The Chugoku Shimbun Newspaper, Hiroshima, Japan
Discounted casualties - The human cost of DUHome | Fax: 81-82-236-2807 | Japanese
IntroductionDU munitions = serious radiation exposure, Gulf War: US, UK fire 950,000 rounds


During the Gulf War in 1991, US and UK forces used a new weapon against Iraq. This new weapon, the depleted uranium (DU) projectile, is radioactive. Unlike atomic or hydrogen bombs, it involves no nuclear fusion or fission, but nine years after the end of the war, adverse health effects from DU exposure continue to manifest among military personnel and civilians in Iraq where the fighting took place, and among US and British veterans and their families. As I traveled through the US, UK, and Iraq to cover this story, I was confronted at every turn by the sad and frightening spectre of "discounted casualties,"- people exposed to depleted uranium and other toxic substances, and now tormented by leukemia and a whole array of chronic disorders.
(Akira Tashiro, senior staff writer )
Feature Series:
Leukemia, congenital defects -
430,000 US troops in contaminated areas
Special Reports[Okinawa]:
DU munitions in Okinawa
Special Reports[Yugoslavia]:

Divided country stealthy invasion by radiation
Special Reports
[Iraq]:
Amiria Shelter
Iraqi children attacked by cancer
Related Story [US]:
Terror of radiation pervading the earth
Special Report [US]:
ClickFacilities related to DU munitions in US

Depleted uranium penetrators - A proliferating "congentional weapon"What is DU?
Impact of DU munitions
Other Factors

-The Persian Gulf War-

Map:
Primary areas of DU Expenditure(63K)

Picture Gallery:
The remains of an Iraqi tank (81K)
Charred bodies (54K)
Graffiti on a punctured vehicle (19K)
Highway of Death (51K)
No protective equipment (49K)
Investigation (40K)
Feature Series:
Part 6- Finishing the Story
1 Spreading health problems - Cancer increasing
2 The deteriorating environment - Spreading radioactive contamination
3 The legal perspective - Clear violation of humanitarian law
4 Movement to ban DU - Collaboration spreading around the world
5 The role of Hiroshima -Calls and actions for abolition

Part 5-The Scars of War[Iraq]
1Radiation treatment -Two facilities in the entire country
2 Environmental contamination - Still serious in the south
3 A doctor's suffering - Increasing cancer - All-out effort to save lives
4 Gulf war veterans - Suddenly ill after the war
5 Congenital abnormalities -High incidence among veterans' children
6 Epidemic among doctors - Even colleagues getting breast cancer
7 Near the national border - Still the shells of destroyed tanks
8 Research center - Collecting information to prove damage
Part 4-Heavy Burden for an Ally [UK]
1The territorial army- Serving the country, paying a high price
2A husband's death- Increasingly ill since the Gulf War
3Congenital disorders- Harming the unborn
4 Private contractor- War pension denied
5Parliament member's journal - Opposing development in the Cabinet
6 Ministry of Defence -Denial of impact on health
7Science advisor - Impact of toxins on semen
8 Veterans Association
- Fighting the country, ready to sue
Part 3-Contaminated Earth [US]
1
Disclosure-Test firing of radioactive weapons
2
Minority residents-Keeping quiet to keep the pay check
3
Open air-Denial of atmospheric firing
4
The essence of nuclear reliance-The state, the university, the corporations
5
Negative legacy-80 years of serious contamination
6
Sierra Army Depot-20 times more DU than was used in the Gulf War
7
Family fighting illness-Sick wife and daughter
Part 2-The Threat in Our Backyards [US]
1
Careless dumping - Polluting factory near residential area
2
Removal of contamination - High costs-dim prospects
3
Death at 30 - High cancer rate in daughter's generation
4
An epidemiologist's view - State's highest cancer rates
5
Concerned citizens - Grassroots push for a manufacture ban
6
Indefinite strike - Angered by the noxious work environment
7
Health damage - Cancer, joint pain, and other maladies
8
Closed factory - Particles drift over 26 miles
Part 1 - On the Wrong Side of a Superpower [US]
1
Friendly fire- Body full of shrapnel and bone cancer
2Battlefield tour - No mention of contamination
3Secondary contamination - Wife harmed through intercourse
4A delayed casualty - Suicideafter 8 years of pain
5A 27-minute life - Son born with congenital defect
6Army Nurse -Immunity lost at front
7Educational videosuppressed- Military fears public reaction
8Laws for veterans - Inadequate treatment and compensation
9Defense Department - "Noscientificconnection to disease"
10Lobbying activities - Seeking causes and compensation
(c) Copyright 2000 The Chugoku Shimbun. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.