[Peace-discuss] DU forum

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

December Forum on Depleted Uranium
>
> It might have been titled: "What we're sure we know but can't afford to
> prove."  On December 30, 2002, the UNDP sponsored a presentation and
discussion
> of the many issues involved with depleted uranium.  A paper was presented
by
> Mr. Damacio Lopez of Socorro, New Mexico, USA.  Mr. Lopez became involved
in
> the study of DU in the mid-l980s when he learned that the weapons being
tested
> just outside his town were made of this harmless sounding substance.  He
has
> devoted himself ever since to gathering the evidence and educating all who
will
> listen to the reality of DU and the need to have its use in military arms
made
> illegal.  Mr. Lopez has visited Iraq twice before and came this time as
the
> guest of a Japanese delagation dedicated to eliminating all nuclear
weapons.
> He chairs IDUST, the International Depleted Uranium Study Team, an
informal
> organization of persons from many countries who are dedicated to finding
and
> publishing the facts about DU.
>
> About 80 persons attended, including representatives from various UN
> organizations and NGOs working in Iraq, as well as doctors from Baghdad
medical
> schools and hospitals.  They joined in a lengthy discussion that followed
Mr.
> Lopez's remarks.  The event was organized by Mr. Omar Ziada of UNDP.
>
> The idea of using radioactive material in armaments goes back at least to
1943
> when Nazi Germany gave up on building an atomic weapon and began to use
its
> stockpile of uranium in solid-core ammunition.  At the same time, the
United
> States was exploring the possibilities of radioactive materials used as a
gas
> warfare instrument: tiny particles delivered by various means as dust or
> smoke.  As early as the late l940s secret experiments began in the US,
using
> unknowing human subjects.  These ended in 1974, but the testing of DU
weapons
> continues at many US sites now.  The use of DU has expanded to include
bullets
> used by planes and ground weapons, casing on bombs, cluster bombs, anti-
> personnel mines and much more.  Such weapons were first used in warfare in
the
> Gulf War and again in Kosovo and perhaps in Afghanistan.  Today more than
20
> nations have made or purchased such weapons.
>
> Among the key points of presentation and discussion were these:
>
> First.  Not all that is called DU is DU.  It has now become clear from
studies
> of arms used by the United States and others in Iraq and in Kosovo that
actual
> DU (natural uranium with the fissionable isotope U-235 removed), while
harmful
> enough in itself, has been replaced in some weapons with uranium waste
left
> over from reprocessing reactor fuel; this latter is far more dangerous.
>
> Second. Thorough scientific studies have yet to be done.  On every level,
from
> local communities to the United Nations, the money and personnel have yet
to be
> committed to a definitive study of DU.  The UN has waited five years now
for a
> report from the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of
> Minorities.  Nevertheless, what seems clear is the increase in cancer and
birth
> defects in the population that is exposed to DU.  Some in the discussion
asked
> what more is needed before the world moves to outlaw such weapons.
>
> Third.  The rationale commonly given in the US and elsewhere for the
> development and use of DU weapons is their superior armor-piercing
> capabilities.  From the beginning, however, it was recognized that any
such
> weapons were really dual use.   In fact, many of the applications of DU
now
> have little or nothing to do with piercing armor.  Such weapons, after an
> immediate and possibly deadly affect on those in the immediate vacinity,
> continue to endanger human and animal life and contaminate the
environment.
> This seems to be what is happening in Iraq, where as much as 800 tons of
DU
> were used in the Gulf War.  Iraqis and those in the military who entered
areas
> of Iraq hit by DU have experienced similar problems with health as well as
the
> birth of malformed infants.
>
> Fourth.  Cleaning large areas will be enormously expensive.  Most of the
DU in
> arms burns on contact with its target and microscopic particles are blown
into
> the air and may then contaminate the soil or water.  They may enter the
food
> chain or be inhaled.  They remain radioactive for billions of years.
>
> Fifth.  These weapons may already be prohibited under various
international
> agreements and UN and International Court of Justice decisions, but it
remains
> for a UN-backed treaty outlawing these weapons to be written.
>
> All of these concerns become especially pressing in the face of renewed
threats
> of war against Iraq.
>
>
> --Gabe Huck and Theresa Kubasak
>
>