This article, written by Huang Qing, is published in the column "International Forum" on Page 3 of People's Daily, January 9. Full text follows:

The recent exposure in newspapers of the facts about and serious consequences caused by depleted uranium bombs used in large quantities by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led by the United States in Kosovo have shocked Europe and attracted world attention.

Reports say that during the Kosovo War, the United States dropped a total of more than 31,000 depleted uranium bombs on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 90 percent of which on Kosovo.

Earlier, during the Bosnia and Herzegovina War, the United States released over 10,000 depleted uranium bombs on Bosnia and Herzegovina, the consequences caused by the radiation pollution of such bombs have become increasingly clear, among the local residents and soldiers participating in the NATO military actions, the proportion of people contracted leukemia and cancer has increased sharply. European Union has announced that it would conduct an "informal investigation" of the radiation pollution possibly caused by NATO's use of depleted uranium bombs in the Balkan region, the UN Environment Program is also organizing evaluation of the jeopardy caused by depleted uranium bombs. Various social circles in Germany demand prohibition of the use of this type of weapon.

Several problems here deserve careful pondering:

First, as the producer and user of depleted uranium bombs, the United States has not uttered a single word about this and adopted a very bad attitude. It does not publish the truth about the use of depleted uranium bombs, but instead threatens that it will not stop using this weapon. While it conducted armed intervention in the Balkans region, the United States shouted the slogan of "humanitarianism" thunderously. While on the question about radiation pollution that affects human lives, the United States keeps on saying "No". Its morally dual character and hypocrisy are as clear as daylight.

Second, European media's concern over this matter is concentrated mainly on the fate of the soldiers participating in the "peace-keeping action" in the Balkan region, but in fact, the greatest victim of depleted uranium bombs is the Balkan region, particularly the broad masses of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. "People are born equal", this should have been the universal norm of human rights in today's world, but in fact, the concern of Western media over "human rights" is shown in their allocation by an unequal and unfair method.

Third, Why did the United States use a weapon that caused serious consequences in the Balkan region? The American themselves refuse to give explicit explanations. It seems there is no sufficient reason and necessity for using this weapon even when viewed from the logic of general military action. During the Kosovo War, some people censured the United States for regarding the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as "the site for arms sales" and the "test ground of weapons". Today, the disturbance triggered by the depleted uranium bomb and the US attitude toward this are a crystal clear proof.

NATO, which used the depleted uranium bombs, has today also contracted the "phobia of the depleted uranium bomb". With the exception of the United States, many other countries have begun conducting physical check of soldiers then in action. This seems to have confirmed one old saying, "Harming both others and self".

At present, only the United States is still holding on firmly despite world censure, it categorically denies the potential jeopardy of depleted uranium bombs to the human body. European countries have expressed their dissatisfaction over this. In fact, there is also much talk about the harm done to the bodies of American soldiers, but the United States refuses to face, investigate and publish the truth. Perhaps the US attitude will confirm another proverb, "Harm set, harm get."

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