Fallujah doctors report rise in birth defects

[Dachs]

Winds can blow it in from battlefields.

Probably wouldn't be significant. Maybe if it got in the water supply... When there's a peer-reviewed study out for it instead of speculation, lemme know.

 

[The Imp]

Hmm... AC-130 gunships, Harrier aircraft, Cobra helicopters, and Bradely Fighting Vehicles were all used in the battle, and all use DU ammo.

So DU ammo is certainly in contention as a cause.

 

[Tee Kay]

Oh blasphemy the United States of America cannot do anything wrong #1 yay

Please...

 

[Camikaze]

I knew God was on America's side; delivering punishment to the enemy's babies.

Anyway, is this really significant enough to be able to blame on any particular group without it being more the result of partisan conjecture than science?

 

[MobBoss]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/apr/25/internationaleducationnews.armstrade

"Experts have calculated that from all sources between 1,000 and 2,000 tonnes of depleted uranium were used by the coalition in the three-week conflict. "

Its not referring to Fallujah. The article was written prior to that battle (article written in Apr 2003...First Battle of Fallujah Apr 04; 2nd Battle of Fallujah Nov 2004). Nice try though.

I think the article is referring to the opening weeks of the war.

 

[Newbunkle]

Most likely it was damage to Saddam's chemical weapon dumps/factories that released something into the air or water. Or maybe their troops released poison deliberately to frame the US.

 

[Tee Kay]

Most likely it was damage to Saddam's chemical weapon dumps/factories that released something into the air or water. Or maybe their troops released poison deliberately to frame the US.

Boo hoo hoo we were framed it was the locals' fault it's impossible that America did anything wrong we're #1 freedom and democracy yay!

 

[FriendlyFire]

Or maybe the unfound WMD that Saddam has buried there are finally starting to leak into the water supply....

Well Worldwar2 destroyers sent to the bottom of Ironbottom sound are only now just begining to leak out oil from there tanks. With salt water corroding the tanks I would guess that the US WMD issue still has some time to go before they start leaking in US drinking water. Especially the dumping into fresh water lakes.

Plenty of time to clean them up.

 

[Silurian]

MobBoss@

Originally Posted by SiLL
Do I read this correctly? The amour of tanks contains uranium?
Why is that?

Because DU is incredibly dense. It takes a lot to penetrate it

Its the shell penetrator that is DP not the tank.
nice and dense so it penetrates and it burns when it is inside

 

[nonconformist]

I would imagine Willy Pete had a hand in it

DU is not only used anti-tank; DU has a secondary Dust Fire effect, so firing it onto any confined target where a spark can be started will work

 

[Silurian]

From the CDC

How can white phosphorus affect my health?
Little information is available about the health effects that may be caused by white phosphorus. Most of what is known about the effects of breathing white phosphorus is from studies of workers. Most of what is known about the effects of eating white phosphorus is from reports of people eating rat poison or fireworks that contained it.

Breathing white phosphorus for short periods may cause coughing and irritation of the throat and lungs. Breathing white phosphorus for long periods may cause a condition known as "phossy jaw" which involves poor wound healing of the mouth and breakdown of the jaw bone.

Eating or drinking small amounts of white phosphorus may cause liver, heart, or kidney damage, vomiting, stomach cramps, drowsiness, or death. We do not know what the effects are from eating or drinking very small amounts of white phosphorus-containing substances over long periods of time. Skin contact with burning white phosphorus may burn skin or cause liver, heart, and kidney damage.

We do not know whether or not white phosphorus can affect the ability to have children or cause birth defects in people.

 

[MobBoss]

MobBoss@
Its the shell penetrator that is DP not the tank.
nice and dense so it penetrates and it burns when it is inside

Dude. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium#Armor_plate

Armor plate
Because of its high density, depleted uranium can also be used in tank armor, sandwiched between sheets of steel armor plate. For instance, some late-production M1A1HA and M1A2 Abrams tanks built after 1998 have DU reinforcement as part of the armor plating in the front of the hull and the front of the turret, and there is a program to upgrade the rest (see Chobham armor).

Guess who uses Abrams tanks? Duh.

 

[Newbunkle]

Boo hoo hoo we were framed it was the locals' fault it's impossible that America did anything wrong we're #1 freedom and democracy yay!

LOL, no need to get teasy. I'm only doing what the blame-America-for-everything brigade have done, only in reverse. PS I'm not American. ROFL

 

[The Imp]

I would imagine Willy Pete had a hand in it

DU is not only used anti-tank; DU has a secondary Dust Fire effect, so firing it onto any confined target where a spark can be started will work

Ehh, I was going to say White Phosphorus, but birth defects have never been recorded in regard to it. Combined with the fact that DU ammo was indeed used in the city, and I believe it is more likely that DU is the culprit.

 

[illram]

Didn't this happen after the last Gulf War too? Seems fairly clear that something weird is going on.

"The thing speaks for itself."

 

[Ulyaoth]

Is there really enough depleted uranium around to be using it as armor for thousands of tanks?

 

[Silurian]

MobBoss@
from Salt Lake Tribune 2006

Since the Iraq combat operations began in the winter of 2003, the Army has lost 20 M1 Abrams tanks; 50 Bradley fighting vehicles; 20 Stryker wheeled combat vehicles; 20 M113 armored personnel carriers; 250 Humvees; and some 500 Fox wheeled reconnaissance vehicles, mine clearing vehicles and heavy- and medium-transport trucks and trailers

I did know that they were now using DU in armour but that is not relevant.

20 Abrams tanks were destroyed up to 2006.
at least ONE in Fallujah
They have been destroyed by by DU anti tank fire ( not in Fallujah and not sure if this one destroyed),others by RPG HEAT rounds, IODs etc.
The DU armour is in the front not the sides or underneath.

People fire RPGs mostly from the side or rear so little chance of releasing DU
IODs generaly blow the tank upwards no chance of DU release.

I do not think that the US Army and Marines transported there disabled tanks to Fallujah cut out the DU and burnt it to spread the DU.


No the DU came from the Shells

 

[MobBoss]

They have been destroyed by by DU anti tank fire ( not in Fallujah and not sure if this one destroyed),others by RPG HEAT rounds, IODs etc.
The DU armour is in the front not the sides or underneath.

Dont be silly. Just because its an 'anti-tank' weapon, doesnt mean it uses DU. I am not aware of any DU shell that insurgents have access to, so it was probably just old fashioned kaboom that did it.

 

[nonconformist]

Ehh, I was going to say White Phosphorus, but birth defects have never been recorded in regard to it. Combined with the fact that DU ammo was indeed used in the city, and I believe it is more likely that DU is the culprit.

Frankly, Willy Pete has nevver been used in such an urban, desnely occupied area before; its original use was burning germans out of trenches in WWII

 

[MobBoss]

Frankly, Willy Pete has nevver been used in such an urban, desnely occupied area before; its original use was burning germans out of trenches in WWII

Any large instances of such birth defects in Europe then?

Or from Palistine where the Israelis used a lot?