Our troops suffer uranium sickness
June 23 2003
Uranium expert Dr Doug Rokke.
Related links:
Douglas Rokke: War casualties and depleted uranium
Australian servicemen and women who served in the recent Iraq war
were reporting symptoms of uranium sickness, a United States nuclear
weapons expert said today.
Dr Douglas Rokke is a former US Army nuclear health physicist and was
formerly the Pentagon's expert on the health effects of depleted
uranium ammunition.
Speaking in Melbourne today, Dr Rokke said Iraqi women and children
and American and Iraqi military personnel had reported respiratory
illnesses and rashes after the recent conflict, and he had also been
told of Australian servicemen and women with similar symptoms.
"That's the reports I received from the US Army medical department.
That's something that needs to be verified and looked into," he said.
"When American soldiers are sick and the Iraqis are sick there's
nothing that says an Australian soldier is going to be isolated when
he goes through those areas and he is not going to become ill.
During operation Desert Storm in 1991 Dr Rokke led a team assigned to
clean up uranium contamination caused by friendly fire.
"What we saw can be described in only three words - Oh my God! The
wounds were horrible, the contamination was extensive," he said.
"Although myself and my team members wore respiratory and skin
protection, that protection we know today does not provide any
adequate protection against the inhalation, the ingestion, the
absorption of uranium compounds."
He said he now suffered rashes, respiratory problems, kidney problems
and cataracts related to his exposure to uranium.
Dr Rokke is in Australia to speak against the use of depleted uranium
weapons, which he describes as a crime against humanity, creating a
toxicological nightmare.
He is campaigning for the outlawing of depleted uranium munitions,
medical care for those who have been exposed to uranium and a
clean-up of exposed environments.
He will speak at public meetings and meet government officials and
returned service groups while in Australia.
"What I have learned from my work is that uranium munitions must be
banned," Dr Rokke said.
"When we can no longer clean up the environment and we can no longer
provide medical care for anybody that's exposed, then that weapon
must never be used in conflict."
Jacob Grech, of the OzPeace Network, said while Australia did not use
depleted uranium munitions, the country exported between 2500 and
3000 tonnes of uranium to the United States each year for energy.
"It's the waste energy products that is used in the manufacture of
these munitions.
"From the very start, before they are even made, Australia and the
Australian government is complicit in the production of these
weapons."
"We'd like our government as a bare minimum to put Australian service
veterans from the first and second Gulf wars, as well as Afghanistan,
through rigorous testing to get a baseline study of exactly what the
health effects are of depleted uranium and other chemical toxins ...
and treat them," Mr Grech said.
"So far our government has been furphying, it's been releasing
reports which parrot the Pentagon line six to 12 months later, it's
been in a state of denial."
Mr Grech said he had not yet had reports of service personnel from
the most recent conflict suffering uranium sickness, but there were a
lot of veterans from the first Gulf war displaying symptoms.
"I think what we are going to see with Australian returned service
people from the Gulf and Afghanistan is 20 years down the track
exactly what happened with agent orange in Vietnam," Mr Grech said.
- AAP
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/23/1056220529825.html
June 23 2003
Uranium expert Dr Doug Rokke.
Related links:
Douglas Rokke: War casualties and depleted uranium
Australian servicemen and women who served in the recent Iraq war
were reporting symptoms of uranium sickness, a United States nuclear
weapons expert said today.
Dr Douglas Rokke is a former US Army nuclear health physicist and was
formerly the Pentagon's expert on the health effects of depleted
uranium ammunition.
Speaking in Melbourne today, Dr Rokke said Iraqi women and children
and American and Iraqi military personnel had reported respiratory
illnesses and rashes after the recent conflict, and he had also been
told of Australian servicemen and women with similar symptoms.
"That's the reports I received from the US Army medical department.
That's something that needs to be verified and looked into," he said.
"When American soldiers are sick and the Iraqis are sick there's
nothing that says an Australian soldier is going to be isolated when
he goes through those areas and he is not going to become ill.
During operation Desert Storm in 1991 Dr Rokke led a team assigned to
clean up uranium contamination caused by friendly fire.
"What we saw can be described in only three words - Oh my God! The
wounds were horrible, the contamination was extensive," he said.
"Although myself and my team members wore respiratory and skin
protection, that protection we know today does not provide any
adequate protection against the inhalation, the ingestion, the
absorption of uranium compounds."
He said he now suffered rashes, respiratory problems, kidney problems
and cataracts related to his exposure to uranium.
Dr Rokke is in Australia to speak against the use of depleted uranium
weapons, which he describes as a crime against humanity, creating a
toxicological nightmare.
He is campaigning for the outlawing of depleted uranium munitions,
medical care for those who have been exposed to uranium and a
clean-up of exposed environments.
He will speak at public meetings and meet government officials and
returned service groups while in Australia.
"What I have learned from my work is that uranium munitions must be
banned," Dr Rokke said.
"When we can no longer clean up the environment and we can no longer
provide medical care for anybody that's exposed, then that weapon
must never be used in conflict."
Jacob Grech, of the OzPeace Network, said while Australia did not use
depleted uranium munitions, the country exported between 2500 and
3000 tonnes of uranium to the United States each year for energy.
"It's the waste energy products that is used in the manufacture of
these munitions.
"From the very start, before they are even made, Australia and the
Australian government is complicit in the production of these
weapons."
"We'd like our government as a bare minimum to put Australian service
veterans from the first and second Gulf wars, as well as Afghanistan,
through rigorous testing to get a baseline study of exactly what the
health effects are of depleted uranium and other chemical toxins ...
and treat them," Mr Grech said.
"So far our government has been furphying, it's been releasing
reports which parrot the Pentagon line six to 12 months later, it's
been in a state of denial."
Mr Grech said he had not yet had reports of service personnel from
the most recent conflict suffering uranium sickness, but there were a
lot of veterans from the first Gulf war displaying symptoms.
"I think what we are going to see with Australian returned service
people from the Gulf and Afghanistan is 20 years down the track
exactly what happened with agent orange in Vietnam," Mr Grech said.
- AAP
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/23/1056220529825.html
