Tags:
Journalism of Courage
JAN 15: The British government’s nuclear safety watchdog issued a health warning about depleted uranium shells used in the Gulf War as long ago as 1991, The Times reported on Monday.
The Times reported that the Atomic Energy Authority said: Handling heavy metal munitions does pose some potential hazards, as does the possibility of the spread of radioactive and toxic contamination as a result of firing in battle.
The paper said there was an urgent need to clear up the DU shells in Kuwait because of the risks of radioactive contamination.
Despite concerns expressed by British veterans’ groups and some other NATO members, the British government insists that there are only limited health risks associated with DU shells, which have been used in the Gulf War and the Balkans.
The Times quoted Shaun Rusling, who heads Britain’s Gulf War veterans’ body, as saying that 521 veterans of the 1991 war had died since the end of the conflict and more than 5,000 were suffering illnesses such as leukemia.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Sunday: “There is no scientific evidence to support claims that the use of radioactive material caused illness, including leukaemia, with military personnel exposed to it.”
Hoon has said that DU shells pose a risk if soldiers enter a tank knocked out by the weapons immediately after it has been hit.
“Beyond that specified, limited risk there are no risks associated with DU and certainly no proven link between its use and illness,” he added.
Hoon told Sky television news that the British Army would continue to use armour-piercing DU shells because they were "extraordinarily effective".
Depleted uranium is used in shells and bullets to increase their ability to pierce armour and can be pulverised on impact into a toxic radioactive dust, according to defence experts.
Britain has agreed to test veterans who are worried they may be suffering health problems as a result of exposure to depleted uranium.
In the meanwhile, Italy has demanded a probe into the deaths of at least seven of its soldiers from leukaemia after tours of duty in Kosovo and Bosnia. Cases of cancer have also been reported among Belgian, French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese soldiers.
