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Indybay Feature

Depleted Uranium is WMD

by reposted
by Leuren Moret
Depleted Uranium is WMD


My grandfather, U.S. Army Col. Edwin Joseph McAllister, was born in Battle Creek in 1895. He does not know that his first grandchild is an international expert on depleted uranium. I have worked in two U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories, and in 1991 I became a whistleblower at the Livermore lab. Depleted uranium is very, very, very nasty stuff:

# Depleted uranium (DU) weaponry meets the definition of weapon of mass destruction in two out of three categories under U.S. Federal Code Title 50 Chapter 40 Section 2302.

# DU weaponry violates all international treaties and agreements, Hague and Geneva war conventions, the 1925 Geneva gas protocol, U.S. laws and U.S. military law.

# Since 1991, the U.S. has released the radioactive atomicity equivalent of at least 400,000 Nagasaki bombs into the global atmosphere. That is 10 times the amount released during atmospheric testing which was the equivalent of 40,000 Hiroshima bombs. The U.S. has permanently contaminated the global atmosphere with radioactive pollution having a half-life of 4.5 billion years.

# The U.S. has illegally conducted four nuclear wars in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and twice in Iraq since 1991, calling DU "conventional" weapons when in fact they are nuclear weapons.

# DU on the battlefield has three effects on living systems: it is a heavy metal "chemical" poison, a "radioactive" poison and has a "particulate" effect due to the very tiny size of the particles that are 0.1 microns and smaller.

# The blueprint for DU weaponry is a 1943 Manhattan Project memo to Gen. L. Groves that recommended development of radioactive materials as poison gas weapons - dirty bombs, dirty missiles and dirty bullets.

# DU weapons are very effective kinetic energy penetrators, but even more effective bioweapons since uranium has a strong chemical affinity for phosphate structures concentrated in DNA.

# DU is the Trojan Horse of nuclear war - it keeps giving and keeps killing. There is no way to clean it up, and no way to turn it off because it continues to decay into other radioactive isotopes in over 20 steps.

# Terry Jemison at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stated in August 2004 that over 518,000 Gulf-era veterans (14-year period) are now on medical disability, and that 7,039 were wounded on the battlefield in that same period. Over 500,000 U.S. veterans are homeless.

# In some studies of soldiers who had normal babies before the war, 67 percent of the post-war babies are born with severe birth defects - missing brains, eyes, organs, legs and arms, and blood diseases.

# In southern Iraq, scientists are reporting five times higher levels of gamma radiation in the air, which increases the radioactive body burden daily of inhabitants. In fact, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan are uninhabitable.

# Cancer starts with one alpha particle under the right conditions. One gram of DU is the size of a period in this sentence and releases 12,000 alpha particles per second.

Before my grandfather died, he told me that his generation had made a mess of this planet. I wonder what he would say to me now I would tell him to see "Beyond Treason" (http://www.beyondtreason.com), a new documentary about the history of treason by the U.S. government against our own troops: Atomic veterans, MK-Ultra, Agent Orange and DU. After Vietnam, Henry Kissinger said, "Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy. . ." (from Chapter 5 in the "Final Days" by Woodward and Bernstein).

Leuren Moret is an international radiation specialist, with a B.S. degree in geology from University of California at Davis, a M.A. degree in Near Eastern studies from University of California at Berkeley and has done post-graduate work in the geosciences at UC-Davis. She is environmental commissioner for the City of Berkeley, Calif.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0809-33.htm

© 2005 Battle Creek Enquirer

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by Herbert R. Reed (herbert_reed [at] msn.com)
I'm a victime of the Governments experiments and lies and it's about time the public learns the truth before it's really too late. I don't want to be a dooms days sayer, but it might be that time already. Depleted Uranium particles are so small they can't be seen by the nake eye and travels on the air currents. Once exposed to these particles they are either absorbed through the skin pores, inhaled or inguested. Unlike natural Uranium which can be urinated out, Depleted Uranium entered the bolld stream and travels through out your body, lodging in bones, teeth, brain, and tissue. Depleted Uranium can cause Cancer, change you DNA which causes birth defects. The Government knw about the effects of Depleted Uranium after the Gulf War but refused to educate their soldiers or provide protective equiptment. I have faithfully served my country for nineteen years nine months and twenty days without compensation because i was injured before i completed my twenty years of service. I held up my part of the contract but they have fallen short of their obligations to me and on top of that they have posioned me with as they would say an effect weapon. If you listen to the Government you can pour Depleted Uranium on your cearal and eat it and nother will happen. All lies just like the ones used to get into this war. Everytime they find their support going south they go back to the old fear tactic and raise the threat level to bring the public back in line. We all have to wake up and smell the coffee and see them for what they are. I say for once and all lets vote with our mind and not out of fear. We can change leaders in the middle of a war. He's not fighting the war it's soldiers like me that's on the front line, doing the dirty war as they lie to the people to keep their job. Don't let Depleted Uranium be anither Agent Orange, don,t let thirty years pass and countless lives lost before they are made to tell the truth. Our children future and their childrens future are at stake. War is hell but we don't have to lie about it. Unfortunately we will be fighting for peace for a long time, for many reasons. We don't have to use weapons like Depleted Uranium to attain Peace. What good is PeCE WHEN THERE IS NO ONE TO ENJOY IT!!!.
by Dr. Doug Rokke
Depleted Uranium Situation Worsens Requiring Immediate Action
By President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Prime Minister Olmert

Dr. Doug Rokke, PhD.
former Director, U.S. Army Depleted Uranium project
July 26, 2006

The delivery of at least 100 GBU 28 bunker busters bombs containing depleted uranium warheads by the United States to Israel for use against targets in Lebanon will result in additional radioactive and chemical toxic contamination with consequent adverse health and environmental effects throughout the middle east. Israeli tank gunners are also using depleted uranium tank rounds as photographs verify.

Today, U.S., British, and now Israeli military personnel are using illegal uranium munitions- America's and England's own "dirty bombs" while U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, and British Ministry of Defence officials deny that there are any adverse health and environmental effects as a consequence of the manufacture, testing, and/or use of uranium munitions to avoid liability for the willful and illegal dispersal of a radioactive toxic material - depleted uranium.

The use of uranium weapons is absolutely unacceptable, and a crime against humanity. Consequently the citizens of the world and all governments must force cessation of uranium weapons use. I must demand that Israel now provide medical care to all DU casualties in Lebanon and clean up all DU contamination.

U.S. and British officials have arrogantly refused to comply with their own regulations, orders, and directives that require United States Department of Defense officials to provide prompt and effective medical care to "all" exposed individuals. Reference: Medical Management of Unusual Depleted Uranium Casualties, DOD, Pentagon, 10/14/93, Medical Management of Army personnel Exposed to Depleted Uranium (DU) Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command 29 April 2004, and section 2-5 of U.S. Army Regulation 700-48. Israeli officials must not do so now.

They also refuse to clean up dispersed radioactive Contamination as required by Army Regulation- AR 700-48: "Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted Uranium or Radioactive Commodities" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army, Washington, D.C., September 2002) and U.S. Army Technical Bulletin- TB 9-1300-278: "Guidelines For Safe Response To Handling, Storage, And Transportation Accidents Involving Army Tank Munitions Or Armor Which Contain Depleted Uranium" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army, Washington, D.C., JULY 1996). Specifically section 2-4 of United States Army Regulation-AR 700-48 dated September 16, 2002 requires that:
(1) "Military personnel "identify, segregate, isolate, secure, and label all RCE" (radiologically contaminated equipment).
(2) "Procedures to minimize the spread of radioactivity will be implemented as soon as possible."
(3) "Radioactive material and waste will not be locally disposed of through burial, submersion, incineration, destruction in place, or abandonment" and
(4) "All equipment, to include captured or combat RCE, will be surveyed, packaged, retrograded, decontaminated and released IAW Technical Bulletin 9-1300-278, DA PAM 700-48" (Note: Maximum exposure limits are specified in Appendix F).

The previous and current use of uranium weapons, the release of radioactive components in destroyed U.S. and foreign military equipment, and releases of industrial, medical, research facility radioactive materials have resulted in unacceptable exposures. Therefore, decontamination must be completed as required by U.S. Army Regulation 700-48 and should include releases of all radioactive materials resulting from military operations.

The extent of adverse health and environmental effects of uranium weapons contamination is not limited to combat zones but includes facilities and sites where uranium weapons were manufactured or tested including Vieques; Puerto Rico; Colonie, New York; Concord, MA; Jefferson Proving Grounds, Indiana; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Therefore medical care must be provided by the United States Department of Defense officials to all individuals affected by the manufacturing, testing, and/or use of uranium munitions. Thorough environmental remediation also must be completed without further delay.

I am amazed that fifteen years after was I asked to clean up the initial DU mess from Gulf War 1 and over ten years since I finished the depleted uranium project that United States Department of Defense officials and others still attempt to justify uranium munitions use while ignoring mandatory requirements. I am dismayed that Department of Defense and Department of Energy officials and representatives continue personal attacks aimed to silence or discredit those of us who are demanding that medical care be provided to all DU casualties and that environmental remediation is completed in compliance with U.S. Army Regulation 700-48. But beyond the ignored mandatory actions the willful dispersal of tons of solid radioactive and chemically toxic waste in the form of uranium munitions is illegal (http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf) and just does not even pass the common sense test and according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is a dirty bomb. DHS issued "dirty bomb" response guidelines, http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
, on January 3, 2006 for incidents within the United States but ignore DOD use of uranium weapons and existing DOD regulations. These guidelines specifically state that: "Characteristics of RDD and IND Incidents: A radiological incident is defined as an event or series of events, deliberate or accidental, leading to the release, or potential release, into the environment of radioactive material in sufficient quantity to warrant consideration of protective actions. Use of an RDD or IND is an act of terror that produces a radiological incident." Thus the use of uranium munitions is "an act or terror" as defined by DHS. Finally continued compliance with the infamous March 1991 Los Alamos Memorandum that was issued to ensure continued use of uranium munitions can not be justified.

In conclusion: the President of the United States- George W. Bush, the Prime Minister of Great Britain-Tony Blair, and the Prime Minister of Israel Olmert must acknowledge and accept responsibility for willful use of illegal uranium munitions- their own "dirty bombs"- resulting in adverse health and environmental effects.

President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Prime Minister Olmert should order:
1. medical care for all casualties,
2. thorough environmental remediation,
3. immediate cessation of retaliation against all of us who demand compliance with medical care and environmental remediation requirements,
4. and stop the already illegal the use (UN finding) of depleted uranium munitions.
References- these references are copies the actual regulations and orders and other pertinent official documents:
http://www.traprockpeace.org/twomemos.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/rokke_du_3_ques.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/du_dtic_wakayama_Aug2002.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
http://cryptome.org/dhs010306.txt

Photo by David Silverman (Getty Images ) Image 71440735 http://editorial.gettyimages.com


by Leuren Moret (joanwalker [at] gmail.com)
Kudos to Leuren Moret for the succinct, hard hitting presentation of the truth about depleted uranium--- the radioactive waste material which many U.S. munitions are made of (NOT JUST tank penetrators!).

If you find you are having trouble believing the information, perhaps finding intellectual defenses in the way of truly taking in this reality, it is the normal state of Americans. This is one of the two Best Kept Secrets in America. Leuren is to be honored for not giving up dispersing the truth about U.S. depleted uranium weapons.

One reaction people have when they begin to "get" the enormity of this crime against all living things is despair---"what kind of government poisons its own troops?" shortly followed by a sense of powerlessness---we are talking the US military and the nuclear and defense industries.

What we CAN do:
1. My friend and I wear a 'NO DEPLETED URANIUM' button on our purses, etc. everywhere we go. It is a great conversation opener.
The usual response? "What is depleted uranium?"

2. We have a bumper sticker on our cars (and for sale at web site):
STOP POISONING OUR TROOPS.COM. I watched in the rearview mirror as the driver behind me at a red light pointed to it and ask his passenger to take down the website. Yeah Yeah. Maybe they were Feds taking my license number.

3. Contact us to find out who is working on your State's bill to mandate testing and a health/toxins registry for all of its deployed National Guard members.
That bill has passed in 2 states and also through both houses of the NY State legislature. (State legislators, unlike Congress members, are not usually beholden to defense industry campaign funds, and they care about their First Responders).

4. If you know any soldiers who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan and are feeling lousy, ask them to google depleted uranium. Even PTSD symptoms can be a mask for heavy metal inhalation or radiation poisoning. Make them aware of the possibility. No doubt no one in authority has told them one iota about the danger they have been in. Contact us for vet chat rooms, info sites. They can not expect a diagnosis from the V.A. or DOD.

Joan Walker
joanwalker [at] gmail.com
NO DU COALITION OF THE HUDSON VALLEY




4.



by Christina Macpherson (tamarisk [at] alphalink.com.au)
Yes, thank you, Leuren Moret for further information on depleted uranium weapons, and their effect on the U.S. troops. Somehow or other, we in Australia just don't get to hear anything about this in our media. Can this possibilby be due to our fervour to sell as much uranium as we possibly can, without any real care as to where this uranium ends up?
We shall try to spread this information, and to look out for that documentary - "Beyond Treason"
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by M Adam
After folling up on some info I recieved, I've come upon this site and after reading what everyone has said this causes me to wonder who really has the weapons of mass destruction. (Well I know but it's more a rethorical question forthe person that seems to be out of the loop.)
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