Depleted Uranium Situation Worsens Requiring Immediate Action
By President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Prime Minister Olmert
Dr. Doug Rokke, PhD.
Former Director, U.S. Army Depleted Uranium project
July 26, 2006
The delivery of at least 100 GBU 28 bunker busters bombs containing depleted
uranium warheads by the United States to Israel for use against targets in
Lebanon will result in additional radioactive and chemical toxic contamination
with consequent adverse health and environmental effects throughout the middle
east. Israeli tank gunners are also using depleted uranium tank rounds as
photographs verify.
Today, U.S., British, and now Israeli military personnel are using illegal
uranium munitions- America's and England's own "dirty bombs" while U.S. Army,
U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, and British Ministry of
Defence officials deny that there are any adverse health and environmental
effects as a consequence of the manufacture, testing, and/or use of uranium
munitions to avoid liability for the willful and illegal dispersal of a
radioactive toxic material - depleted uranium.
The use of uranium weapons is absolutely unacceptable, and a crime against
humanity. Consequently the citizens of the world and all governments must force
cessation of uranium weapons use. I must demand that Israel now provide medical
care to all DU casualties in Lebanon and clean up all DU contamination.
U.S. and British officials have arrogantly refused to comply with their own
regulations, orders, and directives that require United States Department of
Defense officials to provide prompt and effective medical care to "all" exposed
individuals. Reference: Medical Management of Unusual Depleted Uranium
Casualties, DOD, Pentagon, 10/14/93, Medical Management of Army personnel
Exposed to Depleted Uranium (DU) Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command 29
April 2004, and section 2-5 of U.S. Army Regulation 700-48. Israeli officials
must not do so now.
They also refuse to clean up dispersed radioactive Contamination as required by
Army Regulation- AR 700-48: "Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted
Uranium or Radioactive Commodities" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army,
Washington, D.C., September 2002) and U.S. Army Technical Bulletin- TB
9-1300-278: "Guidelines For Safe Response To Handling, Storage, And
Transportation Accidents Involving Army Tank Munitions Or Armor Which Contain
Depleted Uranium" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army, Washington, D.C., JULY
1996). Specifically section 2-4 of United States Army Regulation-AR 700-48 dated
September 16, 2002 requires that:
(1) "Military personnel "identify, segregate, isolate, secure, and label all
RCE" (radiologically contaminated equipment).
(2) "Procedures to minimize the spread of radioactivity will be implemented as
soon as possible."
(3) "Radioactive material and waste will not be locally disposed of through
burial, submersion, incineration, destruction in place, or abandonment" and
(4) "All equipment, to include captured or combat RCE, will be surveyed,
packaged, retrograded, decontaminated and released IAW Technical Bulletin
9-1300-278, DA PAM 700-48" (Note: Maximum exposure limits are specified in
Appendix F).
The previous and current use of uranium weapons, the release of radioactive
components in destroyed U.S. and foreign military equipment, and releases of
industrial, medical, research facility radioactive materials have resulted in
unacceptable exposures. Therefore, decontamination must be completed as required
by U.S. Army Regulation 700-48 and should include releases of all radioactive
materials resulting from military operations.
The extent of adverse health and environmental effects of uranium weapons
contamination is not limited to combat zones but includes facilities and sites
where uranium weapons were manufactured or tested including Vieques; Puerto
Rico; Colonie, New York; Concord, MA; Jefferson Proving Grounds, Indiana; and
Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Therefore medical care must be provided by the
United States Department of Defense officials to all individuals affected by the
manufacturing, testing, and/or use of uranium munitions. Thorough environmental
remediation also must be completed without further delay.
I am amazed that fifteen years after was I asked to clean up the initial DU
mess from Gulf War 1 and over ten years since I finished the depleted uranium
project that United States Department of Defense officials and others still
attempt to justify uranium munitions use while ignoring mandatory requirements.
I am dismayed that Department of Defense and Department of Energy officials and
representatives continue personal attacks aimed to silence or discredit those of
us who are demanding that medical care be provided to all DU casualties and that
environmental remediation is completed in compliance with U.S. Army Regulation
700-48. But beyond the ignored mandatory actions the willful dispersal of tons
of solid radioactive and chemically toxic waste in the form of uranium munitions
is illegal (
http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf ) and just does
not even pass the common sense test and according to the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, DHS, is a dirty bomb. DHS issued "dirty bomb" response
guidelines,
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
, on January 3, 2006 for incidents within the United States but ignore DOD use
of uranium weapons and existing DOD regulations. These guidelines specifically
state that: "Characteristics of RDD and IND Incidents: A radiological incident
is defined as an event or series of events, deliberate or accidental, leading to
the release, or potential release, into the environment of radioactive material
in sufficient quantity to warrant consideration of protective actions. Use of an
RDD or IND is an act of terror that produces a radiological incident." Thus the
use of uranium munitions is "an act or terror" as defined by DHS. Finally
continued compliance with the infamous March 1991 Los Alamos Memorandum that was
issued to ensure continued use of uranium munitions can not be justified.
In conclusion: the President of the United States- George W. Bush, the Prime
Minister of Great Britain-Tony Blair, and the Prime Minister of Israel Olmert
must acknowledge and accept responsibility for willful use of illegal uranium
munitions- their own "dirty bombs"- resulting in adverse health and
environmental effects.
President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Prime Minister Olmert should order:
1. medical care for all casualties,
2. thorough environmental remediation,
3. immediate cessation of retaliation against all of us who demand compliance
with medical care and environmental remediation requirements,
4. and stop the already illegal the use (UN finding) of depleted uranium
munitions.
References- these references are copies the actual regulations and orders and
other pertinent official documents:
http://www.traprockpeace.org/twomemos.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/rokke_du_3_ques.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/du_dtic_wakayama_Aug2002.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
http://cryptome.org/dhs010306.txt
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