[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Minnesota: 250 Protest, 28 Arrested At Anti-Depleted Uranium Demo

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

Another action that needs support from the world community.


doug 

DEPLETED URANIUM: Dr. Doug Rokke, Major, USAR, former Gulf War I DU team 
health physicist and DU Project Director 


Gulf War I was the first significant use of DU in combat with at least 320 
tons of DU munitions contamination left on the battlefield. During 1995 and 
1996, the U.S. Marines fired DU munitions in Okinawa then did not tell the 
Japanese Government for over one year.   During 1995 the U.S. military fired 
at least 10000 rounds of DU munitions in Serbia followed by at least 31000 
rounds of DU munitions into Kosovo and Serbia during 1999. Astonishingly, the 
U.S. Navy fired DU on Vieques, Puerto Rico to prepare for Kosovo attacks in 
willful violation of U.S. and international law and have ignored adverse 
health effects and environmental contamination to avoid liability.

 Verified DU exposure adverse health effects include: (a) Reactive airway 
disease, (b) neurological abnormalities, (c) kidney stones and chronic kidney 
pain, (d) rashes, (e) vision degradation, night vision losses, and catarcts 
(f) gum tissue problems, (g) lymphoma,  (h) various forms of skin and organ 
cancer, (I) neuro-psychological disorders, (j) uranium in semen, (k) sexual 
dysfunction, and (l) birth defects in offspring.

 Since the Gulf War, the cover-up of adverse health and environmental 
consequences has been the objective of U.S. Department of Defense officials 
so that they can always use DU in combat. The cover-up started with the 
infamous Los Alamos memorandum sent to our team in Saudi Arabia during March 
1991.  This memo told us to be sure that we should only report our findings 
so DU munitions could always be used.  IN OTHER WORDS LIE! A letter sent to 
General Leslie Groves during 1943 is even more disturbing.  In that 
memorandum dated October 30, 1943, senior scientists assigned to the 
Manhattan Project suggested that uranium could be used as an air, water, and 
terrain contaminant.  According to the letter sent by the Subcommittee of the 
S-1 Executive Committee on the "Use of Radioactive Materials as a Military 
Weapon" to General Groves (October 30, 1943) inhalation of uranium would 
result in "bronchial irritation coming on in a few hours to a few days".  
This is exactly what happened to those of us who inhaled DU dust during 
Operation Desert Storm and in U.S. soldiers in the Balkans. The subcommittee 
went on further to state that "Beta emitting products could get into the 
gastrointestinal tract from polluted water, or food, or air.  From the air, 
they would get on the mucus of the nose, throat, bronchi, etc. and be 
swallowed.  The effects would be local irritation just as in the bronchi and 
exposures of the same amount would be required. The stomach, caecum and 
rectum, where contents remain for longer periods than elsewhere would be most 
likely affected.  It is conceivable that ulcers and perforations of the gut 
followed by death could be produced, even without an general effects from 
radiation".  
Today, while medical problems increase medical care is denied or delayed for 
all uranium exposed casualties while United States Department of Defense and 
British Ministry of Defense officials continue to deny any correlation 
between uranium exposure and adverse health and environmental effects.  They 
contend that they can spread radioactive waste (uranium 238) in anyone's 
backyard without cleaning it up and providing medical care.  Their arrogance 
is astonishing!




    As the Army's DU expert (1991- 1995) my conclusions and recommendations 
were that: (1) All DU contamination must be removed and disposed of to 
prevent future exposures.  (2) Specialized radiation detection devices that 
detect and measure alpha particles, beta articles, x-rays, and gamma rays 
emissions must be acquired and distributed because standard radiation 
detection equipment will not detect DU contamination.. (3) Medical care must 
be provided to all DU casualties. (4) All individuals who enter, climb on, or 
work within 25 meters of any DU contaminated equipment or terrain must wear 
respiratory and skin protection. (5) DU contaminated and damaged equipment or 
materials should not be recycled to manufacture new materials or equipment. 
(6) All individuals who may encounter DU must complete specialized education 
and training.
    Even though Department of Defense directives have required medical care, 
education and training, and environmental remediation for years: (1) Medical 
care has not been provided to all DU casualties.  (2) Environmental 
remediation has not been completed. (3) Contaminated and damaged equipment 
and materials have been recycled to manufacture new products. (4) Training 
and education has only been partially implemented. (5) Contamination 
management procedures have not been distributed and implemented.
    
    Today, all citizens of the world must raise a unified voice to ban the 
future use of depleted uranium munitions and force the leaders of those 
nations that have used depleted uranium munitions to recognize the immoral 
consequences of their actions, provide medical care to "all" DU casualties, 
and complete environmental remediation. And to cite a famous quotation: "AND 
A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM".  But if the children are sick or dead and the 
citizens of the world permit this to continue then there will not be a child 
who can fulfill the prophecy and lead us to peace. 



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