Fears Grow About Depleted Uranium
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Story Filed: Thursday, January 04, 2001 3:17 PM EST

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European governments are disturbed. Some of their soldiers are falling sick and dying, and they don't know why. Every day the question grows louder: Can the armor-piercing munitions made of depleted uranium that NATO used in Kosovo be causing cancer?

There is no answer. Nobody has made the connection scientifically. Certainly not NATO.

The United States, the only NATO ally to use depleted uranium weapons during the 78-day air campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, insisted again Thursday that the munitions pose no health threat.

In Washington, the Pentagon said it is aware of the concerns being raised by some allies.

``We share those concerns,'' said Lt. Col. Paul Phillips. He said the United States has conducted many studies on depleted uranium, particularly since the 1991 Gulf War when the weapons were first used.

``In each study, we've come away convinced that the use of depleted uranium munitions does not present significant or residual environmental or health risks,'' Phillips said.

NATO spokeswoman Simone de Manso in Brussels, said: ``According to our knowledge from independent research ... there is no study that can prove a direct link between certain types of diseases of which people are now afraid and contact with depleted uranium.''

His remarks echoed those of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Bosnia, SFOR. It said in a statement Wednesday that research has shown ``there is a negligible hazard'' from the ammunition.

``SFOR doesn't believe that either the troops serving within SFOR today or the civilian population in Bosnia are at risk,'' the statement said.

The reassurances haven't calmed jittery Europeans, and Thursday the 15-nation European Union added its voice.

``There will be an informal inquiry,'' said EU spokesman Jonathan Faull. He said it was too soon to say if soldiers who served in
the Balkans under NATO were suffering from illnesses as a result of contact with depleted uranium. ``What we know is that community citizens have been affected.''

Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said the EU ``needs to know the truth.''

``If there exists the slightest risk, then these weapons should be abolished immediately,'' Prodi told Italian radio.

A year ago, NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson confirmed that American jets had fired about 31,000 depleted uranium rounds at Yugoslav armored vehicles in Kosovo.

The U.N. Environment Program is expected to release a report on the subject next month. And the subject will be discussed at NATO's regular weekly political committee Tuesday.

Italy launched an investigation last week into a possible link between depleted uranium munitions and about 30 cases of serious illness involving soldiers who served in missions Kosovo and earlier in Bosnia, 12 of whom developed cancer. Five of the soldiers have died of leukemia.

And France said Thursday that four French soldiers who served in the Balkans during the 1999 bombing campaign are being treated for leukemia.

Spain, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Turkey announced plans to screen peacekeepers.

Some don't believe the screening is worth the effort.

Wendla Paile of the Finnish Center for Radiation and Nuclear Safety in Helsinki said such screening was ``pointless.''

``The radiation from uranium depleted ammunition is so little that it could not explain these extra cases (of leukemia),'' Paile said.

Paul Beaver, an analyst at Janes Defense Weekly, said the countries screening their troops have no idea what to look for.

``The problem is there hasn't been any really good work done on it,'' Beaver said. ``There is no concrete information. There has been research carried out by the U.S. Army, the British and the French as well, but it seems inconclusive. I've read all the literature I can find on it, but I have no straight answer.''

Copyright © 2001 Associated Press Information Services, all rights reserved.



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