Iraq Deleted uranium American Legacy
Recently I have taken a big interest on America’s contamination of the country Iraq through the use of Depleted uranium weapons, which were used during the first and second Gulf War. Not only where Iraqi civilians effected by this radioactive material, the American military put their own personnel in the middle of this conflict with no knowledge about the dangers of depleted uranium, nor were adequate precautions taken to protect their health.
Depleted uranium does not naturally occur in nature. Scientist claim this material remains radioactive for 4.5 billion years. This heavy metal was first manufactured in 1940 by America, it is a radioactive heavy metal left behind from uranium enrichment, this process is how U235 is created for Atomic weapons, and fuel for nuclear power plants. Depleted uranium was first considered a dangerous waste product in the 1940’s with no major application.
The reason for these large stock piles of this radioactive metal was due to Cold War arms buildup (East vs West). Most nations felt their very survival of their nation hung on their ability to manufacture and control ever expanding nuclear arsenals. Numerous world powers like Russia, France, Britain, and China, and in more recent years Arab Nations decided they also need the Atomic bomb. Well with all this Uranium enrichment going on around the world massive amounts of depleted uranium were stockpiled, large sums money where spent to store this left over uranium.
In the early 1970’s America discovered Russia (the Soviet Union) was testing armored vehicles made of this ultra dense metal Depleted Uranium. Like any arms race America needed to follow suit with these new types of armored military vehicle, a new weapon system was needed to penetrate and destroy these vehicle, this is where Depleted Uranium munitions became part of American military doctrine.
America is the largest producer of armament’s (weapons) made from Depleted Uranium; they sell these dangerous weapons to many criminal and aggressive nations around the world. These weapons not only have the ability to kill when fired but they also lay waste to large tracks of land through contamination.
In more recent decades we have found more and more uses for this metal not all are so dangerous. There are safer uses for depleted uranium then turning this deadly material in weapons of war. There are several use for this heavy metal in the civilian sector, these include, counterweights in aircraft, radiation shielding for cancer therapy equipment, industrial radiography equipment, and transport containers. So there are safe and productive uses this dangerous metal, what I find unacceptable and I consider criminal, is turning this radioactive waste into weapons of war, tank armor, missiles, artillery torpedoes, bombs, and even ammunition for small fire arms.
It is bad enough there are massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons in the world, but at least there is a somewhat of a healthy fear of atomic bombs. We are aware of the consequences if these weapons were used, but with Depleted Uranium most nations think nothing of the danger of using this weapon on such a large scale like in combat. It seems, instead of keeping this waste in our own countries it is more convent and cost efficient to dump it off on other nations.
Depleted Uranium projectiles (weapons) are in their most deadly state after impact. The round or warhead fragments into many sizes, the most harmful particles are microscopic; in this form the particles are easily inhaled or ingested, into the human body. Theses dust sized particles are then able to enter into the water table; from there it gets into the water supply, where once again it is able to enter the human body through drinking water, agriculture, and livestock. So it is impossible for the civilians in this region to escape the radiation contamination.
There is no safe amount of radiation exposure for the human body. Uranium has an accumulative effect this means, once radiation enters the body it remains there for good. After each time the body is exposed to radiation it continues to build up on itself. No one knows for sure how large of a dose is required to affect a person’s health. What is understood is radiation destroys the immune system, healthy tissue, cell structure, which eventually causes cancer; lose of hair, massive burns, and all kinds of other health defects even death. What is more troubling is the danger radiation poses to the reproductive organs, this causes birth defects (deformities) to a person’s offspring, which in turn is passed down from generation to generation.
The difference with nuclear energy, radiation therapy in a medical center or even in the lab setting, precaution are taken, there are procedures to minimize and prevent exposure to the human body. The government sets laws and standers to protect workers, and patient’s health. The law requires exsorbtion rates in the facility are monitored to calculate the amount of exposure a worker deals with over a particular length of time.
I find it very troubling that America and Great Britain used Depleted Uranium weapons during the first Gulf War. Depleted Uranium munitions where not only used to destroy Iraq’s heavy armored vehicle but to engage targets in densely populated civilian areas. This is ridiculous destroying power station, water works, industrial targets, and communication center and government buildings with radioactive waste in the middle of cities were women and children live, non combatants.
The reason so many civilians were exposed to depleted Uranium was Saddam Hussein tried to protect important Industrial facilities in densely populated civilian areas. The reason was to discourage the Coalition Forces (mainly America & Britain) from destroying these much needed targets, due to the high risk of civilian causalities. This is what America refers to as Collateral Damage! America, and Britain hit these facilities from the air, this in turn caused indiscriminate deaths and contaminated civilians. Not only were these massive explosions deadly, but these munitions left radioactive particles witch spread all over the country. Bagdad was the hardest hit area in an attempt to weaken the government, and turn the civilian population against the regime.
You would think America would be concerned about world opinion for the destruction of large civilian areas, and the long term health effects from radiation contamination. There was no policy or agency put in place to attempt to clean or quarantine the contamination in Iraq. It also appears the U.S military took no consideration or regard for the, long term health of thousand of the first Gulf War’s veterans, or political consequences in America. The army personnel came home with unexplainable mental and physical health issues, witch doctors later called Gulf War Syndrome.
After the first Gulf War Iraqi scientists tried to alert the international community to the issues that were plaguing their civilian population, these scientists attempted bring these issues to the United Nations and in front of the world. Iraq needed the help and expertise from western scientists to try to treat, and diagnose the illness. Instead America and Britain did everything in their power to stop health inspectors, physicians and scientist from entering the country. America claimed these health problems were Iraqi propaganda, and did nothing to support or acknowledge theses issues. It seems no one knows the full extent of the damage done to Iraq and their civilian population, because the radioactive debry is still all over the country. People are exposed on a daily basis to this radiation.
Scientific studies conducted by western scientists in the late 1990’s found 50% of children born in Baghdad are stillborn. The study also found 60% children in Baghdad that survive birth are born with birth defects witch closely resemble, the babies born after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion. America veterans from the first Gulf War and their children face similar problems to the Iraqi civilian population. Their children are also born with these health problems and birth defects .What I don’t understand is why America would used these weapons knowing the dangers posed to the civilian population, and the risk to Americas own army personnel.
American Veterans returning from the first Gulf War started almost immediately reporting serious health problem and concerns to Army Physicians. Instead of receiving help and the health care these soldiers are entitled too, because of their profession, they found America’s politicians, policy makers, high ranking military members, government funded physician and scientist did everything in their power to cover up , flat out deny, and claim ignorance to how and why these health problem came up.
Instead of trying to diagnose, investigate and eventually treating Gulf War Syndrome, the government wasted time and large sums of money to prove these soldier were either trying to fraud the system or it was a metal issue. In this case the government claimed these soldiers were imagining these symptoms so basically it was their fault. In the end there was too much overwhelming evidence in support of the veterans, yet minimal to no help was given. It’s like America has no concern or respect for the very men in women that are send into combat. These veterans are heroes they went on the drop of a hate to liberate Kuwait and protect Americas oil supply and Allies in the region.
The American government will never admit their failures, responsibility to protect the Iraqi civilian population or even their own Army personnel in that conflict. It seems America has the monopoly on using radioactive weapons against civilians to win wars. Look at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
Why is it America feels they are the nation that has the right to punish, threaten war, or lay sanctions against certain countries that they feel should not have nuclear weapons, such as Iraq, Iran, North Korea. America has the largest stock pile of nuclear weapons. They also have a track record of destroying or threatening civilian targets with nuclear weapons or nuclear waste. This is a very hypocritical policy. Does it even occur to America these countries want atomic weapons to protect themselves from a hostile west such as NATO. Now don’t get me wrong I’m also concerned about the dangers of rouge nations with these types of weapons.
I live in Canada were we do not attack other nations with radioactive weapons or waste and I think America is wrong and should take responsibility for the damage they have inflicted on civilians with these weapons. America should also change their approach and attitude to nations they feel should go without atomic weapons. Now I’m not naive things are not that simple, but I would imagine better results with changing American and the United Nations policies in this regard to other nation.
One last thing, America is the largest distributor of munitions made from depleted uranium, and this needs to change, look at the outcome of the first Gulf War, how many Iraqi civilians were exposed to radiation, these people were not guilty of anything. What about the men and women that served under the American military and look what they got for their trouble. This was mess, hopefully other nations learn from these mistakes.
