In a ground-breaking policy change, the Ministry of Defence is set to announce that medical tests will be carried out on tens of thousands of Gulf and Balkan military veterans, to check for possible contamination caused by depleted uranium shells used by British and allied forces. Derek Brown explains
Derek
Brown
Tuesday January
9, 2001
The
Guardian
What is DU and
what is it used for?
Depleted uranium is essentially a waste product of nuclear power
generation. It is mildly radioactive and, more importantly,
immensely dense. It is installed in tank-busting shells, which it
helps to punch through even modern high-tech armour.
Does that make
the shells nuclear weapons?
Strictly, no. They are classed as conventional munitions. But even
so, the heat and blast they generate cause horrific injuries,
especially in the confined space of an armoured vehicle. And there
are persistent worries about the effects of low-grade radiation,
and what the World Health Organisation calls the "chemical
toxicity" of the weapons.
How often are
they used, and where?
Apart from training exercises, DU shells have been fired in anger
in two main conflicts: Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf in 1991,
and more recently in the Balkans.
How many were
fired?
More than 100,000 DU shells were fired during the Gulf war, to
knock out Iraqi armour and strongpoints. More than 30,000 rounds
were fired by Nato forces during the 1999 Kosovo conflict, most of
them by US tank-busting A10 ground support jets. Around 10,000
rounds were fired in operations around Sarajevo in the latter
stages of allied operations in Bosnia.
What
side-effects have been suffered by allied personnel?
There lies the controversy. The British and US governments have
long denied that DU ammunition is harmful, although since Labour
came to power in 1997, the Ministry of Defence has been chivvied
into providing more information to serving and former service
personnel. Up to this week, however, the authorities have resisted
calls for thorough and wideranging tests on soldiers who were
literally in the firing line.
What do the
veterans themselves say?
The British Gulf Veterans and Families Association has for years
called for systematic testing. It claims that "hundreds" of Gulf
warriors have died of cancers and other illnesses contracted during
active service.
And the
Ministry of Defence?
It has conducted its own survey of the 53,462 servicemen who were
deployed in the region during the Gulf war. As of November 1999, it
has established that 413 individuals have since died. The cause of
death is known for 387 of them. They include 56 cases of leukaemia
and other cancers, and 67 suicides or apparent suicides.
Why is the
Ministry about to change its tune?
There has been a swelling chorus of concern among ex-service
personnel, and in the nations which contributed forces to the Gulf
and Balkan conflicts, about apparently abnormal death rates. Italy
has launched an inquiry into the illnesses of 30 soldiers, five of
whom have died of leukaemia. Germany is to review all cases of
leukaemia in the military. Portugal is screening 10,000 personnel
who served in the Balkans, and Norway has offered checkups to
20,000 soldiers.
What does the
USA say?
The Pentagon is sticking to the line that DU may not be good for
you, but isn't especially harmful either - except, of course, if
it's fired at you. Interestingly, however, there has been concern
about the material within the military for at least ten years. One
of earliest warnings came in the so-called Los Alamos internal
memorandum, dated March 1991.
Related
stories
Climbdown on Gulf war syndrome
Useful links:
Guardian coverage
The Silver Bullet: CBC (Canada) coverage
Inquiries into 'Balkan Syndrome'
The Los Alamos memorandum
DU weapons use in the Balkans
NATO map showing where DU munitions were used
Manufacturer's sales pitch for DU shells
More DU links
UK Gulf Veterans and Families Association
UK
Ministry of Defence links
Commons Defence Committee report