Saturday 26 April 2003

Is The Destruction Of Hospitals And Public Health Records A Cover Up Of 'Depleted' Uranium Health Impacts In Iraq?

Please let me apologise in advance for the shocking imagery the first article made me feel physically ill when I read it. It relates to suspicions that the Anglo-American armies allowed the hospitals in Iraq to be sacked so as to destroy evidence of depleted uranium mortalities and birth-defects; something the military have always denied was a problem, but also something the Iraqis have always said is a HUGE problem. The report comes from UN Observer so it's not exactly a spurious message on a mailing list somewhere. The other item worthy of is an article by John Pilger in which he makes the case that mainstream journalism has become utterly corrupted by the influence of big-business:- just like everything else really! How did it all get so phucked up so quickly? Oh, I forgot, this has been going on for centuries... They play their games and make their fortunes and see the rest of us as little more than pawns (if we're lucky). No wonder the bastards love gun-control!! This made me feel sick, I hope it makes you feel sick too. The report is from the UN Observer and it makes so much sense that you'll want to be physically ill. My God, is this what we have become as a society?

IF THERE'S NO CONSPIRACY, WHY IS THIS NOT BEING REPORTED IN THE MEDIA?

I'm beyond thinking that "they couldn't possibly do any of this because they're leaders of a civilised nation" bullshit! They ARE capable of it and they seriously DO NOT give a rat's arse about the rest of us ordinary people!

Open your eyes, you are being manipulated!!!!!!


NOT IN MY NAME The unchecked looting of hospitals and the destruction of nearly all the Ministries and other centers storing public health records, has dismantled the public health system in Iraq beyond recognition, and has puzzled the world public. Was this an operational failure? Or a deliberately staged event?

To activists working on a campaign to permanently ban the use of “depleted” uranium weapons, the destruction of hospitals and baseline health data serves an obvious legal purpose. The looting has made it impossible for hospitals to function at the present time, and obstructs the ability to document or report symptoms linked to the use of “depleted” uranium or other more experimental weapons used by the US/UK military.

Furthering suspicions, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has hired the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify the population’s immediate health needs, at a cost of $10 million. This raises concerns about a conflict of interest. Any data-gathering of immediate health impacts of “depleted” uranium is being paid for by the US, which is the major entity potentially liable for costs relating to those impacts. This conflict of interest could compromise the goals of H.R. 1483, a bill introduced by U.S Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) requiring studies on the health effects of DU munitions.

The sights targeted for looting and burning (Ministry of Planning, Information, Health etc) support speculation that a concerted attempt has been made to destroy crucial data. Heavy guarding of the Oil and Interior Ministries by US tanks and soldiers to prevent looting, and the glaring absence of military guards at other public sites which were looted and destroyed by fires, suggests further deliberate destruction of the Iraqi infrastructure.

The data from pre-Gulf War II health records is critical to establish a baseline showing increases in post-Gulf War II levels of cancers and birth defects in Iraq. Predictably, the direct bombing of cities in Gulf War II with “depleted” uranium weapons will cause greater increases than in Gulf War I where “depleted” uranium weapons were used on battlefields south of Basra. The increases in the amounts used and the targeting of cities will accelerate the onset and intensify the numbers of illnesses and deaths related to DU exposures.

“Depleted” uranium weaponry, cluster bombs, and fuel air bombs have been declared to be in violation of international law by the United Nations experts sitting on the UN Sub-Commission on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights. Reports and studies from the UN Secretary General and the Sub-Commission followed reports of high levels of cancers and birth defects after the introduction in 1991 of “depleted” uranium weapons by the US and UK during the first Gulf War.

Full story...