Monday, July 22, 2013

New Report on Depleted Uranium in Iraq

We have finally found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

From 2009 onwards, credible media reports from the city of Fallujah, which had been the scene of intense urban warfare in 2004, brought reports of high rates of congenital birth defects in the city to the world’s attention. At least two platforms that utilize DU munitions were employed in ‘Phantom Fury’, the most intense operation since the official end of major combat operations in 2003.

At least 440,000kg of DU was used in Iraq, some ending up as DU dust, some as corroding penetrators and leaving a still unknown number of sites with contaminated vehicles, buildings and soils, according to a Dutch report.

“The exposure risks to civilians from the use of DU in populated areas have been compounded by the US’s persistent refusal to release the data that could have helped facilitate the effective assessment and clearance work, providing that the Iraqi government had the capacity and finances to undertake it. Taken as a whole, these issues cast serious doubts over the legitimacy of the use of DU,” the Dutch report says.

[...]

Another report, funded by the Norwegian government, has recently found that depleted uranium was used against civilian targets in populated areas in Iraq, in 2003. It emphasizes a lack of transparency by coalition forces over the use of depleted uranium, but also describes one incident in Najaf where a Bradley armored fighting vehicle fired 305 depleted uranium rounds in a single engagement.

  RT

Friday, February 1, 2013

Meanwhile, in Liberated Iraq

Thousands of Sunni protesters have gathered for protests in Iraq's Anbar province, complaining of marginalisation by the Shia-led government.

[...]

Tribal leaders and political activists had called for protests in Fallujah in solidarity with seven young men killed in clashes between government forces and protesters in the city last week.

[...]

Meanwhile, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group called on Sunnis to take up arms against the government.

  alJazeera