By Ralph Atkins in Berlin and Dan Bilefsky in Strasbourg Published: January 17 2001 20:09GMT | Last Updated: January 17 2001 21:52GMT Germany's government on Wednesday took the unusual step of calling in the acting US ambassador in Berlin to complain about the information the US supplied about weapons containing depleted uranium. Rudolf Scharping, defence minister, demanded an immediate meeting with Terry Snell, the US charge d'affaires, after German media reported claims that US weapons used in Kosovo may have contained traces of plutonium. The German defence minister, who himself faces domestic criticism that he has played down possible dangers, did not attempt to keep the brief meeting in the Berlin chancellery quiet. Nato allies were obliged to ensure the full exchange of information, Mr Scharping argued. "It was not just for a friendly discussion," said one German defence official. The US embassy confirmed a meeting had taken place "at Mr Scharping's request". But it argued the Germans had been provided with "everything" and would continue to be so. A US official added that the possibility of plutonium traces had been factored in to risk assessments by experts. German defence ministry officials denied Mr Scharping's criticism of the US was intended to deflect attacks against himself. "In the past few weeks a series of questions have arisen in connection with these uranium weapons... There is a need for further discussions within Nato. We want to be sure that we know everything that there is to know." Elsewhere, in a further show of concern over the issue, European parliamentarians called for a moratorium on the use of DU weapons until the health risks are clearer. The motion passed by MEPs on Wednesday in Strasbourg, which is non-binding on European Union governments, received broad support from the assembly's main political parties. It comes despite Nato's insistence earlier this week that no causal link between DU weapons and diseases suffered by Balkans veterans had been found. The call for a moratorium represents a political setback to Javier Solana, EU foreign affairs representative and former Nato secretary general, who has argued vehemently that the EU should not take any action to ban the use of the weapons in the absence of firm evidence about their health risks. Concerns about so-called "Balkan syndrome" have intensified in recent weeks after Italy began studying the illnesses of 30 Balkans veterans, seven of whom died of cancer. In France, four soldiers are being treated for leukaemia. Several countries have begun screening soldiers who were deployed to the Balkans. Paul Lannoye, leader of the parliament's Green group, said: "EU governments and Nato must be accountable... It is not acceptable to say that we should wait and establish a link between the weapons and illnesses before action is taken," he said. Margot Wallstrom, EU environment commissioner, told the MEPs the Commission had convened a group of independent experts who would report their findings in February. "Let me stress that this [depleted uranium] is an issue which has aroused considerable public anxiety. That anxiety must be addressed - but it is essential to proceed rationally on the basis of scientific evidence," she said. _______________________________________________ Crashlist website: http://website.lineone.net/~resource_base
