Is this just a anti-war hoax?

Question

I see all thse web sites about iraqi civilians being exposed to depleted uranium that has been oxidized after shot..develping cancers, and having children with birth defects.
http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/08/15_bollyn_depleted-uranium-blamed-cancer.htm

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=depleted+uranium+statistics+Iraq&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

i have even read that 67% of gulf war 1 vets are now on disabled pay list
in my last post 7 out of 9 responses said DU had no severe health effects. but these articles say otherwise. makes me nervous when i get on the ground there..i am due to finish MCT in november. can anyone make sense of this subject to me???

Answer 1

Don't assume that if it's on the Internet, it must be true. Always check your source.



Here's World Health Organization article on DU, so it's at least likely to be neutral if a bit leaning to the left.



http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs257/en/



Note the following facts:



# Erythema (superficial inflammation of the skin) or other effects on the skin are unlikely to occur even if DU is held against the skin for long periods (weeks).

# No consistent or confirmed adverse chemical effects of uranium have been reported for the skeleton or liver.

# No reproductive or developmental effects have been reported in humans.

Answer 2

There is strong evidence to suggest that depleted uranium rounds were NOT a factor contributing to the "Gulf War Syndrome"---and (even though I oppose the War in Iraq) I don't buy these claims that Iraqi civilians are developing cancer due to dust created by the oxidation of uranium rounds.

Answer 3

Civvies hear the words 'depleted uranium' and construe that to mean the military is using NBC weapons on the enemy or something. I have a hard time believing the percentage is 67%, but even if it is, i doubt most of it has anything to do with depleted uranium. I also doubt the depleted uranium has anything to do all but maybe a few of those Iraqi cases.

Answer 4

DU itself is less radioactive than standing in sunlight (and believe it or not every metal is slightly radioactive). However, some DU immediately after being fired may particulate into dust during the force of impacting metal and may end up in the air for a very short period of time. It has never been established if this may be harmful in inhaled - if you were close enough to the rounds during the limited time it would be floating in the air after impact - you are probably already dead from the explosive forces and spalling. In addition, the smoke itself from a destroyed target is going to be more dangerous than the DU even if particulated in the air.



People just freak out and assume things from ignorance. Lead rounds have already been established as being more toxic to the human body. And tungsten alloys appear to have even worse effects on the human body.



Not sure what branch you are in, but if you are on the ground and have a concern, you'll have a protective mask - throw it on if something is burning and smoking in any case and put your mind at rest if it scares you that much.



But the last thing that we want to happen is to have ignorant wackos force the military to start using another alloy that is worse than DU - which looks like might be the case with switching over to tungsten alloys.

Answer 5

Depleted Uranium is no longer authorized. We've replaced their stocks of depleted uranium with tungsten since the mid nineties, because the earth-firsters cry about the polution caused by spent rounds used in training. Tungsten doesn't have the penatration that uranium does, but they would rather see our soldiers dead than a spotted owl anyway.



As for 67% of vets being disabled, I find that easy to believe. You see, when you leave the military, you are counseled, nay encouraged, to put in for disablilty, even if it only a ten percent disablilty (for a small amount of hearing loss, for instance). Soldiers on airborne status for instance, can pretty much be guaranteed thirty to fifty percent disability just from a few jumps.

Answer 6

Its blown out of proportion.



Depleted Uranium can be found in Dental cosmetics, Civilian aircraft, and is allowed (to some moderation) for ANY civiallian use. In fact, in its most concentrated form, long term exposure showed signs of SHORT TERM effects, meaning that things like birth defects and "limbs falling off" is a virtual impossibility. In fact there is a NATO regulatory staff that actively monitors for Depleted Uranium related illnesses, they havent found anything yet (gulf war syndrome is, in fact, not related in any way to depleted uranium exposure.



These people are just trying to scare you. =)

Answer 7

Just to add my 2 cents worth...

DoD gives any retiring service member some form of disability. Anyone who applies is rated from 0% to 100% by 10's.

My case; 41 year old male, smoker with high blood pressure and an injury to his left arm playing football 18 years ago.

10% for the High Blood pressure

10% for arthitice in the left arm.

My pay is reduced by 18% (you think that it would be 20% but it is 10% of whats left) then given back to me by the VA as tax free income.



Bottom line is most everyone gets somthing for just getting old while serving if they ask for it. Some dont apply for what ever reason, dont want it to imoact new job ect. Even the ones that fill out the paperwork wrong and dont list the service connect issues get 0%.

Answer 8

Hoax.



These sources have an agenda, and don't care about the truth in promulgating that agenda. Any exposures to depleted uranium dusts/oxides/penetrators are WAY too recent to be causing cancers yet.

Answer 9

I agree with the other poster. When you see sites like this one that you reference, click on the "about us" link and check out who these people are. Most seem to be academics from Santa Barbara California. One retired officer who is listed is Gene La Rocque. He's been a critic of everything that the Defense Department wants to do every since the day he retired many years ago during the Cold War. I used to light candles and thanked God that Admiral La Rocque never became the Chief of Naval Operations. LOL!

Answer 10

these people were directly exposed - they played in tanks that were hit or were people who scraped the tanks and armor that got hit



armor vehicles hit with DU rounds have impact marks that do not have dents - but look like the round "melted through" -just don't play with the blown up iraqi armor and you will be ok.



DU ammo is no longer used in iraq



if you are deployed to iraq you will recieve classes on DU - the summary of these classes is what i just told you.



also, there is no way to tell what the cause of a individual birth defect is.



it looks like moderate DU exposure has not been linked to increased risk of birth defects from the link provided in the answer below me

Answer 11

It's "DEPLETED Uranium."



Do we all know what "depleted" means?



What do we think might be depleted FROM Depleted Uranium?



Could it be more obvious that it's BS? Not even "depleted BS", but full scale, glow in the dark BS.

Answer 12

Many on the two sides grow to be "real believers" of their political events and may be able to no longer settle for a differing view no count what the coolest judgment. they are starting to be so indoctrinated of their politics they provide up their rational questioning in that section.

Answer 13

the thing about iraqi civilians is 100% true

but 67% sounds like a lot to me... i doubt its that much

Answer 14

67% is pure BS. and look at your source. Jesh.

Answer 15

its all bull