‘A‘ole!

No Uranium Weapons in

Hawai‘i

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED ON DEPLETED URANIUM
Dr. Doug Rokke, Ph.D.
June 16, 2005

ABSTRACT: Depleted uranium munitions are used during combat because they are extremely effective. However, in winning these battles through use of uranium munitions we have contaminated air, water, and soil. Consequently, children, women, and men have inhaled, ingested, or got wounds contaminated with uranium. 

Uranium is a heavy metal and radioactive poison. The toxicity is not debatable as the Director of the U.S. Army Environmental Policy Institute stated in a congressionally mandated report that,

Although, existing U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) directives require that prompt and effective medical care be provided to "all" exposed individuals and the thorough clean up of dispersed radioactive contamination (3), United States, British, and Australian officials refuse to comply with these directives. (4)   

• Level 1 is defined as: "Personnel who were in, on, or near combat vehicles at the time they were struck by depleted uranium rounds (to include wounded), or who entered immediately after to attempt rescue."
  
• Level 2 is defined as: "Personnel who routinely entered depleted uranium damaged vehicles as part of their military occupation or who fought fires involving depleted uranium munitions."
  
• Level 3 is defined as: "Personnel involved in al other exposures incidental in nature, e.g. driving by a vehicle struck by depleted uranium". (5)

However this directive still ignores exposures incurred while within, near, or after  entering any DU destroyed structure/ building or on contaminated terrain.

I must also ask if the same medical test will be provided to all U.S. coalition military personnel and to all Iraqi military and civilians who were exposed? Will medical care also be provided to all individuals who have been exposed and denied a radio-bioassay and relevant medical care all exposed individuals where ever depleted uranium (uranium) munitions were manufactured, tested, and/or used in combat? 

The United States, England, and Australia have recently used extensive amounts of weapons made from uranium, commonly called depleted uranium in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans. Medical evidence and especially the birth defects in children born to parents in areas with DU contamination is an issue of significant concern.  Depleted uranium (uranium 238) along with other contaminates of war have been implicated and medical evidence supports the fact that uranium contamination exposure results in adverse health effects.

Today; after the willful use of uranium munitions during Gulf War 1, during Balkans combat, in Afghanistan, and now during Gulf War 2; warriors and non-combatants are exhibiting serious adverse health effects from exposure to depleted uranium munitions contamination, conventional weapons residue, and released toxic industrial chemicals.

However, even though medical evidence exists to prove adverse health effects United States, British, Australian, Canadian, and NATO officials continue to state specifically that there are no known adverse health effects in individuals who were exposed to uranium and other contamination.

That is a willful lie as verified by actual medical records of thousands of individuals affected by war created contamination. However, despite their formal stance the British Ministry of Defence recently have acknowledged that British serviceman who serve in Iraq may be exposed to depleted uranium contamination and can obtain medical testing upon re-deployment (DU Information Card).

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affair, VA, provided indisputable evidence that medical care has been and still is being denied when VA officials reported in the "Gulf War Review Volume 13, number 1, page 12" that only 270 individuals have ever been tested for DU exposure since 1992. That is simply only a fraction of the names I submitted, only a fraction of those identified individuals that President Bill Clinton's staff was told should be provided testing and care, and only a very small fraction of those who should be provided medical care as required by current and previous DOD orders and regulations.

References:

(1)(Health and Environmental Consequences of Depleted Uranium Use in the U.S. Army: Technical Report, AEPI, June 1995)

>(2)[Task number: 031-503-1017 "RESPOND TO DEPLETED URANIUM/LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS (DULLRAM) HAZARDS"]

(3)(AR 700-48: "Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted Uranium or Radioactive Commodities");

(4)[Medical Management of Unusual Depleted Uranium Casualties, DOD, Pentagon, 10/14/93 and Medical Management of Army personnel Exposed to Depleted Uranium (DU) Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command 29 April 2004)]  

(5)(SECDEF 3/30/03: Policy for the Operation Iraqi Freedom Depleted Uranium (DU) Medical Management: http://www.deploymentlink.osd.mil/du_library/pdfs/policy_oif_053003.pdf)