Has anyone seen mention of how the Pentagon is handling this touchy subject this time around? And what is the current state of scientific research into the health risks of the substance? I'm guessing the Pentagon still largely denies that our own weapons may have caused Gulf War Syndrome (do they even acknowledge this exists?). Also, what are the Brits telling their troops about their allies potentially radioactive weapons? "Stay away from places hit by U.S. bombs?" Actually, they no doubt are using DU as well. So basically, lots of questions and no answers right now...
Which calls to mind a comedian who once mentioned that the Claymore anti-personnel mine has on it the warning "Do not eat!" Not that I can confirm or deny the veracity of that claim, however.
DU is used in some bombs as ballast, although those are small amounts. It might be used in some free-fall devices that have anti-armor submunitions, but we don't a lot (or maybe any) of those anymore. When DU hits armor, it burns and the resulting DU oxide is a dust that can be breathed in.
Yes, this second part about breathing in the contaminated dust is what suggests Segroves "lick the bomb" metaphor is only spurious. But are you sure we're not using much DU this time? Source? Anyway, here's a CBC report on it from a while back: http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/du/ "Rokke has one important ally in his fight with the Pentagon. He is Dr. Jack Zerimba, head of the Gulf War Clinic at a U.S. Veteran's affairs clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. He studied Rokke's breathing problems and the scar tissue on his lungs and says, "That is consistent with uranium exposure and other things too, such as metal exposure." This official affirmation of a link is for Doug Rokke, his biggest victory in eight years."
This quote highlights the ignorance too many people of about DU munitions. Depleted uranium rounds are bullets, not bombs. Depleted uranium is used because it is denser than lead...and thus is extremely effective in pentrating armor.
Re: Re: Troops Warned About Depleted Uranium This Time? You are correct that it is used to pierce armor, but that is tank/bunker armor, and indeed the casings are fit onto rockets/missles coming from our own tanks and helicopters. Perhaps you didn't like my generic term "bomb" for all the specific types of airborne exploding devises we use?
Here is something I found about eating Claymore mines: > But are you sure we're not using much DU this > time? Source? I was saying we don't use bombs that have submunitions (like Rockeye) much anymore. They were not useful.
My favorite warning label, written on a DuraFlame (tm) log. Warning: flammable. Uh, isn't that the point?
umm, yes we are going to use it...and use it all we want. a u.s. general said to some media types the only reason iraq complained about DU and the apparent cancers they said it was causing was b/c with it, we kicked their tanks asses. it DU dangerous? yes in mass quanities the dust can cause problems. kinda like the warning they have out on treated lumber right now, b/c the chemical that treats the lumber can cause cancer...what they dont tell you is that kid playing on the playground would have to each a large bucket full of wood chips treated with the chemical to make it have any effect.