THE Berlin Government ignored warnings of potential health risks associated with American depleted uranium shells during the Balkans offensive. Rudolf Scharping, the Defence Minister, was urged in a letter from Admiral Elmar Schmähling to prevent German troops coming into contact with the shells or vehicles hit by them. The letter was sent on June 14, 1999, after the 78-day Nato air campaign in Kosovo and Serbia. No protective measures were taken as a result.

Internal German Defence Ministry correspondence shows that the issue did not disappear. Peter Wichert, a junior Defence Minister, passed on Nato guidance that there was “a possible toxic danger” in the war zone. But the same memo concluded: “Nato currently has no plans for decontamination.”

In Italy, there are indications that fears of a link between leukaemia affecting troops who served in Bosnia and Kosovo and the use of depleted uranium shells in both operations is having a serious impact on recruiting. General Franco Angioni, a retired commander, said that the scare over depleted uranium was giving potential recruits “pause for thought”.

Italy is in the process of changing from a conscripted army to a professional force. “We should have 50,000 professional recruits being processed at this stage, but in fact we only have 20,000,” he told Il Messaggero.

Eight Italian soldiers have died from leukaemia or cancerous tumours after serving in the Balkans. A German Red Cross nurse has also died.

In Greece, Akis Tsochatzopoulos, the Defence Minister, said he would not rule out withdrawing the 1,600 Greek soldiers from Kosovo if a link was found between leukaemia and the use of depleted uranium weapons, although he pledged his Government would not act unilaterally.

Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor, called on Nato yesterday to release all available information on the use of depleted uranium. He made clear that he opposed using such weapons.

The World Health Organisation said yesterday that it doubted that depleted uranium shells used by the Americans in the Balkans over the past decade had caused blood cancer among Nato troops.

“Based on our studies it is unlikely that soldiers in Kosovo ran a high risk of contracting leukaemia from exposure to radiation from depleted uranium,” Michael Repacholi, an expert from the organisation, said. However, he said that children playing in former conflict areas where the weapons had exploded could be at risk.

A Serbian health official said yesterday that tests carried out on 500 civilians in southern Serbia, where American depleted uranium shells had exploded, had uncovered no linked illnesses.

In Britain, the Ministry of Defence said that the Army and the Royal Navy held stocks of depleted uranium weapons. The Army had a stock of depleted uranium shells for use by Challenger tanks, and the Navy’s Type 42 destroyers and one aircraft carrier were equipped with the Phalanx Gatling gun, which fired depleted uranium shells.

The Royal Society is studying the possible health risks posed by depleted uranium weapons. In a statement yesterday, Professor Brian Heap, vice-president of the society, said the study had not been commissioned by the Ministry of Defence. He added: “We wish to emphasise that the study was initiated independently. It will be carrying out its estimates of exposure, doses and health effects during and after the use of depleted uranium munitions.”

Professor Brian Spratt, who is carrying out the study, said that it was right to take the issue seriously. He told Channel 4: “We do have to be careful because depleted uranium is mildy radioactive and it’s chemically poisonous.”

Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said an independent inquiry into Nato’s use of depleted uranium shells should be conducted by the UN, WHO and International Atomic Energy Agency.