Depleted Uranium in US Weapons

Depleted uranium is used in armor plating, radiation shielding, ballast in missiles and aircraft counterweights. Soldiers are advised to be away from the impact of vehicles containing or hit by depleted uranium to prevent heavy metal poisoning. This isn't always possible for troops, and the Iraqi people who live in continuous combat have even more difficulty escaping the deleterious effects of depleted uranium on the battlefield. This is the country where they live after all. What kind of effects does the use of DU have exposed Iraqis? The concerns about radiation are not as troubling as depleted uranium being a potentially poisonous heavy metal. Depleted uranium dust and shrapnel exposure have been cited as the source of birth abnormalities leukemia by returning US soldiers. It is unclear if the dramatically increased incidence of cancer in Basra, where the water supply was contaminated by depleted uranium, can be completely attributed to DU. But this does spell concerns about the use of depleted uranium ammunition. While the US has resisted attempts to ban the use of depleted uranium, studies still point to the tenfold increase in childhood cancer as signs that the use of depleted uranium for tactical reasons needs to be reexamined.

SlideShow

Here is a great slideshow about the First Gulf War and about terrorism and the possibilities for the Second Gulf War and its environmental impacts. I really wanted to lay claim to this piece of media so my analysis and thoughts will follow when I come back from work later tonight

Tigris River

this article talks a little bit about the pollution of the Tigris due to the impacts of the US occupation of Iraq. The Euphrates-Tigris river valley is considered by many the birth of civilization, and the access to a flowing fresh river is one of the reasons why. Today, however, the Tigris is anything but mighty or flowing. It has been dammed at its source in Turkey to stop flooding, but in many parts, the river doesn't flow, but is staganat, and even dries up. The lack of flow also incrases the salt concentration in the water, making it unusable for drinking and unlivable for much of the ecosystem.

More pertinent to the war, before 2003, the river, had an ample and stable fish population. Pollution from war chemicals as well as dead bodies (mostly torture victims) thrown into the river have contributed to its contamination. Near Baghdad, fishermen have reported that the fish are scarce, but that they also cannot even try to fish there because it separates the city from US controlled Green Zone, which includes soldiers patrolling the waters. During the day, they make fishermen leave, and at night, fishermen risk being mistaken for "insurgents planting bombs."


Here is the link: http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/attack/consequences/2006/1113river.htm