DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS

DU MUNITIONS USED IN WAR BY THE US AND THE UK

Depleted uranium (DU) is one of the largest categories of radioactive waste produced by the nuclear weapons and nuclear reactor industry.  It is highly toxic to humans, both chemically as a heavy metal and radiologically as an alpha emitter which is very dangerous when taken internally.  It has been used as a substitute for tungsten and lead in bullets and missiles by the US and the UK, and was first used openly by those countries in 1991, in the Gulf War, mainly in southern Iraq, against the Iraqis when almost 950, 000 DU missiles and shells were fired.  In the recent war in the Balkans, NATO, but this time only US planes, used over 31,000 rounds against the Yugoslav forces in at least eight sites, including Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and along the border with Albania.

LACK OF INFORMATION

Both NATO and earlier the US and the UK have been slow to give information on the use of the weapons.  It took NATO five months to respond to Kofi Annan's request for information on the use of the weapons.  In a letter, dated 7 Feb, 2000, George Robertson stated, 'DU rounds were used whenever the A-10 engaged armor during Operation Allied Force…Therefore it was used throughout Kosovo during approximately 100 missions.'  But he went on to say, ' At this moment it is impossible to state accurately every location where  DU ammunition was used.'

KNOWN DANGERS

These attacks were sanctioned, and the UK was the strongest NATO player in the Balkans War, when the dangers were clearly known.  In a Parliamentary written reply, in autumn last year, John Spellar admitted that a message warning of the risks of depleted uranium, advising of precautions to take, had never reached  the soldiers in the Gulf War conflict of 91.  The US army was also well aware of the dangers.  In a US government report (from (GAO/\NSIAD 93/90 pp17/18) it was stated, 'Inhaled insoluble oxides stay in the lungs longer and pose a potential cancer risk due to radiation. Ingested DU dust can also pose both a radioactive and a toxicity risk …   If the risks were already known, how could the weapons be used again in NATO's, so-called, 'humanitarian war'?

SUFFERING OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS

There has been little public debate, even in the recent European outcry, about the plight of the civilians in areas where the munitions have been used.  There is ample evidence brought back by doctors and journalists who have visited Iraq of the huge increase in the rise of the incidence of childhood leukaemia, cancers and birth deformities in the population in the southern regions, around Basra, where there was the greatest Allied bombardment.  While there may have been other contributing factors in the occurrence of these illnesses, for example the burning of oil wells , Iraqi doctors (often trained in Britain) are convinced of a link.  Moreover, the DU contamination will remain there for the foreseeable future.

The Ministry of Defence continues to state that there is minimal risk from DU as a radiological weapon.  But reliable scientists have demonstrated that there could be a radiation risk to the human body because when the weapons explode, the material is pyrophoric, and a fine 'dust' of ceramic particles will be released.  These particles are insoluble and can be ingested or inhaled.  Once in the lungs they can lodge there emitting a dose of low level radiation and they will also enter the blood stream.

CONTINUED ASSERTION THAT DU WEAPONS WILL BE USED BY THE UK
In March, 1998, when concerns were beginning to pile up about the health effects of using DU munitions, Alan Casson wrote from the Ministry of Defence, 'There are no immediate plans to withdraw DU-based tank ammunition from service.  Indeed the new operational round for Challenger 2, known as CHARM 3 (sic), which is due to enter service in 1999, will also contain a DU core.'  And here is John Spellar, in January, 01,  almost three years later and with much more evidence of potential health dangers, still saying the UK will keep DU munitions in the arsenal, insisting they provided 'battle winning capability' and Nicholas Soames for the Opposition, said he was entirely in favour of DU shells as 'they inflict the most serious damage on the Queen's enemies'  Innocent children?

TESTING

The British government has been testing the shells since 1968 in south west Scotland in Kirkudbright and wigtownshire.  Concerned residents, especially Dan Kenny, have been trying to alert the authorities to the dangers for over 17 years.  In the area, there is the highest rate of childhood cancers per head of population in Scotland.

CADU when it started on the campaigning path knew of only some contacts in Britain.  Following the international networking we have undertaken we have come into contact with people struggling against the us of their land for DU testing in Puerto Rica,  the small island of Vieques and Korea.  With complete disregard for the health and concerns of local people, the US military, despite huge local protests have continued in both these areas to continue testing the missiles.  There have been reported there a long catalogue of increased illness, cancers and early deaths.

But this of course is only part of a wider picture.  The development of these munitions are part of a wider US imperialistic agenda. The Gulf War was fought for military, political and economic power - primarily power over resource.  The US wanted to try out their new advance technological weapons and at the same time show their complete global military superiority.  The war also allowed the US  to show it was the controlling force in the Middle East.  Bob Aldridge, a leading US opponent of nuclear weapons, has described the Trident nuclear armed missile system, developed by the US, as an 'icon' of a violent and greedy society.  The DU weapons fit into the same category -  'weapons of  superior and controlling force' with no regard to any civilian population who might be afflicted - least of all outside Europe.  In Iraq the population are suffering from the double problem of their land and peoples being contaminated and through sanctions no availability of medicines, drugs or modern functioning medical equipment to treat the cancer patients, In recent statements we can see that the UK politicians taking the same line, as has been called 'the doctrine of maximum force'..  NATO's new Strategic Concept included the protection of resource.

The struggle against DU weapons as part of a struggle for peace and social justice was the strongest message which emerged from CADU's International Conference Against DU in Manchester in November, 2000.

 CADU,  along with other international groups across the world, is calling for -
The end of the production and trade in depleted uranium weapons
A commitment to clean up contaminated sites from the use of DU munitions in conflicts
The recognition that illnesses could be linked to the use of the weapons and
appropriate support for people, both military and civilian, who have been in
the areas where DU munitions have been used
An international ban on the weapons

Rae Street 10 Jan 2001
for CADU

For further information contact
CADU, Bridge 5 Mill, 22a Beswick Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 7HR
Phone and fax: 0161-273-8293  e-mail gmdcnd@gn.apc
Rae    (raecnd@gn.apc.org@gn.apc.org)