Stichting Laka

Publication Laka-library:
Friendly Fire. The Link Between Depleted Uranium Munitions and Human Health Effects (1995)

Author	Damacio A.Lopez
	6-05-0-00-08.pdf
Date	March 1995
Classification	6.05.0.00/08 (DEPLETED URANIUM - GENERAL (F.I. HEALTH CONSEQUENCES))
Front

Friendly Fire

Introduction

In 1991, for the first time in history, weapons armed with depleted uranium (DU)
were used in combat. The use of DU munitions and armor during Desert Storm was
extensive. Writing in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, William Arkin estimates
that Allied forces fired 300 tons of DU bullets in the Persian Gulf. (2) The LAKA
Foundation of Amsterdam set the figure at 800 tons. (3)

The veterans who returned from the Persian Gulf War have experienced a number
of unexplained ailments. Although the causes of these mysterious illnesses remain
unknown, the publicity has focused attention on the health hazards which military
personnel encountered in the Gulf, including DU munitions. There have been
numerous investigations into the use of DU since Desert Storm, including
investigations by the military, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA),
and the congressional General Accounting Office (GAO). None of these probes has
found conclusive links between the disabilities and DU, nor have they recommended
significant policy changes in the manufacture, deployment, and use of DU weapons.

This paper explores the association between human health risks and the use of
DU munitions. It also describes the purpose of DU weapons and considers how
prevalent the use of DU is. Finally, it evaluates national policies related
to the use of DU and makes recommendations for changes in those policies.