- And civilians. DU does not discriminate.
Hawaiians, take note.
The communications from the Army discussed in the article below are prima-facie fabrications. Why? Because there is no such thing as a safe level of "depleted" uranium - no, not ever.
To describe depleted uranium as "a weak radioactive heavy metal" is misleading. "Deadly" radioactive heavy metal would be more accurate.
An earlier article I published on OpEdNews, listed in footnote 1, makes these points about DU:
- Depleted-uranium (DU) weapons, when fired, create a DU aerosol of ceramic nanoparticles.
- Ingestion of DU or contact with it debilitates or kills.
- Simple exposure to unfired DU weapons can contaminate.
- There is no safe exposure limit to DU.
- Protective gear does not protect.
- DU infects spouses/mothers through semen transfer and family members through contact with contaminated objects.
- DU leads to horrible birth defects in babies.
- Women and children are the most susceptible
- DU has a half life of 4.5 billion years.
- DU travels globally on the winds.
- DU cannot be cleaned up.
- There is no known treatment for DU contamination.
Hawaiians, if you are detecting DU levels of any sort, you already have a problem. And, yes, it is in the Army's interests to deny it exists or, if it does, that it's a problem.
Once legal liability for DU poisoning is established, the amount of money it will cost the Army is truly staggering to consider.
See this video from Maj. Doug Rokke, who was sent to investigate DU poisoning in Iraq and came back contaminated himself.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvIqhVnaalo&feature=player_embedded]
Maj. Rokke teamed up with Leuren Moret (google) to do invaluable research on DU poisoning.
Any American soldier exposed to DU could be at risk, as well as their spouses and children. Certainly the civilian populations of Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Lebanon, and Sinai, all of which have seen DU weapons used in quantity, are at risk. Populations near American weapons firing ranges, which includes Puerto Rico as well as Hawaii, are also at risk.
Please be aware that in past years the VA has been known to not use tests acute enough to pick up DU poisoning. I think it quite probable - though I do not know - that the VA is under orders to do everything possible not to recognize cases of DU poisoning lest the flood gates of liability and the need to compensate be opened.
Army Downplays Depleted Uranium Risk on Hawaiian Island Radiation levels safe at Pohakuloa, Army says
by William Cole
Published on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/09/01-2
by William Cole
Published on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/09/01-2
The Army said yesterday that the results of a depleted uranium study at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island show radiological doses "well within limits" considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. [There are no safe limits.]
The Army studied the potential health risk posed by residual DU in Pohakuloa areas where past and current weapons firing has taken place.
Depleted uranium, a weak radioactive heavy metal, [It is not "weak." It is "deadly."] was used in aiming rounds for the Davy Crockett, a 1960s nuclear device intended as a last-ditch weapon against masses of Soviet soldiers in the event of war.
Jim Albertini with the Malu Aina Center for Nonviolent Education & Action said yesterday that the Army was "stonewalling community involvement in seeking the truth about DU radiation contamination at Pohakuloa."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
