| by Peter Eyre Middle East Consultant July-August 2009 from PalTelegraph Website Part 1
29 July 2009  USA, July 29, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) Our planet is truly a wonderful place but under the umbrella, that we call our atmosphere, lies a cocktail of uranium aerosols waiting to claim its next victim. Many countries donate to this contamination such as the US, UK, Israel, NATO member states, China and Russia etc Why would the: -
UN (The United Nations) -
WHO (World Health Organization) -
US (United States) -
UK (United Kingdom) -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) -
IDF (Israel Defense Forces), ...allow this to happen and why do they continue manufacturing and using weapons containing uranium? The answer came from the Belgium Foreign Minister when he was asked if it was possible to prohibit DU, he replied, "We can't do it, because NATO and the UN aren't encouraging it". The Belgian Parliament overturned the reluctance of the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Defense by voting unanimously to prohibit DU ammunition from the 20th of June 2009. One would never have imagined that Belgium, the heart of NATO, would have made such a bold move. A conference took place in Sweden: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF WAR The examples of Agent Orange and Depleted Uranium - Stockholm - 23-24 April 2004 in which various experts gave speeches, two of those being Doug Rokke and Tedd Weyman.
Dr Douglas L. Rokke, Ph.D. Former Head of U.S. Army Radiological Laboratory and Former Director U.S. Army Depleted Uranium Project, U.S. Army major (retired), and former Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Jacksonville State University, Florida, USA.
During an interview with John Pilger, Doug gave a summary of his work experience: "Prior to the Gulf War, I was responsibility for the training and educating of all the medical professionals and combat soldiers on the effects of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. More importantly what type of medical care and treatment was required and what decontamination is needed for those that may be injured or wounded during the war". After the ground war he was tasked as a health physicist responsible for cleaning up the depleted uranium or uranium 238 contamination. Doug once stated that in regard to the uranium 238 contamination the only warning we had was a single letter that came from the Surgeon General's office in the United States army. And that said, "Think about DU, and this uranium contamination". He went on to say, "As we found out after the ground war - not only didn't we know anything about it, how to handle it, how to dispose of it, how to clean it up, what medical care to be given - nobody did - they just didn't tell anybody. Whether it be British, Canadian, German or US forces. They just didn't tell anybody" John Pilger asked him the following question during that interview: What do you estimate the effect on people living in that part of the world, living in southern Iraq? Doug's response: "The effect depends on whether a person inhaled it, got some of it eating it or drinking it, or if they got the uranium contamination into an open wound. If they did then - dependent upon the amount that they had - what we're seeing now are respiratory problems, breathing problems, kidney problems, and cancers. We have individuals of our team that were actually known exposed and they have died of cancer. We have other individuals right now that have cancer. We have rashes, neurological problems. A lot of people - and again this is out of the whole complex toxic battlefield where DU contributes - lost fine motor function, individuals have neural psychology problems, short term memory losses. The uranium is a heavy metal poison and also a radiological poison, so we have to look at a conglomeration of potential health effects that then mix with other causes to create serious problems". John then asked the inevitable question: "Tell me what you think the effect on the civilian population of Iraq will be. You see, when I was in Iraq there appeared to be an epidemic of cancer but they don't have any scientific studies to measure what their estimates are. Could you just comment generally on that?" Doug's final response revealed a rather grim outlook when he said: "Numerous times, at various meetings and conferences, the Iraqis have asked for the medical treatment protocols. They've asked for the environmental clean-up protocols which the US Department of Defense and the British Ministry of Defense have refused to do repeatedly. With the extent of the contamination in Basra and all over Iraq where the DU was fired by the tanks and by the aircraft - over 300 tons - there's no doubt in my mind that, because that lasts forever unless it's been physically removed, that any woman or child, any soldier, any non-combatant, anybody that comes in the area that it gets into their body is going to have medical problems. The overall effects are the fact that we used a weapon that's indiscriminate for eternity and therefore unless the environmental clean up is totally completed and the medical care is provided, the effects are permanent and lasting forever and ever and ever. That's wrong" Tedd Weyman, Deputy Director - Research Scientist at Uranium Medical Research Centre in Toronto, Canada and Field Team Leader for Afghanistan and Iraq. Tedd led teams into Afghanistan and Iraq to collect biological and environmental samples for laboratory study, to survey radioactivity levels and measure the scope of uranium weapons' contamination. He interviews civilians to document health and conflict histories and cross reference with the laboratory studies of samples taken from bombsites, battlefields and wider-area environments of affected communities. Tedd's fieldwork has resulted in himself becoming contaminated by Depleted Uranium during his last field trip in Iraq. On the 10th of August 2004, Tedd published a report Titled: The US and UK deploy new uranium weapons contaminating Iraq's environment, civilians and the Coalition's own troops. As we have already found out from Doug Rokke his findings were equally as disturbing: The recent Iraqi field samples collected by UMRC were analyzed by plasma mass spectrometer by Dr Axel Gerdes, Institute of Petrology and Geochemistry, JW Goethe University, Frankfurt. The human and environmental samples have been found to contain Depleted Uranium and abnormally high levels of the artificial transuranic isotope, 236U. The isotope composition of Depleted Uranium found in civilians as well as in surface soils and water courses shows the weapons used in Iraq were manufactured from two and perhaps three different metallurgical sources (stockpiles of uranium metals). The soil and water samples indicate DU was deployed in both mechanized battlefields and urban neighborhoods where aerial bombing took place. The purity and quantities (abundances) of the Depleted Uranium found in the samples of soils taken from US- and UK-led battlefields are some of the highest levels published since UMRC and others began independent investigations into the use of radioactive dispersion weapons in 1991 following Operation Desert Storm. The abundances of uranium in water samples taken from a fresh water supply tank and from a run-off catch basin in Al Basra are much higher than published results for DU levels in water samples attributed to the by-products of uranium weapons in either the Balkans or Iraq. Biological samples taken from Iraqi civilians present during the Shock and Awe bombing campaign against downtown Baghdad and its government and telecommunications facilities are positive for Depleted Uranium. It is not possible to know the source of inner-city civilian contamination as virtually the entire city is contaminated. Unlike biological and environmental samples collected in Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, the team did not find deposits of Non Depleted Uranium. A biological sample taken from one Al Basra citizen, who was exposed to the urban bombing campaign in that city, has an unusual composition of isotopes showing an enriched, as opposed to a depleted or natural, ratio of 235U/238U. The enriched uranium was found in a person exposed to and living adjacent to the same battlefield led by the British Desert Rats, south of Al Basra. According to the DUOB (Depleted Uranium Oversight Board) of the UK Ministry of Defense, urine samples taken from members of the UK 1st Armoured Division that fought the approach to Al Basra and occupied the city are excreting non-depleted uranium several hundreds of times the British biological norm. Smaller total uranium levels positive for DU have also been identified by the MOD in the UK forces that served in the Az Zubair - Basra - Shat Al Arabi area. The next question is what has all this got to do with Lebanon and Gaza? The answer is simple... both locations have succumbed to the same fate. We have significant proof from the battle fields of the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan on the use of weapons containing uranium. In all cases test on victims and on recovered samples have confirmed either depleted uranium or traces of enriched uranium.  With this knowledge on hand samples have since been taken and received from Lebanon (2006) and Gaza 2008/9. The samples have both been tested at the famous British Harwell Laboratory revealing not only DU but also traces of enriched Uranium, indicating the possible use of fourth generation weaponry. It is interesting to note that similar findings have been made in both Iraq and Afghanistan. As we have seen the health impact on military forces and innocent civilians remains the same in all of the above theatres of war and in that context we can expect the same trend in Lebanon and Gaza. Based on the fact that DU aerosols do not respect international border one can also assume this problem has extended across the borders to Syria, Israel, West Bank, Jordan, Egypt, the entire Middle East and beyond. In order to better understand the seriousness of using uranium based weapons we must first appreciate the fact that its usage has been alarmingly excessive. We have to learn to identify the appearance and structure of such explosions compared to conventional weapon, how these toxic aerosols move around the globe, how they have the ability to travel long distances (sometimes return to their point of origin before moving on) and finally the health hazards associated with these terrible weapons. Because of the complexity of all the above factors I intend to print these articles in parts (this being Part 1). First we must look at some photographic evidence of past and current weapons that contain uranium. These photographs have been analyzed by an expert to confirm their authenticity. I have given three examples one in Lebanon and two in Gaza, the latter in actual fact was a multiple weapons attack.  This attack was carried out in Beirut which is densely populated. If one can imagine that with a sea breeze it spreads over a large area of the city and beyond. Once it gets into the upper atmosphere it diverts off in all directions, sometimes as very high speed. Extensive bombing also took place at Khiam very close to the Israeli border and the contamination from these explosions extended over the entire Northern Israel region within one hour. This was followed by rain which caused the DU aerosol to return to earth and contaminate the land, crops and water supply.  This particular cluster of 4 bombs shows two bombs exploding on initial impact and two more in transit. If you look to the right of the picture you can see the distant devastation. On analyzing the sea conditions the sea breeze was strong and the fact that the photographer was standing on the Israeli border would mean that the contamination from these series of bombs would cross the border into Israel within minutes. This would then contaminate Central & Southern Israel.  I have also included this night time photograph of a DU explosion in Gaza which shows the typical sparkling effect. DU is pyrophoric and ignites spontaneously. To conclude this first part I thought it would be relevant to publish some information from European experts. The use of Depleted Uranium (DU) was condemned in 2000 by experts from Germany namely Prof. Dr. Albrecht Schott and Prof. Dr Siegwart Horst Gunther. In their submission to prohibit DU they stated - Given the known chemical and radiological toxicity of depleted uranium and its compounds causes damage to humans, animals and the ecological cycle, of which there is conclusive evidence we demand that the military and civilian use of depleted uranium (DU) be banned. "The preservation of creation and the dignity of humankind forbid the use of DU. The Invasion of DU, and the compounds produced by its self-ignition due to heat, into the soil and water cycle of living communities, and the environment we live in, make them uninhabitable for thousands of years (the half-life of uranium is 4.5 billion years; uranium forms long-term radiologically dangerous decay products)". Legal references were made in this submission as follows: -
The military use of DU violates current international humanitarian law, including the principle that there is no unlimited right to choose the means and methods of warfare - Art. 22 Hague Convention VI (HCIV) -
Art. 35 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention (GP1) -
The ban on causing unnecessary suffering and superfluous injury (Art. 23 §le HCIV; Art. 35 §2 GP1), indiscriminate warfare (Art. 51 §4c and 5b GPI) as well as the use of poison or poisoned weapons) The deployment and use of DU violate the principles of international environmental and human rights protection. They contradict the right to life established by the Resolution 1996/16 of the UN Subcommittee on Human Rights. We demand the following individual points: -
A ban an the use, development, production, transport, storage and possession of DU weapons and DU armour-plating, as well as all other military uses of DU. -
Medical treatment of all victims of DU, in particular children. -
Destruction of all DU weapons and means of its deployment and secure storage of the uranium in a stable chemical compound. -
A ban an the civilian use of DU because of accidental future, past or present exposure to uranium or its compounds. -
Decontamination of all military and civilian equipment contaminated by DU. -
Decontamination of all territory contaminated by DU. This not only means theatres of war but also military practice ranges and other areas where DU has been deployed. -
Conversion of the global stocks of DU in the form of Uranium Hexafluoride, approx. 2-3 million tons, from its presently insufficiently stable form into a stable Uranium Oxide and safe deposition. -
Punishment of the military use of DU as a war crime (in accordance with Art. 85 §3b GP1; Art. 6b IMT Statute; Art. 2c, 3a and b ICTY Statute; Art. 8 §2b Statute of Rome). -
Eradication of consequential damage caused by DU use according to customary liability principles in international (humanitarian) law. -
Creation of a centre for the worldwide documentation of all DU contaminated regions, in particular theatres of war, military practice ranges, scenes of accidents, etc., and to study the DU problem. US Expert Leuren Moret in her article: DEPLETED URANIUM THE TROJAN HORSE OF NUCLEAR WAR (8 July 2004) gives a full account of all the issues relating to DU. Lauren's contribution in the fight against DU is exemplary and I urge you all to read the above article in full as well as many other articles she has produced. In the above article she makes reference to the following: ILLEGAL UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
Four reasons why using depleted uranium weapons violates the UN Convention on Human Rights: LEGALITY TEST FOR WEAPONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW -
TEMPORAL TEST - Weapons must not continue to act after the battle is over. -
ENVIRONMENTAL TEST - Weapons must not be unduly harmful to the environment. -
TERRITORIAL TEST - Weapons must not act off of the battlefield. -
HUMANENESS TEST - Weapons must not kill or wound inhumanly. In 2002 British expert Dr Chris Busy PhD produced a report: Review of the Home Office statement on the health consequences of exposure to depleted uranium in Kosovo. Dr Busby was critical of the Home Office in regard to their comments: -
The studies undertaken on DU in Kosovo have not detected any significant levels of DU. -
Studies have not shown any significant risk to the health of the population of the province from the presence of DU. In his response he stated: I will demonstrate that both of these statements are incorrect and that the DoD document and its conclusions are unsafe. I will argue that this is because of bias, over interpretation of research and omission of relevant evidence. I will direct attention to evidence which shows that there is a significant health risk associated with living in areas contaminated by DU including recent evidence not available to the authors of the DoD report or the HO memorandum. Many experts throughout the world agree with Dr Busy and believe that the current model used by the nuclear industry and the military is outdated and is not suitable for testing victims that have been exposed to low level radiation (LLR) such as DU. The ICRP90 model draws comparison on the effects of high level doses of radiation on victims from the A bomb attacks in Japan during WW2. Many experts have challenged this method by saying that this model averaged out radiation of the whole body or organ. These survivors had been irradiated with an acute, large, external dose in which the effects were uniform over the whole body. It is evident that LLR (such as DU) that has been absorbed, ingested and more importantly inhaled has become a major threat to human health and therefore the above model is unacceptable Dr Busby reported: The view that this approach was wrong was developed independently by scientists from different countries, and is now located, among other places, in the model of the European Committee on Radiation Risk (ECRR). Dr Busby was also the founder member of this Committee on Radiation Risk from Internal Emitters (CERRIE) which is an independent expert deliberative committee jointly funded by the UK's Department of Health and DEFRA. Dr Busby reflected on his own experience in his report: I have personally visited two countries where DU has been used, Iraq and Kosovo with scientific measuring equipment and I collected samples for analysis. I found elevated levels of radioactivity in both countries without great difficulty and also took samples which were subsequently analyzed in the UK by two independent laboratories. Both found DU in the samples from Kosovo so I find it hard to believe that all these groups found no evidence of DU, or at minimum, only DU near the target. His report also revealed some interesting observations: The most significant problem is that DU is an alpha and beta emitter, the latter because of its radioactive decay product isotopes, Thorium-234 and Protoactinium-234, which are not mentioned in the DoD report. The range in air of alpha particles is a few centimeters, and they are easily stopped by a film of water. Beta particles have a range of up to a meter but will not penetrate a Geiger counter window. This means that a normal Geiger Counter will not register the radioactivity from DU. It was further on in his report that he made the following conclusion: There is evidence of widespread contamination by DU in the form of particles. I have some of these particles in dust samples from Gjakove, Kosovo collected more than a year after the shells were fired. They are in my laboratory, so for me, there is no argument on this matter. I can show you them. The dust had collected on a road beneath where a snowdrift had collected and melted, and the isotopic ratio of daughter Thorium-234 to parent Uranium-238 showed that the Uranium was being re-suspended in the air. Children were playing nearby: there were no wrecked tanks or bullet holes in the road. Beta radiation levels were about 11 times background, and the concentration of Uranium in the dust about 4000Bq/kg 200 times the background level of about 20Bq/kg. Was this material ending up inside the people who live nearby? To make this question more immediate, I could bring my radioactive DU particle to where you sit reading this report and blow it at you. Would you take the position of the DoD and the other learned bodies that there was no danger, or would you dive for cover, holding your breath? When I visited Iraq and Kosovo, I wore full respiratory protection and so did the TV camera crews who accompanied me. On the issues of respiratory protection it was interesting to read a letter sent from Leuren Moret to Congressman Mc Dermott on the 21st of February 2003 which touched on the subject of current respiratory masks. It revealed that aerosol particles in the 0 .1 micron range would pass through the filter. Leuren letter also contained some other interesting information It must be clearly understand that back in 1943 nuclear experts were discussing the advantages of using fine dust as a weapon. One such document was issued on the 30th of October 1943 which quoted: "It is recommended that a decision be obtained from competent authority authorizing additional work pertaining to the use of radioactive materials in order that this country may be ready to use such materials or be ready to defend itself against the use of such materials". This same document contained information as follows: As a gas warfare instrument the material would be ground into particles of microscopic size to form dust and smoke and distributed by a ground-fired projectile, land vehicles, or aerial bombs. In this form it would be inhaled by personnel. The amount necessary to cause death to a person inhaling the material is extremely small. It has been estimated that one millionth of a gram accumulating in a person's body would be fatal. There are no known methods of treatment for such a casualty. Two factors appear to increase the effectiveness of radioactive dust or smoke as a weapon. These are: -
It cannot be detected by the senses -
It can be distributed in a dust or smoke form so finely powdered that it will permeate a standard gas mask filter in quantities large enough to be extremely damaging. This document gave the background to today's weapons that are not only highly effective in there ability to penetration deep into the target but also the pyrophoric qualities of this product allows it to ignite spontaneously and create a huge cloud of fine DU dust that becomes a lethal airborne aerosol.  Part of an attachment in Leuren Moret's letter to Congressman Mc Dermott
For almost 40 years we have all been let down a path of total deception by the: -
US Government -
US Department of Defense -
US Military -
the Nuclear Industry This deception later extended to the US Institute of Medicine, UN (especially the UNEP), WHO, NATO and their respective Governments and many other institutions that all failed in their duty of care for our planet and its inhabitants. An example of the type of control/pressure that was applied to such people as Dr Doug Rokke is revealed in the contents of a letter, referred to as the famous Los Alamos memorandum, its wording are very clear, "Thou shalt write you're after-action report such that they do not reveal the health and environmental consequence of uranium munitions because they will become politically unacceptable." [That's] a direct order. It was also interesting at this time that Doug received another order from the Defense Nuclear Agency*, written by Col. Gregory Lyle. And Greg Lyle said, "is not only DU a health risk," he said, "it's a serious health concern." Col. Lyle, at that time, worked for Col. Yasaf Durokovic. Now, you people who hear about Yasaf Durokovich, a doctor, uranium medical research program. But they failed to tell you that he was the U.S. Army's top doctor in this stuff until he blew the whistle. You have to understand, he was the army's expert-a physician, a Ph.D. M.D. physician-until he blew the whistle. We must all understand that although the issue of DU only surfaced as a result of the accident in Camp Doha, Kuwait on the 11th July 1991, its usage was tested in the Gulf during the War in Kuwait which started on the 2nd August 1990 and finished on the 28th February 1991. The preparation and stockpiling of these weapons were already underway in readiness for a planned attack on Iraq. As we know by now this was delayed as the US could not justify or find an excuse to attack Iraq at the time. The final answer came with 9/11 and the concoction of the WMD stories etc. The War in the Balkans involved US, UK and other NATO forces and resulted in the extensive use of DU weaponry during the period 22nd March 1999 and 10th June 1999. The contamination of the Middle East started back in 1973. It was during the conflict between Israel and Egypt that DU was first put to the test. Israel was provided with DU weaponry by the US, who assisted them throughout the campaign (as this technology was unknown to them). This "gift" by the US to the Middle East has been in continuous use by the IDF since that time and was used in both Lebanon and Gaza. My next report will cover and analyze the likely area of direct contamination as a result of using DU in Lebanon and Gaza. It will map out the extent and range of the contamination by using the US NOAA HYSPLIT Model. I will also create my own purpose built map of Europe and the Middle East showing how the DU aerosols from Lebanon and Gaza enter the atmosphere at various levels and follow them on their journey around the globe. Part 2
01 August 2009
 USA, August 1, 2009 (Pal Telepgraph) -
Can we force our governments to hold a full and transparent enquiry on the true effects of Low Level Radiation and Depleted Uranium aerosols on the human body? -
Can we force our governments to acknowledge that the respective so called war syndromes and the alarming rise in cancer, diabetes, infertility and birth defects are directly related to the exposure of uranium based weapons in the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan and the entire world? -
Do we have the wisdom and strength to stand firm and tell our governments that uranium based weapons must be prohibited? To most people WMD means Weapons of Mass Destruction but there is another meaning which is Weapons of Mass Deception that has been employed to cover up the horrors created by uranium based weapons. Many organizations must be held responsible for allowing this deception to continue for decades namely, -
The United Nations (UN) -
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) -
World Health Organization (WHO) -
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) -
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -
Governments -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) -
Departments of Defense -
Military -
The Nuclear Industry -
The Pharmaceutical Industry, etc..., ...all of whom have covered up and caused the suffering of thousands of military personnel and millions of innocent civilian populations around the world. The truth behind this mass slow genocide has never been covered by the media thus allowing it to expand and continue out of control. It is obvious that this deception is part of a bigger picture involving the highest level of economic greed and to seize control of the world's natural resources. It is imperative that we fully understand the implications relating to the unchecked usage of uranium products in its many forms. Do we really fully understand the extreme danger to human health if uranium is continued to be used in the manner the scientists and inventors want it to be used. A study by three leading radiation scientists cautioned that children and adults could contract cancer after breathing in dust containing DU, which is radioactive and chemically toxic. But it was blocked from publication by the World Health Organization (WHO), who employed the main author, Dr Keith Baverstock, as a senior radiation advisor. He alleges that it was deliberately suppressed, though this is denied by WHO. Albert Einstein once quoted: "The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe".
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it".
"Real progress of humanity depends on not so much creativity as much as on conscience." It was interesting to note that the UNEP/81 report (16/01/01) confirmed that Uranium 236 had been found in DU Penetrators. The WHO also gave reference to this problem in their Report of the World Health Organization Depleted Uranium Mission to Kosovo (22nd - 31st January 2001) when they reported that in addition to U235, U234 and U238, the mission was confronted with questions on the presence of plutonium or other radioactive chemicals in the munitions. KFOR informed the mission that it did not exclude the possibility that traces of plutonium could be present in depleted uranium. Other laboratories have also revealed similar finds giving reference to enriched uranium possibly indicating a new type of 4th Generation Weapon. It is quite obvious that Depleted Uranium is only the tip of the iceberg and much more sinister weapons are in the making, hence the term "Dirty Missiles, Dirty Bombs, Dirty Shells and Dirty Bullets". What was so ironic was the fact that in this WHO report it stated, "Penetrators that hit armored vehicles or hard rocks would be crushed on impact and residual fragments and dust would be deposited on the ground" "It is reported that most of the depleted uranium dust will be deposited within a distance of 100m from the target (US Army Corps of Engineers 1997). People, most likely soldiers, close to an impact could therefore be exposed to dust by inhalation. It gave no reference to the fact that DU Dust aerosols can travel beyond the target area, cross international borders and around the world." This same scenario has been repeated in other research laboratories, indicating that such weapons also contain Recycled Uranium Let's now look at the many uses of Uranium based materials in the military sense and also in its application or possible application in the commercial world. We must also be cautious and understand that Enriched, Depleted and Recycled Uranium play a major role in all sectors. This mass deception makes us believe that such products are essential in our everyday lives when in actual fact the only application that is acceptable (if I dare say) is in the field of medicine. The entire lists of products are not available but the variety and usage demonstrates what can be achieved by recycling nuclear waste.  One such company called Manufacturing Sciences Corporation (MSC) based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee show the following photograph on their webpage highlighting the broad range of so called Depleted Uranium items. The complete range and its usage are beyond imagination when one considers that this is a very toxic waste product from the Nuclear Industry that can now enter our environment in so many forms. MSC explain that they have converted approximately 6 million pounds of depleted uranium (DU) into more than 70,000 useful products. They say they have the unique capability to take the customers unwanted DU, and by utilizing our DU experience and specialized facilities, can recycle the DU into useful products. One could ask the question what constitutes a useful product. Kinetic energy penetrators (as used in many weapons) are made of DU because of its high density, fabricability, pyrophoricity, availability and low cost (Toxic nuclear waste) compared to other heavy metals. Shape Charge Liners and Explosively Formed Penetrators Lenses: Depleted uranium SCLs and EFP lenses are under investigation as a material for warhead applications in missiles, ammunition and sub munitions. The U.S. Army has revealed that depleted uranium is used as amour protection in the Abrams main battle tank. This is also used by other nations with the same application. We know that DU penetrators have and are still part of the arms arsenal and there is even a suggestion that enriched penetrators have been used. This now brings us to the use of Shape Charge Liners that are made from DU. Shaped charges increase the power by focusing explosives in one direction e.g. by containing them with a conical liner. A wide variety of guided weapons use "shaped charge" technology. These range from Maverick and Hellfire missiles to torpedoes, sub-munitions in cluster bombs and the first stage of BROACH-MWS (British Royal Augmentation Charge - Multiple Warhead System) warheads. Hellfire missiles have been used extensively in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza and now Pakistan. Tungsten is not only expensive; it also has a very high melting point (3422° C). DU liners are inexpensive compared to Tungsten as the Nuclear Industry almost gives it away. It melting point is perfectly suitable for the task required (170° C) The quantity of DU involved may range from a few kilograms up to 250 kg in larger warheads as was the case in the Broach MWS warhead. In the medical fields, depleted uranium has been used for biomedical isotope shields, calorimeters and radiographic cameras. MSC go on to say another application for depleted uranium is as a counterweight. Currently, depleted uranium is used as a counterweight in both commercial and military aircraft. Because of its density, 18.95 gm/cc, depleted uranium can supply a significant mass in a small area. Counterweights can be moved to compensate for fuel consumption or shifting cargo loads. Depleted uranium is currently being investigated as a replacement for lead in elevator counterweights, fork truck counterbalances, and crane counterweights. Because of the density of depleted uranium, the appropriate mass takes up significantly less space allowing for either a more compact design or room for additional components.
Can one imagine how this nuclear waste, that is almost given away by the nuclear industry and respective /governments, is spread around us all in such a haphazard way. Does anyone evaluate the fact that all these products are radioactive and that no safe dose exists?
If one looks at the Hazard Brief for Cameco - Port Hope, Ontario, Canada (Facilities for Reconversion to Uranium Metal), the instructions for dealing with uranium metals in stated very clearly: Uranium is pyrophoric and starts to burn in the air at between 150c-170c. It ignites in oxygen at 170c. The brief goes on to say that dust inhalation can result in radiation dose to lungs. Kidney damage can occur due to chemical toxicity. Skin contact can result in Low Lever Radiation (LLR) dose from continued exposure. Ingestion can result in radiation dose and kidney damage can occur due to chemical toxicity. The UNEP, WHO and others say that LLR is safe! It would now be appropriate to analyze "Weapons of Mass Deception" in order to see what lies behind this major cover up. At we have seen time and time again many authorities such as, ...continue to use the outdated ICRP Model. This single mistake has played a major role in the wrong assessment of the many thousands of victims. We have seen the denial by Governments and their respective military units on their use of DU weapons. We have seen how those in senior positions have attempted to manipulate the outcome of a particular test or enquiry. We have seen vital evidence withheld or hidden from public viewing and finally we have seen the cruelty handed out to those experts and whistleblower that exposed the truth, some of whom have paid the ultimate price. Finally I can reveal the outcome of a very important conference that took place in Greece on the 6th of May 2009: the European Committee on Radiation Risk Conference held in Molyvos, Lesvos, Greece. The report is not only very critical but also shows that existing methods are clearly outdated. Paragraph I. is of particular interest when it states, "Whereas, there is an immediate, urgent and continuing requirement for appropriate regulation of existing situations involving radioactivity, to protect the human population and the biosphere" The report is signed by 16 world experts and is a clear warning to us all. ECRR - CERI
European Committee on Radiation Risk
Comité Européenne sur le Risque de l'Irradiation The Lesvos Declaration
6th May 2009 -
Whereas, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has promulgated certain risk coefficients for ionizing radiation exposure,
-
Whereas, the ICRP radiation risk coefficients are used worldwide by federal and state governmental bodies to promulgate radiation protection laws and standards for exposure to workers and the general public from waste disposal, nuclear weapons, management of contaminated land and materials, naturally occurring and technologically enhanced radioactive materials (NORM and TENORM), nuclear power plant and all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, compensation and rehabilitation schemes, etc,
-
Whereas, the Chernobyl accident has provided the most important and indispensable opportunity to discover the yields of serious ill health following exposure to fission products and has demonstrated the inadequacy of the current ICRP risk model, especially as applied to foetal and early childhood exposures to radiation,
-
Whereas, by common consent the ICRP risk model cannot validly be applied to post-accident exposures, nor to incorporated radioactive material resulting in internal exposure,
-
Whereas, the ICRP risk model was developed before the discovery of the DNA structure and the discovery that certain radionuclides have chemical affinities for DNA, so that the concept of absorbed dose as used by ICRP cannot account for the effects of exposure to these radionuclides,
-
Whereas, the ICRP has not taken into consideration new discoveries of non-targeted effects such as genomic instability and bystander or secondary effects with regard to understanding radiation risk and particularly the spectrum of consequent illnesses,
-
Whereas, the non-cancer effects of radiation exposure may make it impossible to accurately determine the levels of cancer consequent upon exposure, because of confounding causes of death,
-
Whereas, the ICRP considers the status of its reports to be purely advisory,
-
Whereas, there is an immediate, urgent and continuing requirement for appropriate regulation of existing situations involving radioactivity, to protect the human population and the biosphere. We the undersigned, in our individual capacities -
assert that the ICRP risk coefficients are out of date and that use of these coefficients leads to radiation risks being significantly underestimated, -
assert that employing the ICRP risk model to predict the health effects of radiation leads to errors which are at minimum 10 fold while we are aware of studies relating to certain types of exposure that suggest that the error is even greater, -
assert that the yield of non-cancer illnesses from radiation exposure, in particular damage to the cardio-vascular, immune, central nervous and reproductive systems, is significant but as yet unquantified, -
urge the responsible authorities, as well as all of those responsible for causing radiation exposures, to rely no longer upon the existing ICRP model in determining radiation protection standards and managing risks, -
urge the responsible authorities and all those responsible for causing exposures, to adopt a generally precautionary approach, and in the absence of another workable and sufficiently precautionary risk model, to apply without undue delay the provisional ECRR 2003 risk model, which more accurately bounds the risks reflected by current observations, -
demand immediate research into the health effects of incorporated radionuclides, particularly by revisiting the many historical epidemiological studies of exposed populations, including re-examination of the data from Japanese A-bomb survivors, Chernobyl and other affected territories and independent monitoring of incorporated radioactive substances in exposed populations, -
consider it to be a human right for individuals to know the level of radiation to which they are exposed, and also to be correctly informed as to the potential consequences of that exposure, -
are concerned by the escalating use of radiation for medical investigation and other general applications, -
urge significant publicly funded research into medical techniques which do not involve radiation exposures to patients. Statements contained herein reflect the opinions of the undersigned and are not meant to reflect the positions of any institution to which we are affiliated. In closing Part 2 'Uranium Weapons - Does anyone care about our planet?', I would like to make the following statement: Millions of military personnel and innocent civilians in all the theatres of war have been affected by the use of weapons containing uranium. Many of them have been deceived, intimidated and neglected with no recourse and that is a grave injustice. I hope and pray that you will all have your day in court and receive your respective compensations that you so respectfully deserve. Bless you all. Part 3
09 August 2009  London, August 9, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) In previous reports I have explained the dangers associated with weapons containing uranium. This can be used in many ways, as a penetrator rod, a Shaped Charged Liner or as a counterweight etc. Whatever the application we know that DU will ignite at 170°C. On behalf of the U.S. Army, Major Doug Rokke led a 434 man depleted uranium clean up team in the first Gulf War. In 1994, he was appointed as depleted uranium project director for the U.S. Army. Despite his warnings of the dangers of DU exposure, both the U.S. army and coalition forces continue to use DU munitions with catastrophic effects on their own troops. Before going into how the DU contamination spreads around the globe lets again look at what exactly happens when a DU weapon makes contact with its target. Doug Rokke explains: "Uranium munitions are probably the most effective weapon you're ever going to encounter. These things are the silver bullet. They kill and destroy anything in their path. They are EXTREMELY effective. And what you need to understand, and contrary to what he saw in the media, the DU ground is not coated and it's not tipped. The DU round is solid uranium 238. The M1 tank round is over 10 pounds of solid uranium 238, contaminated with plutonium, neptunium, and americium." When that 10 pound uranium dart strikes wood, metal, steel, iron, or anything - this thing is already on fire in flight. The uranium is pyrophoric and very soft. Uranium is not hard. It's soft. But the density is unbelievable. Extremely heavy per unit volume. So, you got this uranium dart, that basically three-quarters of an inch in diameter, 18 inches long, moving at better than 3000 feet per second. And when strikes, you have what we call, spalling is formed. About 40 to 50 percent of the dart breaks off and forms spalling [a shotgun effect]. The spalling is uranium fragments. Some of the stuff catches fire. And some of the stuff is just solid uranium. And what you see inside is if I took a handful of BB's and through it across this room, extremely high velocity, everything is on fire and fragments. You have secondary detonations due to concussion and ignition beyond comprehension. And the whole thing is a catastrophic explosion (approximately 50 to 70% of the penetrator is burned and forms particles 0.1 micron or smaller). Leuren Moret is a geoscientist who worked almost around the clock educating citizens, the media, members of parliaments and Congress and other officials on radiation issues. She became a whistleblower in 1991 at the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab after witnessing fraud on the Yucca Mountain Project. Leuren explained how these minute particles (nano-particles) form and disperse into the world's atmosphere.  Leuren explains th | 
Censorship online is an emotive issue.
