MIM Notes 187 June 1 1999 NATO using radioactive weapons in Yugoslavia by a MIM comrade On May 3, the Department of Defense finally admitted that it was using Depleted Uranium weapons in the war against Yugoslavia.(1) Major General Wald admitted the use of 30mm anti-tank bullets coated with depleted uranium (DU). The tips of cruise missiles used in the war are also most likely coated with DU. It's called depleted uranium because it can no longer be used in weapons production or nuclear power plants, not because is no longer radioactive. Depleted uranium is 1.7 times as dense as lead, so it "hardens" projectiles for more penetration. Military folks boast of DU- tipped bullets slicing through tanks like "a hot knife through butter." The rounds (and DU armor on Amerikan tanks) are radioactive and dangerous causing immediate harm to their targets. But in addition, when impacted, 70% of the DU vaporizes, spreading the radioactivity over a wide area endangering people in the area. Perhaps a million tons of depleted uranium ammunition was used against Iraq during the Gulf War. Since that time, birth defects have increased and cancer has already increased five- fold. The weapons that used DU the most are the A-10 "warthog" planes. These, slow, low flying planes are designed to attack tanks. Since tanks are heavily armored, such weapons are highly effective. Of course, the Pentagon denies that DU is hazardous. But we know from experience that the U.$. doesn't care about long term civilian damage from its weapons, or about global environmental degradation. Early in the war, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov reported that "In a number of areas of Kosovo, experts have detected enhanced radiation levels in the atmosphere and on the ground."(2) Where is the mainstream media on this? While presenting its own one-sided state department version of the news, the u.s. mainstream media has been very critical of the "propaganda" in the Serbian media. "On April 1st, ABC's Nightline did a segment that criticized the one-sided coverage of the war--on Serbian TV. Reviewing supposedly absurd claims, ABC aired what it described as 'this astonishing claim' from a Belgrade news account: 'They even use radioactive weapons . . . which are forbidden by the Geneva convention.'"(3) With the exception of an April 29 special report in the Christian Science Monitor, the mainstream media has not attempted to treat this issue of depleted uranium with any depth. Such superficial reporting allows the U.$. to deny that its covering anything up while effectively burying the truth. As one RAIL activist said at the end of a presentation on the topic: "This discussion about DU should serve as proof that the U.$. is willing to endanger the entire planet to make a buck. That reason alone is a reason to overthrow this system." Notes: 1. Department of Defense News Briefing, May 3, 1999 via ADC Iraq Task Face mailing list on May 4. 2. Iraq Task Force Email 3. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, April 13, 1999. Article edited by MC17.