more more depleted uranium. (fwd)

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                 ANDRE  GUNDER  FRANK

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 22:44:55 -0000
From: Dave Parry AB32 6XR <daveparry@cix.co.uk>
Reply-To: indict-nato@egroups.com
To: FoRS Colin McAulay <colinmcaulay@ndirect.co.uk>
Subject: [indict-nato] depleted uranium. 

Sent by Dave Parry, Skene, WESTHILL, Aberdeenshire, SCOTLAND AB32 6XR
daveparry@cix.co.uk

Type "depleted uranium"
(with the quotes) in the search space after clicking <search> at the top of
any UNWire Release.  [This gives nearly 30 references (with short abstracts)
to longer articles in previous UNWires.]
UNWire releases (and access to the archives) are got by running
www.unfoundation.org .

The latest item is in today's issue (20 January) and thus not in the archive
(until later tomorrow). It is:
------------------------------------------
9  DEPLETED URANIUM: European Union Orders Investigation; More

     As NATO begins to react to a clamor of concerns about the effects of
depleted uranium munitions on peacekeepers stationed in the Balkans, the
European Union yesterday ordered its own investigation to be conducted by
the nuclear supervisory body Euratom.
     The EU instructed the scientists to report within a month whether the
unexplained illnesses and even deaths among peacekeepers in the Balkans
could be tied to depleted uranium weapons fired during NATO's air campaign.
     The US Defense Department and NATO deny that any links exist, although
reports of leukemia and other diseases continue to surface. The French
Defense Ministry said yesterday it had found a fifth soldier, who had been
stationed in the Balkans, suffering from leukemia, although the cause has
not been determined.
     Marie-Claude Dubin, a French journalist who says she has suffered a
range of illnesses after covering the Persian Gulf and Balkans wars, has
been called to testify before Parliament. Dubin says her symptoms are
similar to those reported by US and British veterans (Marlise Simons, New
York Times, 10 Jan).
     NATO Secretary-General George Robertson is expected to hold a news
conference today in response to calls for alliance action over health fears
for peacekeepers who might have been exposed to depleted uranium radiation.
NATO ambassadors are meeting in Brussels this week to discuss the growing
controversy.

UK, US Oppose Banning Depleted Uranium Weapons
     Yesterday the United Kingdom and the United States heightened political
tensions within the alliance by opposing a moratorium on the use of the
depleted uranium missiles. Ambassadors are expected to call for more
research into the health effects of depleted uranium munitions
(Reuters/ABCNews.com, 10 Jan). Several countries, including Italy and
Germany, are calling for the weapons to be banned.
     US Defense Secretary William Cohen said yesterday, however, that NATO
troops were given sufficient warnings about how to deal with depleted
uranium munitions, and that if mistakes had been made, it was in regard to
how remnants of the missiles and their targets were disposed of afterwards.
He also remained adamant that no link has been proven between the munitions
and cancer cases (BBC Online, 10 Jan).
     The United Kingdom, one of the few European countries to use depleted
uranium munitions, had until yesterday refused to test its soldiers,
maintaining, like the United States, that the weapons pose no health threat.
Yesterday, in a surprising turnabout, Armed Forces Minister John Spellar
announced the government was setting up a voluntary screening program for
military personnel and civilians stationed in the Balkans.
     "Some of the recent coverage will have caused some concerns among our
people and we do recognize the need to reassure them," Spellar said (Simons,
New York Times).
     The United Kingdom is expected to continue to discuss health risks with
its NATO allies, though there has been no evidence of unusual illness among
British peacekeepers. Studies so far have not shown any links between
exposure to depleted uranium and health complications (Financial Times, 10
Jan).
     Several European countries have stepped up health screenings of their
veterans and have set up national investigations into the potential risks of
exposure to radioactive dust resulting from depleted uranium missile
explosions (Ian Geoghegan, Washington Times, 10 Jan).

German Team Finds High Radiation Levels
     Meanwhile, a German field team investigating a bombed-out Serbian
military weapons factory in Hadzici, 20 minutes from Sarajevo, has
discovered "abnormal" amounts of radiation. Hadzici was subjected to intense
NATO bombings in 1995. It is not clear whether the radiation levels are from
the remnants of "special" Serbian munitions stored at the site or from NATO
bombs, but the team will be continuing its investigation this week.
     According to University of Sarajevo researchers, high levels of
radiation have also been measured in different districts of Sarajevo,
including the center of the city. Elements common in depleted uranium have
been discovered close to Serbian front lines, and in certain parts of the
city, radiation levels in 1998 were higher than those registered in 1988,
just two years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The researchers have
called for investigations and the use of more sophisticated technology to
confirm their findings (Corriere Della Serra, 10 Jan, UN Wire translation).

Russia Says West Ignored Warnings
     Russia said today that Western powers ignored its warnings about the
hazards of using depleted uranium weapons in Kosovo, and that the Kremlin
had long ago foretold of the dangers posed to humans and the environment by
such anti-tank weapons.
     "We began to worry back in June 1999," said Lieutenant-General Boris
Alekseyev, head of environmental safety for the Russian armed forces. "But
the danger we talked about did not get any reaction, either in our own
country or in the West" (Reuters/ABCNEWS.com II, 10 Jan).
     No Russian troops serving in Kosovo have been diagnosed with symptoms
possibly linked to the use of depleted uranium ammunition, a top military
official said today. Russia is screening 3,600 Russian soldiers that took
part in the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo (Agence
France-Presse/Russia Today, 10 Jan).

Dangers Of Depleted Uranium Still Debated
     Meanwhile, British scientist Brian Spratt said Monday that depleted
uranium is chemically poisonous and warned the United Kingdom to seriously
consider the implications of using such munitions.
     "We do have to be careful because depleted uranium is mildly
radioactive," he said. "It's chemically poisonous and there is also a
possibility that it behaves like metals -- like nickel -- which aren't
radioactive but can, at sufficient doses, promote an increased risk of
cancer" (AFP/Singapore Straits Times, 10 Jan).
     UN Mission in Kosovo Administrator Bernard Kouchner yesterday visited
areas in western Kosovo where most of the NATO shells were fired, telling
reporters that there was no radiation and that he saw no immediate need to
cordon off areas thought to be contaminated, the London Guardian reports. He
added that the UN has also not received any requests to do so.
     Kouchner's statements run counter to recommendations made by a panel of
experts from the UN Environment Program (UNEP) last year that all possible
depleted uranium sites be sealed off from the public. The World Health
Organization said Monday that depleted uranium could endanger children
playing in contaminated areas (Wood/Steele, London Guardian, 10 Jan).
     Demining teams working in potentially dangerous areas in the Balkans
are for now following the recommendations presented by the UNEP. One worker
from the UN Mine Action Center in Kosovo, speaking about coming across areas
that might be dangerous, said, "We stop work, we call NATO and then we get
them to remove the DU rounds and then we cordon off the area and we're just
going to wait until there is further information about the risks and what
can be done in terms of cleaning up any potential hazards before we continue
working in those areas" (Nicholas Wood, BBC World Update, 10 Jan. Note: You
may have to download free software to access this audio link).
     Kouchner did say yesterday during his visit that he has demanded a
formal inquiry be conducted by the WHO, and he said he would invite
specialized nongovernmental organizations to Kosovo to study the health
risks as well. He also proposed the establishment of a working group of
Albanians and Serbs to work with the WHO and public health institutions on
the issue.
     UNEP spokesperson Michael Williams said yesterday that the agency hopes
to send a mission to Serbia and Montenegro in April or May to examine sites
hit by depleted uranium munitions (UN Newservice, 9 Jan).

Editorial And Commentary
     A Financial Times editorial says the current controversy over depleted
uranium "could threaten the unity of the NATO alliance," adding that
countries need to be reassured about the possible health risks.
     While the editorial says worries about a link between the weapons and
leukemia are "misplaced" based on scientific evidence, it says that
government health screenings are "sensible."
     "Governments cannot reject the concerns out of hand if they are to
retain domestic support for participation in NATO forces," the editorial
says. "They have a duty to ensure that their soldiers are not being exposed
to undue dangers over and above the inevitable risks that come with joining
the military" (Financial Times, 10 Jan).