DU Shells Used by U.S. Worse Than Nuclear Weapons


Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

du.jpgNaturalNews | The use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions by the U.S. military may lead to a death toll far higher than that from the nuclear bombs dropped at the end of World War II. DU is a waste product of uranium enrichment, containing approximately one-third the radioactive isotopes of naturally occurring uranium. Because of its high density, it is used in armor- or tank-piercing ammunition. It has been fired by the U.S. and British militaries in the two Iraq wars and in Afghanistan, as well as by NATO forces in Kosovo and the Israeli military in Lebanon and Palestine.

Inhaled or ingested DU particles are highly toxic, and DU has been classified as an illegal weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has estimated that 50 tons of DU dust from the first Gulf War could lead to 500,000 cancer deaths by the year 2000. To date, a total of 2,000 tons have been generated in the Middle East.

In contrast, approximately 250,000 lives were claimed by the explosions and radiation released by the nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“More than ten times the amount of radiation released during atmospheric testing [of nuclear bombs] has been released from DU weaponry since 1991,” said Leuren Moret, a U.S. nuclear scientist. “The genetic future of the Iraqi people, for the most part, is destroyed. The environment now is completely radioactive.”

Because DU has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, the Middle East will, for all practical purposes, be radioactive forever.

The two U.S. wars in Iraq “have been nuclear wars because they have scattered nuclear material across the land, and people, particularly children, are condemned to die of malignancy and congenital disease essentially for eternity,” said anti-nuclear activist Helen Caldicott.

Since the first Gulf War, the rate of birth defects and childhood cancer in Iraq has increased by seven times. More than 35 percent (251,000) of U.S. Gulf War veterans are dead or on permanent medical disability, compared with only 400 who were killed during the conflict.


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12 Responses to “DU Shells Used by U.S. Worse Than Nuclear Weapons”

  1. Neal
    Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 4:15 am

  2. whistler
    Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 4:31 am

    The story speaks for itself; humanity at it’s worse. There is a saying “the worse enemy to ourselves is ourselves”.

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  3. Dan Williams
    Posted: May 23rd, 2008 at 5:50 am

    If anyone can see any good reason to terrorize humanity for eternity, please let the rest of us know.

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  4. Hornet
    Posted: May 24th, 2008 at 7:19 am

  5. whistler
    Posted: May 24th, 2008 at 8:07 am

    A simple rule/law of Nature that corrupt governments disregard is ‘what goes around comes around’. Do they honestly think they can get away with it. They might think so, but Life does not forget.

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  6. Nick
    Posted: May 27th, 2008 at 2:02 pm

    Iraq and the rest of the world always have been radioactive, and will remain so in the future. DU was concentrated from natural resources, and some has now been dispersed back into the environment.

    It does pose a significant health risk if inhaled in quantity, such as victims who narrowly escape death from the direct action of DU shells (during the initial invasion). In the mostly low concentrations that it now exists in the environment the risks are very low.

    There are far more pressing humanitarian issues for the people of Iraq (suicide bombers, sectarian violence, kidnapping, poverty, low quality of life, road accidents…).

    Where does the 2000 ton figure come from? Why not extrapolate to 20 million deaths - because very little of the 50 tons will ever be inhaled.

    DU munitions are not illegal - and the UN has not ruled so.

    No doubt I’ll be accused of being in the pay of the CIA, or some other baseless nonsense. DU is a major propaganda issue, propagated by well intentioned but misguided peace activists. Sadly this only achieves only further mistrust and violence. Do not doubt that the self-proclaimed experts on DU have vested interests in their cause.

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  7. pingback:
    Posted: May 28th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    Bill’s Blog » Blog Archive » Our Troops Deserve Better Than This

    [...] use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions by the U.S. and British militaries in both Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as by NATO forces in [...]

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  8. pingback:
    Posted: Jun 6th, 2008 at 3:55 am

    Bill’s Blog » Blog Archive » A Decidely Corrupt and Deceptive Legacy

    [...] by The National Canadian Newspaper (note: links in the quoted text were added by me): “The use of Depleted Uranium is evidence of an apparent intent to execute a Eugenics inspired [...]

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  9. pingback:
    Posted: Jul 7th, 2008 at 3:57 am

    Bill’s Blog » Blog Archive » Disreputable Politics & Corrupted Democracy

    [...] The American military only cares about the mission those individuals, in formation, can accomplish. The use of Depleted Uranium in the munitions used by the American military leadership is further evidence of [...]

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  10. pingback:
    Posted: Aug 4th, 2008 at 1:25 am

    Bill’s Blog » Blog Archive » Soldiers Are Pawns In The President’s Wars

    [...] is illegal under international treaties and U.S. military law. DU shells used by the military are worse than nuclear weapons. Much of the Middle East has been contaminated by the use of bombs containing DU. Some heavy armor [...]

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

  11. John McCarthy
    Posted: Dec 26th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    And every time the wind blows, those nano sized particles of DU are on the move. 1000 miles around Kabul and Baghdad are contaminated, for ever. The number of humans affected from Tel Aviv to Delhi is 100,000,000 and counting. There is no known antidote to Uranium Poisoning and no protective clothing to prevent contact with the human body which will penetrate via inhalation or skin contact. These nano-sized particles can and do penetrate all known protective clothing and masks. One Alpha Particle of DU carries destruction to each and every cell in comes in contact with.

    There is no safe,healthy way to employ humans in the tasks of oil drilling and transporting from South Asia. This begs the question: What the hell are we doing there?

    Bringing our brand of “democracy” is a death sentence to every man, women and child in the Cradle of Civilization.

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  12. Boris Clone 3
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2008 at 8:36 pm

    Very Good understanding of the problem bro, but it is even worse than that.

    The prevailing wind is such that from time to time about 3 times per year the said dust is taken into the Troposphere then dropped on Europe and the west cost of America too.

    Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

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