Look forward to Gulf War Syndrome II

[Erlkonig]

Our armed forces seriously need to reconsider the use of depleted uranium in armor-piercing ammunition.  Is the performance gap between DU and other dense alloys really worth exposing our troops and the people we are ostensibly trying to help to dangerous levels of radiation?  According to the article below, "Veterans of the first Gulf War believe that DU exposure has played a role in leaving more than 5,000 of them chronically ill and almost 600 dead."  That's more than 3 times the numbered killed in action, say nothing of the disabled.  This time around, we used 3-6 times the DU used in 1991, in areas smaller and more populated.  It's looking like our troops will be in theater much longer than 1991 as well.

Article here.

PAPER: DANGEROUSLY HIGH LEVELS OF RADIATION MEASURED AROUND BAGHDAD
Mon Sep 01 2003 15:05:42 ET
EXPRESS [LONDON]

SOLDIERS and civilians in Iraq face a health timebomb after dangerously high levels of radiation were measured around Baghdad.

Levels between 1,000 and 1,900 times higher than normal were recorded at four sites around the Iraqi capital where depleted uranium (DU) munitions have been used across wide areas.

Experts estimate that Britain and the US used 1,100 to 2,200 tons of armour-piercing shells made of DU during attacks on Iraqi forces.

That figure eclipses the 375tons used in the 1991 Gulf War. Unlike that largely desert-based conflict, most of the rounds fired in March and April were in heavily residential areas.

DU rounds are highly combustible and tiny particles of the radioactive material are left on the battleground.

If inhaled the material can attack the body causing cancers, chronic illness, long-term disabilities and genetic birth defects - none of which will be apparent for at least five years.

Veterans of the first Gulf War believe that DU exposure has played a role in leaving more than 5,000 of them chronically ill and almost 600 dead.

The Royal Society, Britain's leading scientific body, described America's failure to confirm how much or where they used DU rounds as an "appalling situation".

Professor Brian Spratt, chairman of the society's working group on DU, said: "The Americans are really giving us no information at all and think it is a pretty appalling situation that they are not taking this seriously at all.

"We really need someone like the UN Environment Programme or the World Health Organisation to get into Iraq and start testing civilians and soldiers for uranium exposure."

Evidence of massive uranium radiation has emerged in recent weeks. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analysed swabs from bullet holes in Iraqi tanks and confirmed elevated radiation levels.

Last month Scott Peterson, of the respected Christian Science Monitor, took Geiger counter readings at several sites in Baghdad. Near the Republican Palace, his radiation readings were the "hottest" in Iraq at nearly 1,900 times background radiation levels.

Even the Ministry of Defence, which has consistently refused to accept there are dangers involved in DU exposure or that it has played role in Gulf War illnesses is addressing the problem. Soldiers returning from this year's conflict will be routinely tested for uranium poisoning. Professor Malcolm Hooper, who sits on two committees advising the Government on Gulf health issues, said he is not surprised by the radiation levels.

He said: "Really these things are dirty bombs. Exactly the sort of device that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair keep talking about being in the hands of terrorists."

Dozens of US soldiers, backed by armoured vehicles and helicopter gunships, searched farms on the outskirts of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul yesterday in their hunt for followers of Saddam Hussein.

THOUSANDS of Iraqis packed into northern Baghdad yesterday for the funeral of Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Hakim, a Shi'ite Muslim cleric slain by a car bomb which also killed scores of his followers.

A senior official in Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) said the Americans bore some blame for Friday's attack as they had failed to ensure adequate security measures.

Up to five suspects, all of them Iraqi, have been detained over the car bomb attack, the local governor said yesterday.

END

[capt. apathy]

I caught a veterans meeting on public access a couple weeks ago (I think it was from the Sea-Tac area).

they where discussing the exact same thing.  one statistic they threw out there was info from a local hospital in Iraq.  before gulf war I, this hospital saw about 4 cancer cases a month.  4 years later it was in the low 30's.

 combine that with the diseases of veterans and geneticly transfered problems there kids are having something is deffinately causing sickness. maybe it's the DU, maybe breathing in smoke from burning oil wells, what ever the cause it should at least have a study on the effects of DU.

[jamusta]

I think DU has little effect. I believe its all the junk they pumped into our veins before the war that the FDA never approved. Combine that with the burning oil fields and destroying chem agents and you have a deadly mixture.

[Raubvogel]

Uhh.....Hello? It's called DEPLETED Uranium because it is not a radioactive hazard. Any harm from it is attributable to heavy metal poisoning, similar to lead, mercury, etc, and can only happen from ingestion of the DU dust.

Be nice if people knew what they were talking about before they published crap like that.

[davidpt40]

I think most of the Gulf War Syndrome cases are from blowing up those chemical munitions.  A whole lot of troops were exposed to that.

[Drunky]

!sgurd od t'noD

[capt. apathy]

Any harm from it is attributable to heavy metal poisoning, similar to lead, mercury, etc, and can only happen from ingestion of the DU dust.

what do you supose happens to those rounds after they hit a target?  the ingestion of the dust can be from breathing, eating, whatever. even if the only hazard is a heavy metal type poisoning what is the PEL (permisable exposure level/  permisable not safe)for DU. has there even been a study?

the permisable level for lead (just for reference, and again not a safe level just alowable) is  an amount aproxamately equal in size to one grain of powdered sugar. ingested once an hour for 40 hours per week.  

again I've never seen PEL's for DU.  at the very least it deserves a serious study.

[AKS\/\/ulfe]

What are durgs, and why shouldn't anyone do them?
-SW

[Drunky]

I'm just glad we have so many experts on radiation and used uranium.

I feel so safe now.

Keep up the good work, you omnipotent watchdogs.

[Drunky]

Originally posted by AKS\/\/ulfe
What are durgs, and why shouldn't anyone do them?
-SW

What are you talking about Mr. Wulfe

Are you on durgs?  hehehe

[Erlkonig]

Originally posted by Drunky
I'm just glad we have so many experts on radiation and used uranium.

I feel so safe now.

Keep up the good work, you omnipotent watchdogs.

I think you are being unfair to Raubvogel.

[GRUNHERZ]

Why are you complaining about this erlkoning, shouldnt you be happpy that the evil nazi bush mercinary rapist army may be suffering in some way?

[Erlkonig]

Shouldn't you be happy that the filthy, degenerate, flag-burning, Jew-hating, OBL-worshipping, Saddamite children and farm animals of Baghdad may be suffering in some way?

[GRUNHERZ]

No, why would I? Remember I support the war which liberated them from continued decades of internatinal isolation, backwardness, torture, suffering, starvation and other benefits of Hussein family rule... To the best of my recollection you did not...

[jamusta]

Focus gentlemen focus....must... stay...on...on...top...ic