 Hundreds Gather in Gym Monday October 13th, 2003 |
Hundreds Gather in Gym Monday October 13th, 2003 |
On Monday evening October 13th, about 500 people gathered for two hours in
the Gym at St. Joan of Arc to hear Kathy Kelly and Frida Berrigan speak
about the dangers of depleted uranium.
Depleted uranium is chemically toxic. It is an extremely dense, hard metal, and can cause chemical poisoning to the body in the same way as can lead or any other heavy metal. The military claims that depleted uranium is not sufficiently radioactive to cause damage unless taken into the body. However, depleted uranium artillery spontaneously burns on impact, creating tiny aerosolised glass particles which are small enough to be inhaled. These uranium oxide particles emit all types of radiation, alpha, beta and gamma, and can be carried in the air over long distances. According to a 1998 report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the inhalation of these particles can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, lymphatic problems, bronchial complaints, weight loss, and an unsteady gait – symptoms that match those of sick veterans of the Gulf and Balkan wars.
The evening began with two songs by folk singer Rachel Nelson and an
introduction to the evening by parishioner and member of St. Joan of Arc/WAMM
Peacemakers, Marie Braun.
Kathy Kelly of Voices in the Wilderness spoke first for about 1/2 hour,
followed by Frida Berrigan of the Arms Trade Resource Center. Berrigan also
spoke for 1/2 hour. Kelly focused on the effects of depleted uranium, while
Berrigan focused on the technical aspects of depleted uranium or DU as it is
frequently abbreviated. After they spoke, the audience had the opportunity
to ask both of them questions.
Kelly had two phrases that she began with and repeated a couple of times
during her talk: "Don't Let War Sever the Bonds Between People" and "Speak
Truth to Power".
Kelly said the impact of DU on Iraq after Gulf War I (in the early 90s) was
made clear to her during a 1999 visit to a hospital in Iraq. 4 babies with
congenital deformities were born in one day. Prior to 1989 the main health
problem affecting children was obesity.
It is estimated that 300 tons of depleted uranium were deployed in Gulf War
I; 1000 tons of depleted uranium in the current Iraq war. These amounts are
estimates. The exact amounts may never be known.
It will take years to see the full impact of DU in Iraq. Kelly ended by
saying that the U.S. may be creating more terrorists faster then we can kill
them.
Marv Davidov of MIST, took the podium between Kelly and Berrigan's speeches.
He said he was there representing gender equality. A reference to the
fact that he was the only man on the podium! Furthermore, Davidov said that
if Bush wants to find weapons of mass destruction he should go to Edina!
(Alliant Techsystems is located in Edina, MN)
Before he introduced Berrigan, Davidov took the opportunity to introduce to
the audience Columbian trade union activist, Luis Cardona. Cardona was in
town to speak at Spirit of the Lakes Church on Tuesday evening.
Depleted Uranium. "Depleted" is a misnomer because it's never really
depleted-meaning, gone. It has a half life of 4.5 billion years. It is
toxic and radioactive. It is spontaneously combustible on impact which is
why it is such an effective and useful weapon to the military. It can cut
through armor and buildings. It loses 40-70% of its gas on impact,
producing a dust that can be inhaled or ingested. It can leech into ground
water. It can be carried in the air over long distances. DU has been
linked to birth defects and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
The Pentagon denies that DU is harmful to our troops. It only hurts the bad
guys.
Berrigan then listed several reports: one as far back as 1974 that says DU
is harmful to humans and can adversely impact food and water.
Of the Gulf War I veterans, 36% have filed claims with the Veterans
Administration (VA) claiming they are ill after serving in the Gulf.
In the late 1990s, a law was passed to test troop’s health before and after
deployment so the VA would have baseline data to use in the event the
veterans became ill. The law was ignored during the current war in Iraq.
None of the soldiers currently serving in Iraq were tested before they left.
5381 soldiers currently in Iraq are ill and we don't know why.
On April 14th, President Bush said we will support the troops when they come
home with anything they need. On the same day, the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) released a report on the deformities of children of Gulf War I
veterans.
Veterans returning from any theater where DU has been used (includes: Iraq,
Kosovo, Afghanistan) are returning to a gutted VA. $25 billion was cut from
the VA's budget this year.
Considering that nearly everyone who took the podium that evening was
fighting a cold, I'm glad the event happened at all!
The misnamed 'Depleted' Uranium is left after enriched uranium is separated from natural uranium in order to produce fuel for nuclear reactors. During this process, the fissionable isotope Uranium 235 is separated from uranium. The remaining uranium, which is 99.8% uranium 238, is used by the US military in producing deadly weapons. Weapons made with depleted uranium are particularily effective killers because they ignite upon impact. Several countries use depleted uranium weapons but the first massive use occurred during the 1991 Gulf War. The weapons were extensively used again in the 2003 war against Iraq.
Shell with depleted uranium penetrator
Kelly very passionately said that Bush should stop the sale and production
of DU instead of asking for $600 billion of hard-earned U.S. money looking
for weapons of mass destruction.
Kathy Kelly
Berrigan described the Warthog. A plane that is essentially built around a
gun. The Warthog can fire 3.9 rounds/minute of DU. 95% of the DU in Gulf
War I came from a Warthog.
Frida Berrigan
For more information:
Altera Vista taped the Kelly/Berrigan event.
Altera Vista airs the programs they tape on Channels 6, 17, 14, or 15
(depending on where you live)
For more information on the broadcast schedule or availability of tapes for
purchase contact:
