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Subject: RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION IN EAST TIMOR???
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 23:02:55 +1000
From: "Gareth W R Smith" <gwrsemith@actonline.com.au>
US weapons supplied to Indonesia and used in East Timor may contain depleted uranium (DU) ordnance. Such weapons were used with devastating effect in the Gulf War with the result that large areas of Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been contaminated with low level radiation in the form of DU fragments and dust. It is claimed in a secret (but leaked) report by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority prepared in April 1991 that 40 tons of radioactive debris from DU weapons could cause over 500,000 deaths.
DU is toxic and radioactive. Bullets and shells tipped with it can aerosolize on impact causing repirable dust contamination. The following US ordnance is known to contain DU: *Gau-8 Air Force 30mm round 300g DU *M735A1 Army 105mm round 2.2kg DU *M774 as above 3.4kg DU *M829E1 & M829A2 Army 120mm rounds 4.0kg DU *M833 Army 105mm 3.7kg DU *XM919 Army 25mm 85g DU *XM900E1 105mm 10.0kg DU *M86 landmines 0.1g DU
In view of the fact that radiological "conventional "weapons have been exported by the US to Taiwan,Thailand, Korea, Bahrain, Israel, Saudi arabia, Greece, Turkey, Kuwait et al and that DU weapons are now being manufactured in many more countries we should urgently investigate whether these weapons are in the hands of the Indonesian military. As a delayed response weapon which cause mutagenic damage, immune system suppression and infertility it is easy to see the attractions of DU for the genocidal mentality.
Further details in: International Action Centre "Metal of Dishonour: Depleted Uranium. How the Pentagon Radiates Soldiers & Civilians with DU Weapons", NY, 1997. Check out http://www.iacenter.org/
Gareth Smith (Nuclear Disarmament Party Senate candidate for Victoria)