I am a Middle East Consultant living in the UK and would like all people living in or near areas of conflict to understand the High Tech Weaponry used by many military establishments worldwide, especially the US (the manufacturers) and other NATO forces.
The reason for pointing this out to you is as a response to my research on the terrible rise in cancer related deaths. This is not only confined to military personnel in the battle zone but also the indiscriminate contamination of civilians, field crops and water supplies in the immediate area as well as the adjacent areas/countries. Below is my report:
Concerns regarding radiation contamination by the use of Depleted Uranium (DU) weaponry in the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Eastern Mediterranean Countries.
The majority of high tech weapons today contain Depleted Uranium and or other Heavy Metals. Some are coated in DU and others have both DU and Heavy Metal in their warheads. DU is also used to act as a counterweight.
Both DU and heavy metals have the ability to kill indiscriminately subject to how such weapons are used and if those weapons are used in densely populated areas. In the case of the latter and in the context of the Geneva Convention it would be illegal to use such weapons in populated areas like Lebanon and Gaza.
The National Academy of Sciences in their BEIR VII report, regarding low level radiation, stated that there “is no safe level of exposure”. The report also finally admitted that very low levels are more harmful per unit of radiation than higher levels of exposure; also know as the suppralinear effect.
The European Parliament has expressed grave concerns on the use of such weapons as follows:
having regard to UN General Assembly resolution of 5 December 2007, highlighting serious health concerns about the use of depleted uranium weapons, having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas (depleted) uranium has been widely used in modern warfare, both as ammunition against hardened targets in rural and urban environments and as hardened armoured protection against missile and artillery attacks,
B. whereas, ever since its use by the allied forces in the first war against Iraq, there have been serious concerns about the radiological and chemical toxicity of the fine uranium particles produced when such weapons impact on hard targets; whereas concerns have also been expressed about the contamination of soil and groundwater by expended rounds that have missed their targets and their implications for civilian populations,
C. whereas, despite the fact that scientific research has so far been unable to find conclusive evidence of harm, there are numerous testimonies as to the harmful and often deadly effects on both military personnel and civilians,
D. whereas the last few years have seen great advances in terms of understanding the environmental and health hazards posed by depleted uranium, and whereas it is high time that this was reflected in international military standards, as they develop,
E. whereas the use of depleted uranium in warfare runs counter to the basic rules and principles enshrined in written and customary international, humanitarian and environmental law,
I have read many reports that stated the methods used to evaluate the implications of DU & Heavy Metal weapons is flawed and outdated i.e. the ICRP model etc. The greatest concern is when the DU turns to dust after impact and is then inhaled. Once inside the body it is without shielding and is emitting radiation directly inside your lungs and therefore the risk is much higher. On this aspect alone the risks are much higher and little is understood.
Almost all predictions about the effect of radiation on the body are based on a model (the ICRP model) which was developed by using the observed cancer rates in the survivors of atomic bomb blasts during WW2. This method is no longer acceptable as the doses at the time were heavy/high doses as apposed to today’s lower dose rates of internal radiation etc. It is therefore of grave concern extrapolation methods on this model are fatally flawed.
There are other possible dangers. An article in the 6 September 2008 edition of the New Scientist drew attention to test-tube and animal research which suggested that DU might increase the risk of cancer, and to a number of theories which might account for genetic damage.
To highlight the problem the following explains clearly the dangers of DU:
When a projectile hits a target, 70% of its depleted uranium burns and oxidizes, bursting into highly toxic, radioactive micro particles. Being so tiny, these particles can be ingested or inhaled after being deposited on the ground or carried kilometres away by the wind, the food chain or water. A 1995 technical report issued by the American Army indicates that “if depleted uranium enters the body, it has the potentiality of causing serious medical consequences. The associated risk is both chemical and radiological”. Deposited in the lungs or kidneys, uranium 238 and products from its decay (thorium 234, protactinium and other uranium isotopes) give off alpha and beta radiations which cause cell death and genetic mutations causing cancer in exposed individuals and genetic abnormalities in their descendents.
Many UN member states and the EU Parliament have expressed grave concerns from their respective experts. It is clear existing testing methods are either outdated or flawed to say the least. In the meantime thousand of people have or are being caught up in a beaurocratic bundle by both the Medical Profession and respective State Governments who at best are hiding some very interesting findings.
DU is a waste product of the nuclear industry and is being stored in vast compounds. It is given free of charge to weapons manufacturers and why not! DU combined with other heavy metals does the job extremely well, but at what cost? Tunnel vision by Heads of State, Senior Government Members, Senior Members of the Military, Scientist, Senior Medical staff and the CEO of companies that manufacture such weapons is deplorable.
They have no ability to look at the bigger picture whereby as a result of their actions the earth’s atmosphere is being polluted with very high levels of DU since the onslaught of these weapons (some of which date back to the 1970’s). They have no concern or intent to investigate the high rate of mortality, increased rise in levels of cancer related illnesses and deaths. The most deplorable aspect in the continued exculpation is the birth of still born or badly disfigured babies.
Only by the actions of a few who bring such events to the public eye by attempting to broadcast or print concerns will the various nations eventually be pressured into stopping the use of such weapons, demanding full and proper enquiry by independent specialists.
My intention is to continue to bring such weapons to the attention of the media and public at large and in doing so will eventually force those responsible to take action. I remember a story long ago concerning London. The people of the slums had no means of disposing of sewage and so the River Thames became the dumping source. None of the politic elite were interested in this problem until eventually, the rate of disposal caused the sewage to extend up to the Houses of Parliament. The foul smell caused much concern to the Members of the House who objected to being submitted to this terrible smell. Eventually they decided that London should have an underground sewage system.
Spreading the DU story to those that have used the weapons or to those that may have been accidently affected by it may cause those populations to protest their respective governments. It is for this reason I have written to the Haaretz newspaper in Israel and many other international newspapers in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Qatar, Jordan and Pakistan. I know that Israel is currently using such weapons and could be contaminating their own people and agricultural areas. This also could extend to Egypt and Jordan as a result of the on going tunnel bombing by the IDF. Needless to say Haaretz did not respond or print my article depriving its people of learning the truth. Had they printed this story the response from members of the IDF who took part in the onslaught and residents of the region (especially in Central & Southern Israel) would have been condemnation
One could imagine the devastating impact on the people of Gaza and West Bank. The death toll from the Israeli onslaught was extremely high but what the general public do not understand is that the ongoing deaths from an increased rate of cancer will continue and as a result of Depleted Uranium (DU). Contamination of the reproductive organs will pass on to newly conceived babies with disastrous results. This contamination path continues on in future generations.
Other nations are also currently using these weapons (NATO) especially in Afghanistan and over the border in Pakistan. One must accept that this is also a crime if civilian populations are involved. However, it doesn’t match up to using them on such dense enclaves as Gaza.
If government are allowing their own troops to become victims of such weapons then they also should be held to account. More importantly the country of origin (namely the US) and their respective arms developers are equally to blame for this inhumane use of DU weaponry.
I hope you appreciate my way of thinking and agree that it doesn’t really matter how people are dying. They are dying without just cause in the most terrible way and that is an act against mankind. One would assume we learn by our mistakes and would never allow genocide to happen again. In the case of Gaza, the Israeli Government is applying a slow genocide on the Palestinians especially in the Gaza strip. You and I know this is so terribly wrong. One must also relate to the previous conflict in Lebanon (2006) where extremely high radiation readings were taken. When this report was submitted to the UNEP the data was altered so as not to reflect that a problem existed.
In the case of today’s high tech weaponry they contain Advanced Composites, Depleted Uranium and other heavy metals which in general are toxic to man. When doubt or uncertainty exists one must always stay on the side of safety and in this regard governments are not doing so. It is also interesting to note that the current method of testing using the ICRP Biokinetic Model is badly flawed.
All of my research experts state it is radiation alpha particles from uranium atoms that cause the problem, and this type of contamination can be measured very precisely. It is the alpha particle that once inside your body runs rife and the rate and type of “Cancer” is subject to if it was inhaled or ingested. The latter is caused mainly in areas where DU dust has spread in the atmosphere and returned to earth in precipitation.
It is our duty to keep this in the media spotlight, as an example our own Doctor Chris Busby carried out exhaustive tests for the UNEP in Lebanon and his findings revealed the trace of a new type of radiation (that has never been detected in conventional weapons) called Deuterium.
Some of his findings were altered or deleted when the UNEP released its report on Lebanon. It is also interesting to note that this newly detected radiation revealed that the US is using 4th Generation Nuclear Weapons. The other findings also show that the US has reclassified its weaponry to show them as conventional when in actual fact they are not.
When DU explodes the core temperature reaches extremely high levels around 5,000 C creating miniature forms of atomic weapons, some dust particles settle in the crater and its vicinity whilst others become airborne into the worlds atmosphere. As an example DU can spread from the battle fields of Iraq/Afghanistan and reach England in 7-9 days, dispersing millions of particles in any given area. It then only takes one single alpha particle from a uranium atom to start the cancer process. If one thinks of the scale of this, in England one can inhale around 23 Million over a period of weeks!
Governments have no regard for their soldiers or population, as in the case of Israel who contaminated its own IDF and the Israeli population. After the attack on the Golan Heights within one hour the contamination was over Israel. In fact, in Northern Israel (where it rained) there has been a rise in medical cases.
The radiation has entered the food chain in the entire region and since the onslaught on Gaza, no doubt Central & Southern Israel has also been contaminated, except to say the rainfall is significantly lower. In addition to the contamination of Gaza one can assume the contamination of West Bank which is the main source of water for Central & Southern Israel.
As a result of the worldwide DU fallout one can expect dramatic rises in related diseases. The WHO predicts a rise in Diabetes from 32 million to 230 million by the year 2020 and a 50% rise in cancer. In Canada some of the expected target levels have already been achieved. Recently there was a report that many Israeli’s had become either sterile or infertile, which can also be linked to pollution. I think it is vital, the Israeli Government has a duty to make this known to the residents of Israel. The US and Israeli governments are killing their own people.
Should a contaminated male be lucky enough (or should I say unlucky enough) to remain fertile then he will then pass on his contamination to his partner who in turn passes it on to the unborn child who then passes it one to his/her child and the trend just keeps happening. The damage to the genes or the DNA is the most important aspect of DU and some say this is a conspiracy that is intended for populations that own large reserves of oil/gas or minerals. In this context it could be said that this is a deliberate ploy to kill off by mass Arabic peoples thus leaving such reserves under the control of either US or Zionist minded economic developers.
A report once compared a certain type of weapon, alone, capable of spreading pollution equal to 83,000 nuclear bombs as used in Japan!! I guess in some respects, such as the case with Gaza, the damage has already been done. However, we the public must stop the use of DU and have them banned as being part of the Nuclear Arsenal.
I again repeat that the US and its current and past Presidents (Commander in Chief) are directly responsible for this situation. It is the President who has to authorise the export of such weapons to Israel or other nations, though it has to pass through Congress first
Finally on the question of legality. It is very clear that the US is in violation of its own export regulations and more importantly the use of DU violates many Geneva Conventions.
All of these issues must remain in the spotlight of the media and the public at large until by public pressure alone, the UN or Governments of the World ban the manufacturing and use of Depleted Uranium in weaponry.
I would like to close this report with the words of a prominent American – Henry Kissinger who became National Security Advisor to Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and eventually Secretary of State (1968-1977). One would have thought that with his Jewish background he would have been more compassionate to fellow man. However some of his statements show a more sinister side. He once said “Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.” Can one imagine the military men of today being sent to far away places such as Iraq and Afghanistan? Can those soldiers ever imagine such thoughts in the minds of their own government? They are sent to satisfy the economic greed of their countries foreign policy and to shine the so called beacon of liberty.
Henry Kissinger was also a strong supporter of America’s Dominance of the World and believed in the following concepts: If you want to control a country you must control the food. If you want to control a region you must control the energy and if you want to control the world you must control the banking. This philosophy is slowly taking place. The US have control over food both within the US and in some regards around the world. The US are starting to take control of energy in the Middle East by securing oil/gas markets and energy in Asia. On the banking side we have seen the collapse of the banking sector in the US rapidly followed by banks around the World. We can clearly see a connection between past and present governments
It is our duty to protect our fellow man and our precious environment from the ravages of unscrupulous governments who’s only aim is economic growth at any cost. In the case of Depleted Uranium (DU), it is our duty to make sure that our respective governments ban the use of these weapons. Our leaders talk about mans pollution, carbon footprints and that we will all have to pay for its upkeep. Those same leaders do not tell you that they have put their signatures to the manufacture of DU weaponry (Mini Nukes) and have allowed these weapons to be exported for use in the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza and maybe now Pakistan.
This is an international crime of giant proportions and may also be in violation of the US export law and several Geneva Conventions. The airborne pollution from DU is showing up in many countries and has the overall potential of killing many thousands of people if not millions. Why can’t Israelis understand their country is adding to this potential catastrophe by using US manufactured DU weaponry. One cannot just blame the US as other NATO forces also use DU in all theatres of war.
We can expect the usual rejection of these claims from the IDF. They claim DU weapons have not been used in Gaza, in much the same way as they rejected the claims of DU use made in Lebanon in 2006. However I can now confirm that one expert has now received samples directly from Gaza which are now undergoing tests in both the UK and Sweden. The initial preliminary report reads as follows:
The Arab Medical League obtained an air filter from an ambulance; also a missile crater sample. They have been analysed here, at Harwell and in Sweden and they show the presence of uranium at levels higher than the Lebanon filter. There is both enriched and depleted uranium in different portions of the material, very strange; the actual isotope ratios vary and we are also using CR39 analysis. the results are not fully written up yet and need some thinking about, but there is certainly uranium in Gaza from weapons usage.
Based on this brief report the media should approach the UN delegation currently in Gaza and ask the following questions for their response:
Are they aware that independent tests have revealed the use of DU weaponry in Gaza?
Are they aware that DU Dust from such weapons becomes an aerosol and contaminates the target area, the civilian population, the land/crops and water supply?
Are they aware that this contamination drifts on the wind and also into the upper atmosphere possibly contaminating areas such as Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the Middle East in general, and also has the potential to travel around the world?
Are they aware that evidence reveals that insufficient and out dated tests have resulted in deeply flawed reports by such authorities as the UNEP, WHO, IAEA, many Governments and their respective Departments of Defence?
Are they aware that there is no safe level of DU Dust or Low Level Radiation for humans and once it enters the body by inhalation or ingestion the effects can be catastrophic?
Are they aware that these authorities have not carried out any substantial tests on humans in relation to the effects of such contamination?
Are they aware that when these weapons were and are used in the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza and and now possible Pakistan that millions of DU particles enter the upper atmosphere and can be detected in the UK within 7-9 days and that the levels detected are well above the legally acceptable levels? Recordings were made in the UK that gave rise to an urgent alert to the British Environmental Agency.
Are they aware that many thousands of troops and civilians in the above areas have or will become victims of cancer in its many forms, increasing still births and creating badly disfigured babies?
When will the UN, WHO, US, UK and other NATO countries be forced to stop using these nuclear weapons and when will the President of the United States stop the manufacture of these weapons in the US?
When will all Governments accept the use of Depleted Uranium Weaponry is an act against the whole of mankind?
When will they accept that their respective War Veterans and the innocent civilians victims in each of the above countries have a case to answer for, and must have their day in court and receive compensation for the pain and suffering your respective Governments have caused?
We insist that whilst the UN War Crimes delegation is in Gaza that they test all respective sites for DU contamination, consult the hospital for medical records and more importantly establish a close monitoring system throughout Gaza and West Bank for the potential increase in cancer related illnesses as per above (this would also be advisable in adjacent countries).
Gaza will have to be totally reconstructed and this leads to another major problem for contaminated sites. It is normal protocol that if a country contaminates another, it is responsible for the clean up and for the removal of contaminated waste. In this case Israel delivered the DU and the US supplied the weapons. With this in mind will the UN ensure that all existing sites are fenced off to avoid public access (especially the children who are extremely venerable to this type of contamination)? We would also insist that when such sites are cleaned up that weather conditions and wind direction are taken into account to reduce the downwind risk to the population.
Of all the Israeli violations, the use of Depleted Uranium would have to take center stage, adding to all the other issues regarding WP and other breaches of human rights.
Finally we insist that the United Nations Forces (Blue Helmet troops not combat troops from NATO) take control off all borders (on both sides) Once in place, the blockade of Gaza/West Bank can be lifted both by Land Sea and air. It would also be a requirement for an elevated highway between Gaza and West Bank be constructed to allow trade between the two, trade with Jordan, and trade with the rest of the world. Construction of a commercial port/container base and the reconstruction of the airport should also be of the highest priority.
To summarise, it would appear that the many international troops and civilian populations that were contaminated throughout the world will never have their day in court. It is also extremely important to remember the worldwide atmospheric pollution by Depleted Uranium, which in some cases greatly exceeds permitted levels. Tests in the UK revealed extremely high levels of DU that had drifted over from the Middle East areas of conflict causing urgent alerts to the British Environmental Agency.
Only by going out into the field of conflict and its aftermath will people believe that what I am saying is correct. My time in the military revealed so many wrong doings. Since that time I have spent considerable time with the innocent victims and IDP’s that flow from areas of conflict. I rest my case. I hope and pray that Pakistan does not encounter the same problems as the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Gaza.
