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CADU NEWS 14
April 2003
Contents
- In the Hands of Fools - Iraq Contaminated Again
- Gulf War Illness II
- The Fight for Decontamination in Iraq Begins
- The Royal Society Debacle
- The Implications for Campaigning
- The Second International Day of Action Against DU-
Holding them to Account- 29th May 2003
- European Parliament Calls for Ban on DU Weapons
- And DU Bill in Congress
- UNEP Confirms Balkan Hotspots
- Very Significant New Study into Chromosomal Damage
Caused by DU
- 250 People Attend Action at Alliant Techsystems
- Citizens Inspection Team Enter DU Weapons Plant in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- DU Information Given to Potential Recruits
- Biggest Ever UK Anti-DU Action at Scottish DU Test
Site
- Protesters block Lockheed Martin facility in search
for WMDs
- Rally to Prevent Uranium Enrichment Plant Being Built
- Bodies Spell Out NO WAR NO DU!
- Vieques to Close But the Struggle Continues
- DU Victim Loses Funding For Court Case
- The Ministry of Defence Launches Challenge to Recognition
of "Gulf War Syndrome"
- US Navy test DU in Prime Fishing Coasts
- The Arabic Campaign Against Depleted Uranium
- A Message from CADU
_________________________________________________________
In
the Hands of Fools - Iraq Contaminated Again
It has now become clear that both the US and British Governments have
used depleted uranium again in the recent attack on Iraq. The amount used
is not yet clear but given the much higher fire power seen in this attack
than that used in the first Gulf War we can expect a much larger amount
of depleted uranium to have been used. Estimates have been put at around
1000-2000 tonnes, and although these amounts are not confirmed, it is
horrifying to compare them with official figures of 320 tonnes of DU used
in the first Gulf War.
Another extremely disturbing development has been the use of DU weapons
in urban, densely populated areas which will result in much greater civilian
exposure to environmental contamination; as geochemist Vala Ragnarsdottir,
who has taken part in United Nations DU field studies in the Balkans said,
''The fact that most of the fighting in Iraq has been in population centres
is of great worry to me.'' At CADU, and in line with many others, we are
staggered at the callous and irresponsible use of these weapons again
in Iraq at a time when new studies are showing the damage DU does to health,
when the European parliament has called for a moratorium on their use,
when radioactive hotspots have just been found in the Balkans and when
the chief body of scientists in Britain, the Royal Society, has been warning
the Government of the dangers of DU.
Gulf War Illness II
One of the most hypocritical aspects of this war has been the 'support
our troops' line thrown out by the Government and some sections of the
media, which they have used to try and silence criticism. In actual fact
they have shown an extreme disregard for the welfare of the British and
US troops and their families by again exposing them to DU.
There is a schizophrenia in official policy which says they instruct troops
to follow strict precautions when handling DU weapons or working in areas
exposed to high levels of DU contamination while at the same time insisting
they do not present a health problem and that troops have nothing to worry
about.
The shots shown on TV of soldiers and journalists filming around burnt
out tanks shows that basic safety precautions in battlefields are still
not being taken. Moreover many incidences of 'friendly fire' have been
recorded, in which soldiers who escape alive will face unnecessary long-term
health risks after being in one of the most intensive exposure situations
possible.
The Pentagon claims that it has put monitoring procedures in place after
the first Gulf War that allows them to "have a better baseline of
information when people are deployed that tells us about their health,
better surveillance in the field, and collection of information in a more
disciplined way to look at people after they return". "We have
learned many lessons over the last decade," Dr. William Winkenwerder
the Assistant Secretary of Defence for health affairs at the Pentagon
said.
This was meant to have prevented the type of confusion that has resulted
in the fudging of results of studies into Gulf War Illness among veterans
of the 1991 attacks. However it was admitted in the House on March 25th
that the Pentagon was not taking the blood samples needed to follow Public
Law 105-85 but was just asking troops to fill in a questionnaire. Rep.
Chris Shays, who held the hearing, told military officials they were "not
meeting" the letter or spirit of the law. Denise Nichols, a retired
Air Force Major and nurse, who served in Desert Storm and is now vice-chairman
of the National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition testified: "I
hope that when the soldiers return the standard tactic of blaming PTSD
[Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder] or stress will never be allowed to block
soldiers from getting fast answers to what is happening to their health."
According to newspaper reports the British Government, stung by criticism
from the Royal Society, has agreed to testing of British troops for DU
on their return. Testing for DU has always been controversial as widespread
testing of sick veterans from the 1991 war has never occurred and some
scientists say the tests the Government has proposed using are inaccurate
and incapable of distinguishing DU from other uranium types.
At CADU we are certainly going to be monitoring the Government carefully
to see if and how they fulfil their promise. The Green party in Australia
has also called for testing of returning Australian troops. The US meanwhile
has said it will not test its troops. Tellingly the top Bush administration
official responsible for war veterans, Anthony Principi, the secretary
of veterans' affairs, has appealed to Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary,
for more information on potential heath risks in Iraq and access to troop
test results. This shows the deep unease in some parts of the US Government
that they will be landed with Gulf War Illness II. And of course the clock
is ticking…The Royal Society report on DU found that those with heavy
exposure could die within days from kidney damage; how many have died
from DU already that we will never know about?
The Fight for Decontamination
in Iraq Begins
Now that, very sadly, DU has been used again the challenge to campaigners
is to ensure that accurate and widespread testing of human and environmental
exposure is carried out and that the British and American Governments
are held responsible for decontamination of the exposed areas.
At CADU we believe that forcing governments to pay for decontamination
when they use weapons they know to have dangerous and illegal side effects
is crucial to stopping this type of behaviour. While governments may wriggle
around international law treaties, being forced to pay for the damage
they do with their weapons will hurt them financially. This unfortunately
appears to be the only language they understand. As can be seen from the
use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War this will not be easy.
In a typically disturbing statement made at a Pentagon press conference
just before fighting started Army Colonel. James Naughton said "Why
do they (the Iraqis) want it to go away? They want it to go away because
we kicked the crap out of them in 1991." The US and UK Governments
have, unsurprisingly, said they will not clean up DU contamination in
Iraq but pressure is mounting on them and from some surprising corners…
The Royal Society Debacle
Those who have been readers of CADU News for a while will know that CADU
has always been very critical of the Royal Society reports on DU that
were brought out in 2001 and 2002. (Full
scientific responses can be found on our website to both reports).
The basis of our criticisms stems from the fact that while the reports
say very serious health damage can be caused by DU, including renal, respiratory
and DNA damage, that DU presents a long term danger to civilians, that
future monitoring should take place and that many more studies need to
be undertaken because there are so many gaps in our knowledge, they also
jump to the conclusion that battlefield exposures would be generally too
low to have "adverse effects" on organs.
By emphasising that they thought doses would be too low to cause widespread
harm while at the same time admitting they had incomplete data to draw
conclusions they left themselves wide-open to misinterpretation. The British
Government exploited this weakness in the reports for all they were worth;
often quoting in letters to CADU supporters that the Royal Society reports
showed that there was no scientific evidence that DU presented a health
risk.
It seems that the Royal Society has been gradually growing more disturbed
at the way that the Government has been misusing their work, especially
after they ignored a warning before fighting began that DU is not safe,
from Professor Brian Spratt, Chair of the Royal Society working group
on depleted uranium. The final straw came when the Pentagon, obviously
taking the British Government's lead, also claimed that the Royal Society
said that DU was harmless. Professor Spratt was reportedly "furious"
at this and has since been very vocal against the use of DU in Iraq. He
has publicly stated that "DU is radioactive and it's toxic",
that it presents a "short and long term" threat to the health
of civilian populations and that it is "highly unsatisfactory to
continue using DU without knowing people's exposure levels". He is
quoted in the BBC as saying: "The Coalition needs to acknowledge
that DU is a potential hazard and make inroads into tackling it by being
open about where and how much has been deployed. He has called for the
decontamination of Iraq, the testing of soldiers and field hospital staff,
and the monitoring of water and milk supplies.
This is a monumental embarrassment to the Government as it robs them
of their chief backup in claiming DU to be harmless and it exposes Defence
Minister Geoff Hoon's limited understanding of the truth. Even last week,
after the Royal Society had spoken out, the Minister was still saying
DU has no adverse health effects. Does he know something the Royal Society
does not? Or is he just clinging desperately to past propoganda to cover
up the Government's illegal actions? As for the Royal Society, we are
thankful to Professor Spratt for having the moral courage to speak out
and correct past mistakes.
(The original reports can be found at:
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/policy/cur_du.htm)
The United Nations Environmental Programme has also spoken out strongly
and has called for scientific studies and decontamination to begin. They
claim research at sites hit by DU is a "scientific priority"
and that "the intensive use of DU weapons has likely caused environmental
contamination of as yet unknown levels or consequences." They have
stressed the need for an immediate public awareness raising campaign into
the dangers of DU to prevent unnecessary exposures.
UNEP has said they will do the study into DU with the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and are waiting
to go into Iraq. They have already carried out a desk study into Iraq's
environment. Researcher Dai Williams has made a number of important points
in relation to any UNEP study including that, uranium testing must start
without delay especially in urban areas, targets must include known and
suspected uranium weapons, that all types of uranium must be looked for
and that air radiation monitoring is required throughout the Gulf region.
David Nabarro of the WHO, has said "We've done quite a lot of work
on depleted uranium, and we just can't be sure of its effects for people
close to exploding munitions or for the people who handle it." With
such international institutions being openly critical of the British and
US use of DU their arrogant and dangerous stance on the issue is looking
embarrassingly exposed.
The Implications for Campaigning
Perhaps the only plus that can be drawn from the use of DU in Iraq is
that it has concentrated attention on the issue. At CADU we have certainly
noticed a lot more media and public focus on the issue than we have seen
at any point in the recent past. After years of "fobbing off"
letters on the subject from the public with a collection of half-truths
and a selective ignoring of key studies, the British Government is finally
being directly challenged. Especially for this attack on Iraq the British
Government brought out a new 'fact sheet' called Middle East 2003. We
have now refuted this point by point and a copy of this is available with
this newsletter and on our website. This is partly in response to our
supporters who after receiving standard replies from the government have
wanted to challenge what they have been sent. Please do use this material
yourself in any campaigning work you have been involved in. The New Scientist
magazine has also challenged the Government's standard claims that no
studies have found "a connection between DU exposure and illness".
As the magazine states:
"These statements imply a level of knowledge that we simply do not
have. An investigation conducted by Britain's Royal Society and quoted
by the minister akes clear that there are numerous ways in which DU can
cause illness and even death. And those media reports about Iraq were
not substantiated because no studies were ever carried out. Evidence of
the absence of any health impacts would be reassuring but all we have
at present is an absence of evidence."
This maybe a difficult time in the fight against depleted uranium for
campaigners but the point to be made is that the Government and military
positions are slipping and now is really the time to keep pressure exerted.
As the main fighting in Iraq stops, this is an issue that is not going
to go away.
The Second International
Day of Action Against Depleted Uranium - Holding them to Account- 29th
May 2003
The second Day of Action Against Depleted Uranium is again going to
be on the 29th May this year. Last year was great with actions happening
truly all over the world. This year with press attention over the use
of DU in Iraq and, of course, outrage at the war it will hopefully be
even better. CADU has hada good response so far with many new groups getting
in touch saying they want to organise actions in their area. We really
encourage everyone to take part and make it a day that belongs to all
those who want justice against uranium weapons. At CADU we are encouraging
all groups and individuals to organise something whether it be giving
out leaflets or visiting a company involved with DU in their area. Giving
out information at Army Recruitment Centres, carrying out citizens' inspections,
and phoning companies or politicians to make your views known are all
effective actions that groups of any size can carry out. Holding a stall,
showing a film, organising a meeting and giving out leaflets are all good
ways to spread the message about DU further.
CADU is working to support people and groups who want to do actions on
the day. We can provide information on targets and active groups working
against DU in your area. We have prepared flyers to advertise the day
and have an (updated) list of places and companies connected with depleted
uranium in Britain. We can try to find out targets for those interested
in other countries as well. Also we have leaflets that are suitable to
for different types of actions that we can send out. If there is any other
type of support we can help you with please do let us know. If you are
based outside the UK and are willing to act as a contact point for any
enquires we receive at CADU from your country or area that would be very
useful for strengthening international anti-DU networks. Please let CADU
know if you organising anything for the 29 May so we can include it in
publicity. By working together we can ensure that the British and US governments
are held responsible for the suffering they have inflicted.
To Find Out How the Day Went Click Here
European Parliament Calls for Ban
on DU Weapons
Two important legislative steps have been taken on the issue of DU. On
the 12th February the European Parliament, after a debate, passed a resolution
that calls for the establishment of moratoriums on cluster bombs and depleted
uranium ammunition "pending a total ban".
The scope of the legislation is quite broad, calling for the "Council
to support independent and thorough investigations into the possible harmful
effects of the use of depleted uranium ammunition (and other types of
uranium warheads) in battlefield operations such as in the Balkans, Afghanistan
and other regions" and for the results to be presented in Parliament;
that a comprehensive study should take place on the requirements of international
humanitarian law in relation to DU weaponry and that the Commission should
monitor developments in relation to environmental contamination and long-term
hazards to human health.
Most pleasingly the resolution also calls for action by EU Member States
to provide "assistance, in the form of economic assistance, land
clearance, social assistance and medical support, to those affected by
such weapons". That Tony Blair was willing to defy the European Parliament
and follow the US into using DU barely a month after this resolution was
passed shows us a lot about where his interests lie.
...And DU Bill in Congress
Congressman Jim McDermott has introduced legislation requiring studies
on the health and environmental impact of depleted uranium into the US
Congress. Bill 1483 also demands the cleanup and mitigation of depleted
uranium contamination at sites within the United States where DU has been
used or produced. McDermott, a medical doctor, has been concerned about
this issue since veterans of the Gulf War started experiencing unexplained
illnesses. His concern deepened, he said, after visiting Iraq, where Iraqi
paediatricians told him that the incidence of severely deformed infants
and childhood cancers has skyrocketed. This bill can be seen at:
http://traprockpeace.org/DUBill24March03.html
UNEP Confirms Balkan Hotspots
The UNEP report into DU contamination in Bosnia has been published. It
confirms that DU is present in three of the sites investigated, over eight
years after the NATO bombings there. The sites may be only a small amount
of the 'hotspots' in need of decontamination. For the first time it was
found that DU had leached into groundwater. The report recommends decontamination
of the sites and stressed that NATO coordinates of six other DU-attack
sites in the vicinity of Sarajevo were "still missing" and "should
be reported to the authorities without delay." The report advocates
long-term, annual testing of local drinking water. Klaus Toepfer, executive
director of UNEP said, "These findings must not be seen as a cause
for alarm."
The report can be downloaded from: http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/BiH_DU_report.pdf
Very Significant New Study into
Chromosomal Damage Caused by DU
A new scientific study, reported in the New Scientist this month has
found worrying new evidence of the genetic damage DU can cause even at
levels deemed so low as to be non-toxic. Alexandra Miller at the Armed
Forces Radiobiology Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, is due to
complete an investigation into DU for the US Department of Defence next
year. Her study shows that when human bone cells are exposed to DU, some
suffer immediate genetic damage. The type of damage varies but often fragments
break off chromosomes, the strings of genes in almost every cell, and
form tiny rings of genetic material. This much was expected. But as other
cells evidently undamaged by the depleted uranium started to divide, creating
new cells, Miller noticed the genes in some of these new cells were damaged.
More than a month after the DU was removed, new cells were forming with
broken chromosomes or other genetic damage. The DU was having a delayed
effect. She also found that tiny amounts of DU, too small to be toxic
and only mildly radioactive, cause more genetic damage in cells than either
the toxicity or radiation could explain. Her latest results suggest that
the toxicity and radioactivity of DU reinforce one another, causing more
damage than the two just added together. "You can get more than an
eight-fold greater effect than you'd expect," she says. In other
words, more than eight times as many cells suffer genetic damage than
predicted. Without taking this effect into account, the health risk of
DU could be grossly underestimated.
250 People Attend Action at Alliant
Techsystems
Protesters participated in a mass act of trespass at Alliant Techsystems
in Edina, Minnesota on the 2nd April. Alliant Techsystems is one of the
largest makers of DU weapons and is the largest military contractor in
Minnesota. They also have a very well organised local campaign run against
them. Twenty-eight people were arrested for trespassing and were released
later that morning. For more information please contact Nuke Watch on:
[email protected]
Website: www.nukewatch.com
Citizens Inspection Team Enter
DU Weapons Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Citizens in Oak Ridge declared their intent to inspect the site on March
30th because of "overwhelming evidence that the United States possesses
weapons of mass destruction and that the Bush regime is intent on using
them." If the inspectors were blocked citizens said they would have
no choice but to close the site through nonviolent direct action. For
more information please visit: www.stopthebombs.org
DU Information
Given to Potential Recruits
CADU supporter Ellen Murphy was found guilty of trespass after she attempted
to distribute information about DU at a military recruiting office during
an anti-war protest. Dr. Doug Rokke who was in charge of DU clean up after
the first Gulf War, gave evidence but the jury was not present during
his testimony, as the judge had ruled that this evidence could not be
used in the trial. Ellen is currently appealing her case.
Biggest Ever UK Anti-DU Action
at Scottish DU Test Site
CADU supported a demonstration held at the Dundrennan MoD testing range
by Kirkcudbright, Galloway on Saturday May 3rd. It was a great day with
Gulf Veteran Terry Gooding, Green MEPs, local campaigner Danny Kenny,
SSPs speaking as well as representatives of CADU and CND. Around 80 people
came and demonstrated. Dundrennan is one of three sites in Britain where
DU weapons are tested. DU shells that fall short of their Solway Firth
targets are not traced. The Ministry of Defence has test-fired some 6,350
DU rounds into the Solway Firth.
Protesters block Lockheed Martin
facility in search for WMDs
Hundreds of peace demonstrators blocked entrances to Lockheed Martin,
in Sunnyvale near San Francisco, protesting the manufacture of weapons
of mass destruction. Lockheed manufactures depleted uranium missiles,
anti-personnel landmines and AUP-3(M). Protestor Valarie Kaur Brar said,
"Lockheed blatantly violates human rights by continuing to produce
anti-personnel landmines and depleted uranium weapons which have been
banned by international human rights law."
Rally to Prevent Uranium Enrichment
Plant Being Built
On March 25th a rally was held on the Trousdale County Courthouse steps
in Hartsvile, Tennessee, as Commissioners were voting on whether they
should rezone the land belonging to the Four Lakes Authority so that a
uranium enrichment facility could be built there. In a statement protesters
said, "The by-product of the proposed uranium enrichment facility
in Middle Tennessee will be DU. It is a fact that DU produced by the Paducah,
Oak Ridge and Ohio uranium enrichment plants were used in producing DU
munitions used in these wars. Please help us fight the proposed LES plant
in Hartsville, our success will mean a lot for the health of our soldiers
and for victims of America's future wars."
For more information: www.StopLES.org
Bodies
Spell Out NO WAR NO DU!
In Hiroshima Central Park on March 2nd writers from all around Japan
spelt out the message "No War No DU" using their bodies. The
organisers asked people to bring flowers and musical instruments and said
they would: "Sing songs of peace and make a strong statement showing
our determination to stop war and stop creating hibakusha anywhere in
the world." For more information contact: Hiroshima Human-Formed
Peace Message Committee, Hiroshima Headquarters.
Tel: 082-504-8751 Fax: 082-504-8762 URL:
http://www.peace2001.org/
Vieques to Close But the Struggle
Continues
The Navy will permanently close its Vieques base on May 1st, bowing to
public pressure after the outpost became a magnet for protests against
the long arm of the U.S. military. But befitting a tiny island in the
eye of a storm, Vieques will grapple with the Navy's legacy long after
the base is closed.
Residents of Vieques, population 9,500, say environmental contamination
and medical ills will plague the island for years in what many here characterize
as a modern-day form of American imperialism. "The people of Vieques
have suffered enough. Their land has been taken away. The fauna and the
water have been poisoned," said Philadelphia City Councilman Angel
Ortiz, who is Puerto Rican and a vocal opponent of the military operations,
"The Navy is leaving, but they are leaving behind poison in the ground
and the sea." The Navy admit they tested 24 napalm bombs on Vieques
in 1993 and in 1999, they accidentally fired 267 DU bombs at the island.
Dr MacKenzie, director of Vieques' only hospital, said she had seen perplexing
cases, including cancer patients who have non-metastasized tumours, many
patients with kidney failure, and many children with high levels of heavy
metals in their blood. "These are not normal medical conditions.
There's only one industrial plant on the island, so it can't be that,"
she said. The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques have
organised an amazing series of events from the 1st-4th May to push the
US Navy to take responsibility for the decontamination of Vieques. Events
include a Peace and Justice camp, concerts, vigils, a 'rap for peace'
and the placing of a large cross on the bombing range.
For more information please contact the:
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
Apartado 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
Tel. 787 741-0716 Fax 741-0358 E mail: [email protected]
http://www.prorescatevieques.org,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bieke_pr/
DU Victim Loses Funding For Court
Case
Nibby David is a civilian who believes he has been contaminated with
DU while working with the material. He has substantial scientific evidence
to back his case but his insurers have suddenly withdrawn funding, leaving
him with no money for solicitors. This case could establish a legal precedent
of acknowledging harm from DU. Nibby will continue the case representing
himself but would appreciate any support, legal or otherwise. Please contact
him at: [email protected]
The Ministry of Defence Launches
Challenge to Recognition of "Gulf War Syndrome"
In previous editions of CADU News we covered the case of Shaun Rusling,
who served as a sergeant during the Gulf conflict and subsequently developed
various medical problems. Mr Rusling won his case when The Pension Appeal
Tribunal formally accepted last year that Gulf War Syndrome was attributable
to military service and said the MoD should pay him a pension for his
illness. The MoD however are appealing this claiming that while that some
Gulf veterans have been suffering from illnesses, these do not represent
a "syndrome" in the sense of a defined set of symptoms. The
case is very important as it was the first legal recognition of Gulf War
Syndrome and its outcome could have repercussions for hundreds of veterans
of the 1991 conflict and any new cases that arise from the current Gulf
war. In the wake of the present attack, Paul Tyler, the Liberal Democrats'
shadow leader of the Commons said it was "not only insensitive, but
frankly scandalous that the MoD refuses to recognise the illnesses of
Gulf war veterans."
US Navy test DU in Prime Fishing
Coasts
It has been revealed that the US Navy routinely tests DU weapons by firing
them into prime fishing areas off the coast of Washington. Scientists
and environmentalists were horrified at the revelations claiming that
the affects on local fish were unknown and that the DU could enter the
human foodchain when they were fished. A coalition of Northwest environmental
and anti-war activists say they are considering seeking an injunction
to halt the tests. Unsurprisingly the Navy insists that the weapons pose
no threat to the environment or crew.
The Arabic Campaign Against Depleted
Uranium
A group of Iraqi and Arab scientists have set up ACADU or the Arabic
Campaign Against Depleted Uranium. They have already had the success of
a one hour TV program on the Arabic satellite channel ANN to start the
campaign and have had a very good response from academics and victims
in the area. The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness in the
Arab countries of the effects of DU and to seek decontamination of affected
areas. They have made an appeal for help for materials, those with scientific
skills, translators and help with funding. Anyone who is interested in
their work or would like to support the campaign should contact Dr. Ali
Al-Jawad on 0207 706 1895 or by email at: [email protected]
A Message from CADU
Many thanks for recent donations. As our supporters will realise, there
has been a very high level of enquiries, requests for information and
invitations to talk and write on DU munitions throughout the last month.
We have therefore been very grateful for extra funds. All contributions
allow us to provide more time and materials. We are sure that public opinion
and the view of many of the authorities involved is changing, so now is
the time for us all to work even harder to achieve a ban on the use of
DU.We know you will want to join us in expressing our deep sympathy and
regretto all the Iraqi people and the military personnel from all sides
who will suffer as a result of the further use of DU munitions.
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