Mystery Metal Nightmare in Afghanistan?
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Page updated 23 February 2002Depleted Uranium weapons in 2001-2002
Occupational, public and environmental health issues
Mystery Metal Nightmare in Afghanistan? Collected studies and public domain sources
compiled by Dai Williams, 31 January 2002Context and issues
This research started in January 2001 when first reports of the UNEP Balkans DU survey included strange anomalies - too little evidence and too much radiation (from dirty DU).
These investigations question one of the best kept military secrets of the last decade. The facts about DU weapons are well known to military experts and arms manufacturers in the US, UK and at least 30 other countries.
But how much do politicians know about them? What have aid agencies been told? And why have the media stayed silent about new weapons in the Afghan war?
The conclusions have immediate implications for the health, safety and welfare of civilians, troops and aid workers in Afghanistan.
They question the role of Governments, UN agencies and the validity of official research studies concerning Depleted Uranium (DU) to date.
They raise serious questions about the global proliferation of DU in military and civilian applications and its suspected widespread use in Afghanistan.
They have fundamental implications for the classification of DU munitions as weapons of indiscriminate effect.
First confirmation of DU contamination & missiles
"One site registered an increased level of radioactivity but it appeared to be a result of depleted uranium in some warheads and not from any nuclear or radiological weapon of mass descruction," Rumsfeld said.
[Reuters 16 January 2002]Recommendations include
Urgent identification and verifiable disclosure of the secret "dense metal" used in US and allied guided weapon systems and sub-munitions since 1989. [This is believed to be mainly Depleted Uranium in various alloys with other metals and used in at least three different types of warhead, ammunition or sub-munitions.]
Immediate risk assessments of potential DU contamination in Afghanistan plus relevant health and safety precautions for the population and expatriates, including aid workers and the UN peacekeeping force.
Urgent and rigorous environmental assessments and health monitoring by UN agencies (UNEP, WHO) and aid organisations in Afghanistan.
International vigilance from many countries to ensure that DU risk and casualty assessments are not delayed or compromised by military or political interference as happened after the Balkans War.
To download the report
The report is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If you do not have Acrobat Reader you can download a free copy from: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html
The report is available in two PDF versions
1) Complete Report - PDF file size 2,488 kb. (New file added 11 February). This is best if you have fast computer links.
or 2) In 7 parts to make smaller PDF files for slower computer links.
Click the file name to open it and then click the SAVE FILE button (top left in the Adobe toolbar) to download to your computer.
NOTE: These are quite large files. You can view them on-line if you have a fast system. But they will work faster if you down-load them first, and then view them from your own system. Part 3b is a larger file and may take several minutes to download. If you have not used PDF files before see Tips for using PDF files at the end of this document.
Complete
ReportDepleted Uranium weapons in 2001-2002
Complete report, 143 pages
full contents list belowFile size
2488 kbOR
Files Depleted Uranium weapons in 2001-2002
In separate parts
(see contents for each part below)File size Front What is the mystery metal in hard target guided weapons? 433 kb
Part 1 The secret unfolds Investigations & briefings in 2001 257 kb
Part 2 UK Government: DU questions, answers and denials 240 kb
Part 3a Military uses of DU: Evolution of hard target weapons. DU properties. Weapons technology. Known systems 357kb
Part 3b Military uses of DU: Suspected weapons - Smart or Guided Bombs. Cruise missiles. Sub-munitions. 1216 kb
Part 4 DU weapons review: Human, environmental & political issues 293 kb
Part 5 Conclusions and DU priorities in 2002. Framework for analysis. Interim conclusions. Priorities for action. 196 kb
Preface
This Report is based on analysis of public domain sources on the Internet, published news reports and correspondence concerning known and suspected Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons collected from January 2001 to date.
It is designed for on-line viewing (as well as printing) so that readers and researchers can use Internet links to check original sources, and to locate other Internet resources specialising in the health or environmental effects of DU. Some Internet pages referring to DU or hard target guided weapons have been changed or withdrawn from public access since they were first located. This is usually due to website re-design or sometimes to tighter public access controls.
The report raises public policy questions and offers facts and sources as briefing materials for social, medical, environmental, legal and political debate and research. It concerns health and safety risk assessments for employers with civilian or military personnel in Afghanistan.
Parts 1-3 consolidate information about known and suspected DU weapons systems up to and including those used in the Afghan War since October 7th 2001. Part 4 offers seven scenarios for the possible use of DU weapons in Afghanistan. It identifies human, environmental and political issues concerning the use of known and suspected DU weapons of immediate concern in 2002. It relates the questions and issues raised in Parts 1-3 to post-conflict interventions in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees. It raises serious questions about DU research and policy.
The Conclusions in Part 5 highlight the need for immediate precautions against potential DU hazards in Afghanistan and for urgent international interventions for full DU risk assessments. The issues raised here need vigilance by many governments to ensure that the UNEP PCAU (United Nations Environment Programme Post Conflict Assessment Unit) can conduct fast and rigorous environmental assessments of suspected DU contamination in Afghanistan without political, military or commercial interference. The report urges equally fast, rigorous and independent medical and epidemiological assessments of civilians, refugees and troops at risk of DU exposure during or after the Afghan bombing by the WHO and other independent aid or research organisations.
The questions and scenarios raised here will require updating as environmental assessments, humanitarian interventions and weapons investigations proceed. Ideally this should be done by specialists with good resources and direct access to the situation in Afghanistan. The report offers a basis for fast, wide ranging, rigorous and politically independent assessments of DU hazards in Afghanistan. It calls for re-assessment of all military training, weapons testing and conflict zones where suspected DU weapons systems have been used since 1973.
Full Contents
Summary What is the mystery metal in hard target guided weapons? Introduction Jan 2002 Part 1 The secret unfolds - investigations & briefings Feb 2001 Tip of the Iceberg? DU in smart bombs and missile systems Feb 25 DU in the Balkans War: UNEP, Dirty DU & missile targets March 13 DU in the Afghan War Oct 30 First suspected DU casualties report from Kabul (Reuters) Oct 29 DU warning to Aid Agencies (Red Cross, Oxfam) Nov 5 Mystery metal bombs may cause Afghan War Syndrome Nov 15 Bombing Afghan water supplies (New Scientist 17 Nov) Nov 21 Part 2 UK Government - DU questions answers and denials Letter to Sir Paul Beresford MP Oct 16 Letter to the Prime Minister Nov 1 UK Government denials from Dr L. Moonie MP and analysis Nov 19 Extracts from Hansard (1) Sept 11-Nov 11, 2001 Nov 11 Analysis of DU questions & answers in the UK Government Nov 13 Extracts from Hansard (2) Nov 12 - Jan 31, 2002 Jan 31 Part 3 Military uses of DU - known and suspected weapons Dec 2001 DU and the evolution of hard target weapons Properties, advantages and hazards of DU for military use New weapons technology - known and suspected DU applications DU armour-piercing ammunition (known) and missiles (suspected) Smart or Guided Bombs Hard target cruise missiles Other suspected DU weapon systems - cluster bombs & SSB's Part 4 DU weapons review - human environmental and political issues in 2002 Jan 2002 DU scenarios: "what if" DU is used in hard target weapons? Re-thinking DU: effects of high load DU weapons High exposure DU health risks - identification and re-assessment Environmental impacts - assessment and radical re-assessment Humanitarian aspects of DU risks in Afghanistan Political context: deception, DU proliferation and control Part 5 Conclusions and DU priorities in 2002 Acknowledgements
First edition 31 January 2002 ISBN 0 953208 3 6 (Hard Copy) 0 953208 3 7 (Digital format- PDF) Author Dai Williams, Independent DU researcher Publisher Eos Life-Work, Woking, Surrey UK eosuk@btinternet.com Website http://www.eoslifework.co.uk
Tips for using PDF files with this report
PDF documents can be read with different types of operating system (e.g. PC and Mac)
provided you have an Acrobat Viewer (free download see above). PDF files can be viewed online or downloaded for viewing later.This report has been formatted so that it can be downloaded, printed, copied and used on-line. You may find it useful to print a copy first and then to view it online as well to view the web links. The full report is 139 pages. The links give you access to all the quoted sources if a specific subject is of interest to you with access to several thousand pages of data.
PDF files have several features which make it easier and faster to "navigate" files. Forward and back arrows skip through the document a page at a time. Bigger arrows go back or forward to your last viewing point as in a web browser. This is useful to use links from the Index page of each file to sections within the file and back to the Index. A tab on the left called "Bookmarks" also works as a fast index to sections. The binoculars symbols allow you to search for key words. The cursor looks like a hand but changes to a pointing finger over bookmark links (e.g. in the index to each section) or on weblinks.
PDF files are very good for viewing Internet links. Click a link (in blue with underline) and connect online. Links may take from a few seconds up to a minute to open. When you click a new link the last one will be displayed until the new link is opened up. Be patient. This report uses several links to the same websites. If you stay on line the link is remembered and the next contact can be very fast.
If a link doesn't work try the Refresh button on your browser. Sometimes websites are temporarily off-line. Try them again the next day. Two links has had a security control put on them, or have been removed, since they were first located in preparing the report. This may give clue to the sensitivity of the information identified. Some links need further searching e.g. for the Armor Magazine report you need to search for a back issue. For Belgrade news choose the British flag for English version and then search the news archive as explained in the text.
Printing PDF files gives you extra options to fit different paper sizes. The report is formatted in A4. If you use a different size paper try "Shrink to fit" on the Acrobat Print window. The report is formatted for double sided printing or copying after printing off single sided. Page numbers in each file are set to follow numbering in the main Index (Front file above).
When viewing online e.g. when downloading from this page use the Back arrow on your browser to get out of the Acrobat display back to this page.
If you have problems downloading or working with these files contact Dai Williams by Email at eosuk@btinternet.com
Copyright and distribution
Copyright © Dai Williams 2002.
The report contains extracts from public domain sources on the Internet. It is offered back to the Internet community for humanitarian, educational and research purposes. These sources and their copyright are acknowledged.This report is available as a public domain resource in digital format on the Internet at no cost provided that copyrights are acknowledged and the website link to this page http://www.eoslifework.co.uk/du2012.htm is included. Hard copy versions will be available at a price to cover printing and distribution costs. The report may not be reproduced for commercial purposes without the author's prior agreement.
Page updated 23 Feb 2002 © Eos Career Services 2002