Depleted Uranium Bill Introduced into Congress

[urbsdad6]

The Lone Star Iconoclast

01 June Issue

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), a medical doctor, on May 17 introduced legislation with 21 original co-sponsors in the House of Representatives that calls for medical and scientific studies on the health and environmental impacts from the U.S. Military's use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions in combat zones, including Iraq. The McDermott bill also calls for cleanup and mitigation of sites in the U.S. contaminated by DU.

"The need is urgent and imperative for full, fair and impartial studies," McDermott said. "We may be endangering the health and lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. All we've gotten so far from the Pentagon are assurances. We need facts backed by science. We don't have that today."

Because of its density, the military uses DU as a protective shield around tanks, and in munitions like armor piercing bullets and tank shells. DU tends to spontaneously ignite upon impact, disintegrating into a micro-fine residue that hangs suspended in the air where it can be inhaled and falls to the ground to leach into the soil.

DU is a by-product of the uranium enrichment process; it is chemically toxic. and DU has low-level radioactivity. About 300 metric tons of DU munitions were fired during the first Gulf War, and about half that amount has been used to date in the Iraq War.

"I've been concerned about DU since veterans of the first Gulf War began to experience unexplained illnesses, commonly called 'Gulf War Syndrome' that remain mysterious," McDermott said.

McDermott added that there are reports from Iraqi doctors and others today of seemingly unexplained serious illnesses including higher rates of cancer and leukemia, and even birth defects.

"We pretended there was no problem with Agent Orange after Vietnam and later the Pentagon recanted, after untold suffering by veterans. I want to know scientifically if DU poses serious dangers to our soldiers and Iraqi civilians."

The Depleted Uranium Munitions Study Act of 2005 has 21 original co-sponsors, all Democrats, including: Reps. Charles Rangel, Pete Stark, Sherrod Brown, Peter DeFazio, Maurice Hinchey, Raul Grijalva, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Wexler, Sam Farr, Tammy Baldwin, Robert Andrews, Bob Filner, Jay Inslee, Jose Serrano, Lynn Woolsey, Earl Blumenauer, Bart Stupak, Mike Honda, Tom Udall, Barney Frank and Ed Markey.

Maybe we can find out the truth?

Doc Urb

[1CAVCCO15MED]

The Ammo is made about ten miles from here at Aerojet Heavy Metals, Telford, Tennessee. It is not a secure facility, people can walk right in the front door.

[urbsdad6]

We need to find the truth. There is a lot of concrete and anecdotal evidence that using this stuff is tantamount to Genocide. Very dangerous. My thanks for the info.

Doc Urb

[David]

This issue is of great concern to many Gulf War veterans not to mention the people of Iraq.

[Seascamp]

It?s probably a good idea to have a look, but I highly doubt McDermott will set about asking the right questions nor do I think he will accept answers provided. Like lead dust and vaporous mercury, once a projectile like a depleted uranium penetrating rod sabot round goes through the plasma state upon impacting armor, a heavy metal dust is created. Like lead dust and vaporous mercury, ya don?t want to ingest that heavy metal dust so rubbernecking around inside a blown out tank hull without a dust mask is not a wise move. I?m sure Mc Dermott would love to deprive out tank crews of the DU sabot tank killer round and level the playing field, so I hope we proceed carefully and get the right information.

Oh, that sabot round has been around a long time and has a penetration rod; even the Taliban had those for their TU 54s, but I doubt our opposition has a DU penetrating rod but most likely uses some other dense, heavy metal that isn?t as effective.
The DU sabot is not an explosive projectile, but instead is based upon kinetic energy/ tremendous impact force and literally burns through thick armor hide.

Scamp

[SuperScout]

So the source of this latest anti-military screed is the Lone Star Iconoclast? Now, there's a reputable news agency if I ever heard of one; at last report, they are some low-level leftist group of wannabees, wannbe real reporters, wannbe real earth shakers, yada, yada, yada.....Some of their contributors are also wannbe politicians, having had their ears pinned back the last time they ran.....

Unless there has been a major change in the disclosure of classified material, I have serious doubts that the Lone Star Iconoclast is on the distribution list for the advertising of the classified metallurgy that surrounds the Abrams tank. As far as I know, the composition of the exterior armor of the Abrams is still classified. Since UD is so heavy, it is impractical to use it to surround any moving vehicle, and, if as claimed, it spontaneously ignites upon impact, the use of DU would be even more inane than claimed by McDermott, not well known for mental stability during times of stress.

Once again, we're treated to some bizarre tale, peddled by some crackpot journalist, and somebody else claiming that since it appeared on the Intenet, it must be true. Doesn't the fact that only liberals Democrats are the sponsors of the proposed bill raise any suspicions for anyone else? Must be a slow news day over at the Lone Star Iconoclast.

[urbsdad6]

Scout, the point should be is there any truth about the real or potential impact of DUM's on our personnel and their foes plus what is the environmental impact of DUM's? It's not about leftists or whatever. It's doing the right thing. Look how they screwed us on Agents Orange and Blue? Instead of mashing your teeth together. prove that it's leftists or disprove the theory that DUM's are hazardous to those that use them and those that receive them.


Doc Urb

[Seascamp]

The Abrams armor is a ceramic alloy developed by the Brits. One guarantee, armor plate made of DU would be so heavy and to make the vehicle unmovable by any practical means of propulsion and wouldn?t be nearly as strong as a ceramic alloy. DU is used to increase the mass of the projectile thus increasing the force of impact and resulting in blowing a hole right through steel plate.

Last I checked Force is still equal to Mass times Velocity squared, and this has held true for several centuries now.
Zo, if projectile velocity is maxed out; which it is sans any further development in stronger breach steels and practical propellants, the next thing to change is projectile mass. Full circle, eh. That is exactly why musket balls got so big during the black powder propellant era.

Scamp

[Andy]

I?ve probably said this before but in this thread it needs to be written again. Summer of ?67 I was posted to a mechanized infantry company that traveled up and down Thunder road, or played in the Iron Triangle and Hobo Woods. On some of those side roads the tree branches hung so close to the road it wasn?t unusual for leaves to slap you in the face. Charlie really enjoyed convoys going down those side roads and he filled them with anti-tank mines, claymores in the trees and even the VC could hit a vehicle with an RPG at a range of 15 feet. The military used Agent Orange, then bull dozers to extend the tree lines a couple of hundred feet.

If Westmoreland had asked the guys in our company what we wanted to do; probably die this week or probably get cancer twenty years from now, we?d of all said, ?Use the friggen agent orange.

Likewise if this new ammunition will kill enemy tanks or bunkers when iron tipped ammo might not, use the best ammunition you have. Does anyone think a 20 something year old soldier cares much about this crap when he has a chance to live to be 50+?

That said, once the war is over the government has a legal and moral responsibility to take care of it?s own. I?d like to see them do a better job of that. But taking the best available weapons out of the hands of our men and women is never the answer.

BTW: Having had Agent Orange sprayed all around and even on me, there was no reason to be surprised when I came down with lymphoma and then had a relapse. The lymphoma has been attributed to exposure to agent orange by at least 6 oncologists. I would rather not have cancer but I did not die at age 19.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[urbsdad6]

Point Taken. If as you say and I completely concur with you on this point "once the war is over the government has a legal and moral responsibility to take care of it?s own. I?d like to see them do a better job of that" Shouldn't the flip side be prevention. i.e. If you fight a guerrilla war you train to fight like a guerrilla. If you fight any war you train to understand the enemy mindset. Don't use mercury based inoculations. Create weapons (if they must be created) that do a dam dam on the enemy but don't put your own troops at risk. War is risky enough for all that enter the arena without decimating people and land for years after. In a perfect world I suppose things could happen this way, but I don't believe we should put ourselves at risk for the rest of our lives for a government that refuses to "carefully and 'properly' treat it's Veterans" and be honest enough to acknowledge it's own FU's. I mean I learned early on on that a man is as good as his word and his handshake and lies only breed more lies so why tell one in the first place? Doesn't seem to hold true for many of those in power. Anyway Andy thanks for paying the price and paying your dues honestly. I'm sorry that so many have to carry the burden you do. Airborne! Recon!


Doc Urb