More than 500 British veterans of the Gulf War have died since 1991 and more than 5,000 are suffering from illnesses including leukaemia
THE Government was warned by its own nuclear safety adviser a decade ago that depleted uranium shells fired during the Gulf War would be a health risk to British troops and would lead to “political problems”.
Years before depleted uranium (DU) weapons were used by Nato in the Balkans, a confidential paper written by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) made clear that the shells left in Kuwait after the Gulf War were a potential source of radioactive contamination.
Yesterday Shaun Rusling, chairman of the National Gulf Veterans’ and Families’ Association, said that 521 Gulf veterans had died since the 1991 conflict and more than 5,000 were suffering illnesses including leukaemia. He said that successive ministers had failed to take responsibility for these “victims of the war”.
The report by the AEA, the Government’s adviser on nuclear safety, said: “Handling heavy metal munitions does pose some potential hazards, as does the possibility of the spread of radioactive and toxic contamination as a result of firing in battle . . . and can become a long-term problem if not dealt with . . . and (pose) a risk to both the military and civilian population.” The tank ammunition alone fired by both American and British vehicles in the Gulf War amounted to “50,000lb of DU”. If that quantity of DU were inhaled it could kill 500,000 people, the paper said, although it added: “Obviously this theoretical figure is not realistic; however, it does indicate the significant problem.” The report was revealed as Carla Del Ponte, the Chief UN War Crimes Prosecutor, said yesterday that her tribunal could open an investigation into the use of DU ammunition by Nato, which many blame for cancer among soldiers who served in the Balkan campaign.
The disclosure that the first warning about the shells came under the previous Government may explain why the Tories have not sought to make political capital out of the issue. Their criticism has concentrated on the way in which the Government has responded to the health fears.
The AEA warning came to light as Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, dismissed any idea of stopping the Army from using DU rounds in Challenger 2 tanks.
Although the Royal Navy is withdrawing DU ammunition from its Phalanx “point defence” Gatling guns by 2003, Mr Hoon said there was no intention of doing the same with the Army’s tank shells. They were “extraordinarily effective” and helped to save British lives, he told Sky News.
However, the paper written by AEA Industrial Technology, the AEA’s trading name, gave warning of the urgent need to clear up the DU shells in Kuwait because of the risks of radioactive contamination.
Today those same fears are being expressed in relation to the Nato bombing campaign over Kosovo in 1999. A team from the United Nations Environment Programme that examined 11 of 112 sites in the Yugoslav province affected by DU attacks urged the authorities to cordon off the areas to prevent local people, particularly children, from coming into contact with Serb armoured vehicles damaged by depleted uranium weapons. The eight sites found with “slightly higher” radiation levels were only now being fenced off, UN sources said.
The AEA paper, sent to Royal Ordnance, which manufactures DU tank shells, said: “The whole subject of contamination in Kuwait is emotive and thus must be dealt with in a sensitive manner. It is necessary to inform the Kuwait Government of the problem in a useful way.” It was suggested that the matter be raised by the British Ambassador in Kuwait. “It’s in the Kuwaiti and UK interests that this is not left to rear its head in the years to come. . . The DU will be spread around the battlefield in varying sizes and quantities, from dust particles to full-size penetrators (tank shells and air-launched systems) and it would be unwise for people to stay close to large quantities of DU for long periods.” The AEA said that there would be specific areas in which many DU rounds had been fired where the localised contamination would have “exceeded permissible limits and this could be hazardous”.
The document concluded: “The problem will not go away and should be tackled before it becomes a political problem created by the environmental lobby.” Yesterday Mr Hoon said: “There is no scientific evidence to support claims that the use of radioactive material caused illness, including leukaemia, with military personnel exposed to it. We’ve always recognised that there was a limited risk to the use of depleted uranium weapons and we have always instructed members of the Forces accordingly.” He added: “Beyond that specified limited risk there are no risks associated with DU and certainly no proven link between its use and illness.” However, he promised that if “clear evidence” could be found “to lead us to suspect there is a link between its use and illness, then we would take the appropriate decision”. He said: “In the absence of such evidence, it would not be appropriate to put British lives at risk.” The National Gulf Veterans’ and Families’ Association launched an appeal yesterday for funds to provide sick members with medical care.
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