Iraq Bombing Effects on the Environment

The US "tested" new warfare technology during the Gulf War in 1991. Apparently, "The public did not find out about the use of U-238 depleted uranium weapons until after the Gulf War. Their use was discovered because of friendly fire incidents, when allied tanks mistakenly fired U-238 projectiles at other allied tanks."

Note that in 1996 the United Nations Human Rights Tribunal called upon states to "to curb the production and the spread of weapons of mass destruction or with indiscriminate effect, in particular nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, fuel-air bombs, napalm, cluster bombs, biological weaponry and weaponry containing depleted uranium;" (You can see the UN resolution at their web site from this link. See also this link for additional information.) That is a bit ironic to say the least given that one of the US's arguments against Iraq is regarding their possibility to use or create weapons of mass destruction.

In the Kosovo crisis, a huge amount of depleted uranium weapons was also used and as this online radio report suggests, the long term effects are horrendous.

The previous report also provides excellent details and statistics about the use of depleted Uranium and its effects. See the above link to the Kosovo crisis for more about depleted uranium use.

Where next?

<p>Anup Shah, <a href="http://www.globalissues.org/article/109/effects-on-the-environment">Iraq Bombing Effects on the Environment</a>, <cite>Global Issues</cite>, Updated: March 04, 2000</p>