[Peace-discuss] Today's Democracy Now Program is on soldiers contaminate by depleted uranium.

[Phil Stinard]

Today's Democracy Now program:

Broadcast Exclusive: U.S. Soldiers Contaminated With Depleted Uranium Speak 
Out

A special investigation by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez of the New 
York Daily News has found four of nine soldiers of the 442nd Military Police 
Company of the New York Army National Guard returning from Iraq tested 
positive for depleted uranium contamination. They are the first confirmed 
cases of inhaled depleted uranium exposure from the current Iraq conflict.

After repeatedly being denied testing for depleted uranium from Army 
doctors, the soldiers contacted The News who paid to have them tested as 
part of their investigation.

Testing for uranium isotopes in 24 hours' worth of urine samples can cost as 
much as $1,000 each.

In a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive, three of the contaminated soldiers 
speak out.

Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical Center are now 
rushing to test all returning members of the 442nd. More than a dozen 
members are back in the U.S. but the rest of the company, mostly comprised 
of New York City cops, firefighters and correction officers, is not due to 
return from Iraq until later this month.

After learning of The News' investigation, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 
blasted Pentagon officials yesterday for not properly screening soldiers 
returning from Iraq.

Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she will 
write to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld demanding answers and soon will 
introduce legislation to require health screenings for all returning troops.

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