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February 20, 2007

13,000 Dead and 518,000 Disabled with Many More to Come

Truthout is hosting an excellent piece by Craig Etchison, Ph.D., on the use of depleted uranium munitions and what they are doing to our troops and to the citizens of the countries where we have used them.

[T]he numbers suggested that something insidious happens when DU munitions are used. How to explain the exploding rates of cancer, birth defects, and radiation poisoning among Iraqis in the Basra region? How to explain a Department of Veterans Affairs study of 21,000 veterans of the Gulf War that found rates of birth defects were twice as great for male vets and three times as great for female vets who served in the Gulf War compared to vets who did not? How to explain a Washington Post report in January of 2006 that 518,000 of the 580,000 Gulf War veterans were on disability, over half on permanent disability. How to explain over 13,000 dead Gulf War veterans when only 250 were killed and 7,000 injured in the war itself?

If DU is as harmless as our military attempts to claim it is, then why is it that within the United States, DU can only be handled by persons trained in radiation safety procedures and must be isolated from the environment? In fact, it is very harmful, and Dr. Etchison explains why. I urge you to educate yourself on this dangerous weaponry and think about whether you feel the damage it inflicts on others is justifiable for any reason. Then contact your members of Congress and tell them how you feel.

Posted by Becky at February 20, 2007 10:32 AM