Action item: DU use in Lebanon
From Tulsa's Depleted Uranium (DU) activist B.G.:
Depleted Uranium Situation Worsens Requiring Immediate Action
By President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Prime Minister Olmert
Dr. Doug Rokke, PhD.
former Director, U.S. Army Depleted Uranium project
July 26, 2006
The delivery of at least 100 GBU 28 bunker busters bombs containing depleted uranium warheads by the United States to Israel for use against targets in Lebanon will result in additional radioactive and chemical toxic contamination with consequent adverse health and environmental effects throughout the middle east. Israeli tank gunners are also using depleted uranium tank rounds as photographs verify.
Today, U.S., British, and now Israeli military personnel are using illegal uranium munitions- America's and England's own "dirty bombs" while U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, and British Ministry of Defence officials deny that there are any adverse health and environmental effects as a consequence of the manufacture, testing, and/or use of uranium munitions to avoid liability for the willful and illegal dispersal of a radioactive toxic material - depleted uranium.
The use of uranium weapons is absolutely unacceptable, and a crime against humanity. Consequently the citizens of the world and all governments must force cessation of uranium weapons use. I must demand that Israel now provide medical care to all DU casualties in Lebanon and clean up all DU contamination.
U.S. and British officials have arrogantly refused to comply with their own regulations, orders, and directives that require United States Department of Defense officials to provide prompt and effective medical care to "all" exposed individuals. Reference: Medical Management of Unusual Depleted Uranium Casualties, DOD, Pentagon, 10/14/93, Medical Management of Army personnel Exposed to Depleted Uranium (DU) Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command 29 April 2004, and section 2-5 of U.S. Army Regulation 700-48. Israeli officials must not do so now.
They also refuse to clean up dispersed radioactive Contamination as required by Army Regulation- AR 700-48: "Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted Uranium or Radioactive Commodities" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army, Washington, D.C., September 2002) and U.S. Army Technical Bulletin- TB 9-1300-278: "Guidelines For Safe Response To Handling, Storage, And Transportation Accidents Involving Army Tank Munitions Or Armor Which Contain Depleted Uranium" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army, Washington, D.C., JULY 1996). Specifically section 2-4 of United States Army Regulation-AR 700-48 dated September 16, 2002 requires that:
(1) "Military personnel "identify, segregate, isolate, secure, and label all RCE" (radiologically contaminated equipment).
(2) "Procedures to minimize the spread of radioactivity will be implemented as soon as possible."
(3) "Radioactive material and waste will not be locally disposed of through burial, submersion, incineration, destruction in place, or abandonment" and
(4) "All equipment, to include captured or combat RCE, will be surveyed, packaged, retrograded, decontaminated and released IAW Technical Bulletin 9-1300-278, DA PAM 700-48" (Note: Maximum exposure limits are specified in Appendix F).
The previous and current use of uranium weapons, the release of radioactive components in destroyed U.S. and foreign military equipment, and releases of industrial, medical, research facility radioactive materials have resulted in unacceptable exposures. Therefore, decontamination must be completed as required by U.S. Army Regulation 700-48 and should include releases of all radioactive materials resulting from military operations.
The extent of adverse health and environmental effects of uranium weapons contamination is not limited to combat zones but includes facilities and sites where uranium weapons were manufactured or tested including Vieques; Puerto Rico; Colonie, New York; Concord, MA; Jefferson Proving Grounds, Indiana; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Therefore medical care must be provided by the United States Department of Defense officials to all individuals affected by the manufacturing, testing, and/or use of uranium munitions. Thorough environmental remediation also must be completed without further delay.
I am amazed that fifteen years after was I asked to clean up the initial DU mess from Gulf War 1 and over ten years since I finished the depleted uranium project that United States Department of Defense officials and others still attempt to justify uranium munitions use while ignoring mandatory requirements. I am dismayed that Department of Defense and Department of Energy officials and representatives continue personal attacks aimed to silence or discredit those of us who are demanding that medical care be provided to all DU casualties and that environmental remediation is completed in compliance with U.S. Army Regulation 700-48. But beyond the ignored mandatory actions the willful dispersal of tons of solid radioactive and chemically toxic waste in the form of uranium munitions is illegal (http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf) and just does not even pass the common sense test and according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is a dirty bomb. DHS issued "dirty bomb" response guidelines, http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
, on January 3, 2006 for incidents within the United States but ignore DOD use of uranium weapons and existing DOD regulations. These guidelines specifically state that: "Characteristics of RDD and IND Incidents: A radiological incident is defined as an event or series of events, deliberate or accidental, leading to the release, or potential release, into the environment of radioactive material in sufficient quantity to warrant consideration of protective actions. Use of an RDD or IND is an act of terror that produces a radiological incident." Thus the use of uranium munitions is "an act or terror" as defined by DHS. Finally continued compliance with the infamous March 1991 Los Alamos Memorandum that was issued to ensure continued use of uranium munitions can not be justified.
In conclusion: the President of the United States- George W. Bush, the Prime Minister of Great Britain-Tony Blair, and the Prime Minister of Israel Olmert must acknowledge and accept responsibility for willful use of illegal uranium munitions- their own "dirty bombs"- resulting in adverse health and environmental effects.
President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Prime Minister Olmert should order:
1. medical care for all casualties,
2. thorough environmental remediation,
3. immediate cessation of retaliation against all of us who demand compliance with medical care and environmental remediation requirements,
4. and stop the already illegal the use (UN finding) of depleted uranium munitions.
References- these references are copies the actual regulations and orders and other pertinent official documents:
http://www.traprockpeace.org/twomemos.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/rokke_du_3_ques.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/du_dtic_wakayama_Aug2002.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
http://cryptome.org/dhs010306.txt
Image 71440735 http://editorial.gettyimages.com
posted by Valerie Mapstone Ackerman @ 7/26/2006 12:42:00 PM
8 Comments:
DROP PIGS NOT BOMBS. The war would be over in a heartbeat.
We're running into the "doublethink" of the US military.
The US and Israelis need DU as a force multiplier. It works very well. Almost better than any other kinetic energy weapon. It's a matter of "sectional density" - the amount of matter per square foot of projectile area.
DU is fantastic stuff. Punches through all sorts of armor. I imagine that the bunker buster bombs with DU have increased penetration.
If the US doesn't have it they have to use less effective substitutes. Some of these substitutes would risk lives of personel. Might compromise mission parameters. Force of Economy. All high faluting terms for "they'd have to stay home".
If the US admits that it's a radiological weapon they'd have to quit using it. So they ain't gonna do it.
For what it's worth there has been a lot of controversy about other US systems. They get around it through denial or by having it become "standard technology".
Napalm was classed by the Soviets as a "chemical weapon". The US countered that it does not kill through toxic action so it's not.
The US classes CS and DN as "riot control agents". Both were used in the First World War as chemical agents.
The US has used them to flush people out of tunnels in combat situations, using them as chemical weapons. The standard counter is that they are "less than lethal" weapons though they can cause asphyxia in confined spaces. They also hurt!!
They were used by the JTF at Waco in 1992 to flush out the Davidians. Some have alleged that the mode of delivery, "pyrotechnic", was selected to set the structure on fire. The Congress didn't buy that allegation but rumors persist.
Fuel Air Explosives are properly chemical agents. However they are detonated in an aerosol. Everyone uses those too, often as a substitute for tactical nukes.
The US M-16 bullet, originally the M193 ball was engineered to work around the St. Petersburgh convention against "dum dum" bullets. The round is engineered to break at the cannelure (groove in the bullet surface) and fragment. The wounds are horrifying, often requiring extensive debriding.
The bullet not a "hollow point" bullet, but it sure acts like one. This last example is academic - everyone uses rounds like that today - so nobody is going to give them up.
In contrast the M43 round used by the original AK-47 has the wounding potential of a mild handgun bullet. When the M-16 came into being the Soviets developed their own small bullet, which was called the "poison bullet" by Afghanis.
I can only imagine what else is out there..
Hey, one last thing...
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute publishes books on Military Arms, their effects and what has and could be done to limit them.
I urge anyone who visits and reads to put their compassion aside. You really have to be "clinical" to think about this crap for any period of time.
www.sipri.org
Yeah, well, pigs might not kill you in this life, but, you certainly won't make any headway with the virgins in the afterlife. Certainly NO one wants that situation.
If you don't cook pork well enough you might get trichanosis. You'll end up wishing real hard that you were dead.
I think it's odd that people think that muslims are afraid of pork. I have read that under "duress" that a muslim may eat "harim" foods to stay alive.
I really doubt that they'd be afraid of pork being used as a weapon. One or two mullahs would say, "Prok weapons are a plot by the Crusaders to break your spirit" and that'd be it.
Muslims aren't robots. They're not stupid. Some of them are sincere and devout people. Many are very peaceful, kind and put a great emphasis upon using their minds.
Islam is growing rapidly in America, attracting young people who are searching for a spiritual anchor. People seek a "no compromise" religion, one that doesn't follow fads or causes, which joins a person to God in a meaningful way.
I don't understand what women get from it. I've talked to muslim ladies. They mock freedom. Whatever.
I think a lot of Americans could use a good stiff dose of Faith. Might straighten them out.
I think we need to mind our own business. Like Washington suggested two hundred years ago.
"It seems even the Marines in full battle gear are no more effective against a bunch of ragtag grousing ragheads."
Saddam had a couple of years to train his "Fedayeen". The remnants of the Iraqi Army and the B'aathist Party were also given paramilitary training. Many of the Iraqi Army have combat experience against the US and the Iranians.
No substitute for experience.
These are not a bunch of "Good Ole Boys" in Kaffiyeh. They're guerillas, fighting a Military which has been trained to fight other armies. Many of our forces are Reserves or Guard, taken from their families and jobs, thrown together, and sent over seas.
The Marines did a fine job of flattening Fallujah, of killing insurgents. Trouble is, they weren't fighting the Iraqi Army, they were fighting a few thousand irregulars clustered amongst ordinary Iraqis. We've probably recruited thousands more Iraqi insurgents through "collateral damage".
We have few Arabic language specialists on the ground, people who are loyal to the US. We have conflicting strains of Islam, battling for influence. Back home Bush and Cheney are talking about "mission accomplished".
Rumsfeld screwed up the last war we were in too. Nobody seems to remember that one.
Now the damnfool Israelis are bombing Lebanon, hoping to find a few Hezbollah. When they invade they're gonna discover the hard way that these guys have had generations of warfare under their belts.
What really annoys me is that neither political party, the Republicans or the Democrats, would have done it differently. Kerry the other day said it was "Leadership" but he couldn't even manage to defeat the Swift Boat Vets.
We're bought and paid for. Always were, and probably always will be. Until we quit selling ourselves so cheaply.
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