

2. Here are some photos of the effects of DU on Iraqi kids

Warning. These are very painful to look at

http://www.firethistime.org/extremedeformities.htm

I agree with your points. As with Agent Orange, we'll soon have to stop all these denials.

[madfloridian]

4. And we shall have to ask why all the denials in the first place.

That is what I wonder about. Why use it, then deny its harm, then question it, then find out later. Why not test first, then determine, then use.

[sistersofmercy]

8. Of course there have been tests prior to use most likely sealed

documents. IIRC, there were tests on AO prior to use in Vietnam.

[sistersofmercy]

5. Oh Good Lord!

I have read the levels of contamination in GW I vets remain at high rates within their bodies which suggests that once within the body the contaminants can not be expelled from the body. Also GW I vets have much higher rates of birth defects in their chilren born after GW I per capita than are exhibited by the genereal population. Do you think that it is possible that this was the reason for this criminal war? Perhaps, the real WMD was going to be exposed to the international community by Saddam? I am aware of an open letter he posted to the American people where he addressed this issue.

[Tinoire]

10. Do you have a link to that letter?

I vaguely recall something of the sort and would like to read it. I can't look at those children without cringing about what my country has done and how flippantly some excuse it and how coldly others rationalize it.

Did we seriously expect them to welcome us with flowers?

A war, sanctions and bombinbs under Bush followed by 8 years of incessant daily bombings under our administration. The mind boggles at what the Iraqi people endured.

[sistersofmercy]

11. I do but I'll have to find but honestly the site was taken down, as was

the INC web page containing Chalabi's speeches to congress where in 2000 he was squawking abou Saddam's imminent threat. Anyway tried the site a little while back but it's gone. So sorry from memory DU was written about as well as the daily bombings.

[Tinoire]

16. If you ever come across it, I'd appreciate it! Thanks n/t

Thanks! :)

[sistersofmercy]

7. About Agent Orange

There are still a lot of people who aren't aware of the proven ill effects of exposure. A few years ago, I debated about AO with a friend, who I regard as highly intelligent and usually well informed on most issues . He reasoned that since he hadn't read otherwise that I most surely was wrong. He did a some research in the subject in an effort to disprove my position in the discussion only to find that he was indeed mistaken. Of course, being the noble intellectual he is, he called me up a week later and told me I was correct. Honestly, I hadn't put anymore thought into the debate and was pleasantly surprised by his admission.
IIRC, Vietnam vets who had to fight for years to reveal the truth about AO were labeled for a long as crybabies looking for a government handout much like the view widely accepted about GW I vets.

[madfloridian]

3. Message board discussion from 2001, Guardian.

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?[e-mail]2ivOs.0@.ee7dbf0

Pros and cons.

[Rose Siding]

6. Clark said it's a "Serb propaganda campaign"

snip>
NPQ | Yet, NATO did warn soldiers during the Kosovo war to be careful around DU weapons?

CLARK | In the case of depleted uranium, as in all radiation, you don't want the radioactive substance inside you where it does more damage. That is why we sent out an environmental warning back in July 1999 that soldiers should not be around areas where there is expended ammunition, whether depleted uranium or other munitions with a live tracer element or unexploded bomblets. When you get around expended munitions of any kind, it is dangerous.
end snip>

http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2001_spring/little_risk.html

He also said: "But I am certain no new, unexamined correlation between DU weapons and health will be found."

How can he be certain of that?

[madfloridian]

13. Sounds like he is using a propaganda line.

There are so many sites and articles available on a simple search to show that there are dangers from this. I think he should not have said that.

[madfloridian]

9. Japan Times, this month.....tests are showing high levels of radiation.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20031122b3.htm

SNIP..."Asaf Durakovic, director of the Uranium Medical Research Center, an independent organization with offices in the United States and Canada, said his research team conducted a three-week field trip to Iraq last month. It collected about 100 samples of substances such as soil, civilian urine and the tissue from the corpses of Iraqi soldiers in 10 cities, including Baghdad, Basra and Najaf.

Durakovic said preliminary tests show that the air, soil and water samples contained "hundreds to thousands of times" the normal levels of radiation. But he must wait another three months before getting the final results, he said.

"Durakovic said he was forced to resign from his position at the Pentagon in 1996 because of his studies. The U.S. and British governments deny that depleted uranium can be harmful to human health, he said.

"They are hampering efforts to prove the connection between depleted uranium and the illness," Durakovic said. "They do not want to admit that they committed war crimes" by using weapons that kill indiscriminately, which are banned under international law....."

Interesting.

[sistersofmercy]

12. This is why the Dutch wouldn't send "peacekeeping" troops and our

gov said they would only deploy the Dutch troops where no DU weapons were used. I believe the Dutch still said "thank you, very much but NO!"

[madfloridian]

14. More on former US colonel Dr Asaf Durakovic

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/909638.stm
SNIP..."The health of many Gulf War veterans may be at risk from metallic dust from their own ammunition, says a scientist.
Former US colonel Dr Asaf Durakovic, now a professor of medicine, has done extensive research into the Gulf War Syndrome.

He told the European Associations of Nuclear Medicine conference in Paris on Sunday that he had found a "significant presence" of depleted uranium (DU) in two-thirds of the 17 veterans he has tested...."

This guy, has he been declared wrong as well as Helen Caldicott?

More from the BBC article from 2000:
SNIP...."In 1998 Dr Durakovic started taking veterans' urine and body tissue to produce scientific evidence.

Gulf War veteran Shaun Rusling, who worked as medical staff, said: "They knew, they have known all along and they haven't wanted to admit it......"

I think the Dutch may have been very smart.

[sistersofmercy]

15. Me too. But if our gov is claiming it a nonissue why attempt to

accomodate a view they label trivial?

[madfloridian]

17. More research.

Desert Storm veteran with fifteen years of service gives address on depleted uranium.
http://www.denniskyne.com/

More from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/europe/2001/depleted_uranium/default.stm

Iraqi doctors blame cancer rise on depleted uranium shells
http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/NewsArticle.cfm?NewsID=577

Depleted Uranium: The American Legacy
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2291.htm