War Veterans Hail News on Radiation Tests

Campaigning war veterans have received a breakthrough thanks to new research which  shows exposure to depleted uranium has damaged their genetic make-up. Eight veterans  were tested at the World Depleted Uranium Centre in Berlin, where experts found they  had damaged chromosomes which could be a result of exposure to ionising radiation from  DU weapons. The study is a breakthrough in the veteran’s long fight to gain official  recognition from the Government and the Ministry of Defence of the health problems  they have suffered since serving in the Gulf War and the Balkans.

Gulf War veteran Ray Bristow, from Hull, was among several tested during the  independent research. It shows that Mr Bristow and two others have significantly raised  levels of abnormal chromosomes and recommends that further studies are undertaken. The veterans have suffered from numerous health problems and Mr Bristow has recently  been diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy, which can lead to a rare form of cancer  that is linked with exposure to nuclear bombs.

But Mr Bristow, who believes he was  contaminated while handling medical casualties, said: “I now have significant proven fact  that radiation has caused us damage. We have all the facilities available to do these tests  in the UK. I feel it is an absolute disgrace that veterans have got to go all the way to  Canada and Germany to get these tests.” Mr Bristow plans to present the research to the International Court of Human Rights.