-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- =========================== The Committee for National Solidarity Tolstojeva 34, 11000 Belgrade, YU APPEAL TO THE CONSCIENCE OF THE WORLD REGARDING THE USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS BY NATO FORCES ON THE TERRITORY OF FR OF YUGOSLAVIA Although anti-armour weapons containing depleted uranium undoubtedly produce severe consequences to human health and environment, they were used in the course of NATO military operations against FR of Yugoslavia. Additionaly, a recent documents and articles have revealed reasons to believe that depleted uranium might not have only been used in anti-armour shells, but also in larger projectiles. I - Established facts about the use of depleted uranium Since the beginning of hostilities, on March 24, 1999, officials of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have, on many occasions, admitted that certain types of aircraft involved in the operation were using bullets made of depleted uranium (DU) against armoured units of the Yugoslav Army.[1] Depleted uranium is a by-product from the production of enriched fuel for nuclear reactors and weapons, and represents one of the largest categories of radioactive waste.[2] DU is highly toxic to humans both chemically as a heavy metal and radiologically as an alpha-particle emitter. That is why weapons made of this material are inhumane and have an indiscriminate effect.[3] The use of such weapons is contrary to international law regarding the rules and customs of war, the protection of civilian persons in time of war and the protection of environment.[4] United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (the former Sub-Commisssion on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities), the main subsidiary body of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, had condemned the use of weaponry containing DU together with the use of other weapons of mass destruction and with indiscriminate effect.[5] By firing DU bullets during the most recent bombardments, NATO also disregarded the results of numerous expert analyses indicating that the use of DU shells during operation the Desert Storm in Kuwait and Southern Iraq was related to a specific illness, the so-called Gulf War Syndrome, afflicting probably more than 90.000 allied soldiers, as well as inflicting serious long-lasting damage to the health of the local population.[6] The most severe reported consequences to the health of contaminated persons were the initiation of new or promotion of existing cancers, as well as changes in the genetic material, the latter ones influencing the offspring.[7] It appears that official institutions of the United States of America have not seriously denied such reports.[8] Today, similar effects can be observed in Republic of Srpska, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where DU weapons had been used by NATO during 1995. [9] The danger of the use of DU to human health and to the environment lies in the fact that DU burns when piercing the target, [10] releasing uranium-oxide, a radioactive aerosol, which contains alpha-particles. This aerosol is light, thus able to travel by air and be carried by wind over long distances, contaminating the air, water, agricultural areas, and, consequently, the food-chain. A particularly dangerous threat to health lies in the possibility that such particles are inhaled or ingested, in which case they could even penetrate tissues and enter the bloodstream, directly irradiating organs and blood. [11] II - The possibility that a new kind of DU weapons was used in FRY A number of recent documents and articles revealed reasons to believe that depleted uranium might not have only been used in anti-armour shells, but also in larger projectiles (e.g. cruise missiles or bombs). In that case, the use of weapons containing DU, although forbidden even against military targets, would not have been limited to Kosovo and Metohija only, the region which was the only battlefield where NATO was trying to neutralize Yugoslav armoured units. NATO airplanes bombed various structures throughout FRY. For example, continous attacks on industrial plants, buildings, bunkers and airports had been taking place in Belgrade. If the weapons used to destroy buildings, industrial plants, bridges, roads, bunkers, airports and other structures in FRY did contain DU, then much larger quantities of this material could have contaminated highly populated areas and thus ???pardized the health of numerous Yugoslav citizens. III Grounds The above stated possibility is based on the following documents and reports: 1. The article NATO using depleted uranium weapons, by Felicity Arbuthnot and Darran Gardner, published on April 4, 1999, in Sunday Herald Glasgow, Scotland: ...Both Tomahawk cruise missiles and munitions rounds used by American Warthog bombers (A-10) contain the radioactive waste material... 2. The statement of the Russian foreign minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, of April 8, 1999, that ...NATO is using new types of missiles with radioactive components. [12] 3. The article posted on the website of Coghill Research Labaratories, The use of depleted uranium bullets and bombs by NATO forces in Yugoslavia, of April 8, 1999: The public at large, both in UK and in Yugoslavia, are unaware that 30 mm bullets being fired by A-10 anti-tank aircraft and probably all Tomahawk cruise missiles in this action contain depleted uranium (DU)... [13] 4. The statement of Prof. Michel Chossudovsky, denouncing that cruise missiles used in operations of NATO forces in FRY contained depleted uranium. [14] 5. The article Is NATO using Depleted Uranium in Yugoslavia?, by Mr. Peter Johnson, Editor of the Socialist Labor Magazine, April 12, 1999: ...But even more unsettling is the significant evidence that laser and satellite-guided bombs and missiles may also be produced using D.U. [15] 6. Reports on increased radioactivity in neighbouring countries, one of which is the statement of Prof. Zerefos, an environmental chemist from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, of April 13, 1999: the first three days of bombing above Yugoslavia released a large amount of hazardous toxic, carcinogenic and radioactive substances. [16] Prof. Zerefos precisely referred to radioactivity measured after the first three days of bombing, when there could not have been any low flying anti-tank engagements. 7. Another report on increased radioactivity was broadcast by the London TV station Channel 4 on May 15, 1999. The news was that radioactivity in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), a neighbouring country of Serbia, was measured to be eight times the normal. The Channel 4 report linked the increased radioactivity to NATO`s use of the depleted uranium bombs. 8. Major General Boris Alekseyev, chief of the Russian Army`s environmental safety department, stated on May 27, among other things, that NATO planes had rather extensively used shells with cores made of depleted uranium, and that such shells were used against tanks and concrete installations (Itar-TASS). 9. The Yugoslav news agency Beta reported on June 27, 1999, of an article published in the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, about increased alpha-ray radioactivity in Southern Hungary. In the vicinity of the towns Pecuj and Segedin, along the border with FRY, this kind of radioactivity was measured to be thirty to fifty times higher than in Budapest. Magyar Nemzet also found out that Hungarian scientists were conducting examinations in the area, focusing on the possible presence of uranium-oxide. According to the official NATO press releases, ?nti-armour missions at low altitudes usually have not been conducted outside the territory of the Kosovo and Metohija region during the campaign. Therefore, as it would be highly unlikely that such a large concentration of uranium-oxide could have travelled across whole Serbia, over approximately 400 kilometres of mountainious terrain, from Kosovo and Metohija in the south to Hungary in the north, the most probable explanation for increased radioactivity in Hungary should not be connected to armour piercing ammunition, but to some other kind of weapons which NATO used throughout FRY, i.e. at least in its northern parts. IV Appeal It is our moral duty to bring to attention of the world`s public the fact that radioactive and poisonous depleted uranium weapons were used on the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) by armed forces of the countries - members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), from March 24 to June 10, 1999, to warn the public of the world about a possibility that depleted uranium was used during NATO military operations against FRY not only in armour-piercing bullets, but also in warheads of larger projectiles, especially cruise missiles and bombs, and to appeal to the world`s conscience that use of such illegitimate and illegal means of warfare never again become possible to any warring party. We would also like to appeal to all universities, academic and scientific institutions and organizations, professors, lecturers and academics, as well as to all the governments, political parties, professional associations and unions, writers` and artists` associations, writers, artists and intellectuals, and to all people of good will to condemn the use of depleted uranium weapons against FR of Yugoslavia, to support thorough research on the effects these weapons have produced on the population and environment of FRY, as well as to neighbouring states, under the auspicies of the United Nations. Finally, we suggest that authorities of the FR of Yugoslavia start collecting all evidence and reports on forbidden methods of warfare used by NATO, especially depleted uranium weapons, and that all the material collected be open to the public. Notes: [1] - NATO announcement in Europe, March 30, 1999; - Alex Kirby, Pentagon confirms depleted uranium use, Aftermath of a raid: Is depleted uranium adding to the hazards?, report on BBC, May 7, 1999. [2] Depleted uranium is composed mainly of the uranium isotope U-238 and is called "depleted" because it has a lower content of the isotope U-235 than normal. DU is 2.5 times denser than steel, and 1.7 times denser than lead. Until now, it was generally known that following weapons in NATO possession contain DU: 1. 120 mm cal. cannon shells, used by US M1A1 Abrams and Britain`s Challenger tanks (as well as 155 mm cal. cannon shells for fixed and mobile artillery pieces); 2. 30 mm and 20 mm cal. bullets for: - GAU-8 A/B Avenger cannon mounted on A-10 Warthog (Thunderbolt II) aircraft (30 mm cal); - US and British Navy Phalanx gun systems (20 mm cal); - cannons carried by AH-64 A/D Apache (30 mm cal) and AH-1 Cobra (20 mm) helicopters. For the same reason, its high density, DU is probably used also in the production of armour. Similar effects can be obtained by a more expensive alternative to DU - tungsten alloy. [3] - Dr Rosalie Bertell, War in Kosovo: Use of depleted uranium, posted on URL: http://www.flora.org/flora.mai-not/10957 , March 31, 1999; - Dr Helen Caldicott, A New Kind of Nuclear War, in Metal of Dishonor: Depleted Uranium How the Pentagon Radiates Soldiers & Civilians with DU Weapons, New York City: International Action Center, 1997. [4] Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I of 1977) prohibits employment of weapons, projectiles and material and methods of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering (Article 35, paragraph 2), as well as employment of methods or means of warfare which are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment (Article 35, paragraph 3; also: Article 55). The use of DU weapons also violates provisions of the same Protocol, regarding the protection of civilian population against effects of hostilities (Article 48; Article 51, paragraphs: 1, 4-c, 5-b; Article 57, paragraph 2-a-ii). See also: Convention with Respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, The Hague, July 29, 1899 (Hague, II); Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, The Hague, October 18, 1907 (Hague, IV); Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, Geneva, June 17, 1925; Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Geneva, 1949; Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972; Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons, and on their Destruction, 1972; Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, Annex I). [5] UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities Resolution 1996/16, August 29, 1996, E/CN.4/SUB.2/RES/1996/16; UN Press Release, September 4, 1996, HR/CN/755; UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities Resolution 1997/36, August 28, 1997, E/CN.4/SUB.2/RES/1997/36. [6] At least 300 tons of DU particles and dust have been scattered over Kuwait and Southern Iraq, according to studies published in the book Metal of Dishonor..., New York: IAC, 1997. [7] - Metal of Dishonor: Depleted Uranium How the Pentagon Radiates Soldiers & Civilians with DU Weapons, New York City: International Action Center, 1997; - Dr Rosalie Bertell, op. cit.; - Health and Environmental Consequences of Depleted Uranium Use in the US Army, Army Environmental Policy Institute (AEPI), June 1995; - Operation Desert Storm: Army Not Adequately Prepared to Deal With Depleted Uranium Contamination, US General Accounting Office (GAO/NSIAD-93-90), January 1993, pp. 17-18.; - Christine Abdelkrim-Delanne, "Ces armes si peu conventionneles", Le Monde Diplomatique, Juin 1999, URL - http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/1999/06/ABDELKRIM_DELANNE/12106.html [8] - Kathleen Sullivan, Uranium bullets on NATO holsters, San Francisco Examiner, April 1, 1999; - Nick Cohen, Depleted uranium: deadly weapon, deadly legacy?, Guardian, May 9, 1999. [9] The denunciation to the Prosecutor of ICTY, in the Hague, filed by the Association of Serbs from B.&H, concerning the use of DU by NATO in Republika Srpska, in 1995. [10] This is why anti-armour DU shells do not contain any explosives. [11] Dr Rosalie Bertell, op. cit. [12] Alex Kirby, Uranium weapons fear in Kosovo A-10 can fire depleted uranium shells, report on BBC, April 9, 1999 [13] Coghill Research Labaratories, Lower Race, Pontypool, Gwent NP4 5UH, UK, http://www.cogreslab.demon.co.uk/WEBDU.htm [14] Prof. Michel Chossudovsky, Impacts of NATO`s Humanitarian Bombings, The Balance Sheet of Destruction in Yugoslavia, Ottawa, April 11, 1999. [15] In Defense of Marxism magazine - http://www.marxist.com/Europe/uranium.html [16] Natasha Dokovska, A New Chernobyl in the Balkans, Environment News Service (ENS), 1999, posted on http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-13-01.html Signatories: 1. Prof. Oliver Antic, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade 2. Prof. Dimitrios Papasteriou, Dean of the Law School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 3. Prof. Jana Kativali Tsiptsiou, Law School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 4. Prof. Haralambos Papastatis, Law School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 5. Prof. Ratko Markovic 6. Prof. Miodrag Orlic 7. Prof. Du?an Jakovljevic 8. Academician Vlajko Brajic 9. Prof. Milan Paunovic 10. Prof. Borivoje ?underic 11. Academician Slobodan Perovic 12. Prof. Dragoljub Stojanovic 13. Prof. Milan Pak 14. Prof. Mirko Vasiljevic 15. Prof. Zoran Stojanovic 16. Prof. ?orde Ignjatovic 17. Prof. Jugoslav Stankovic 18. Prof. Mirjana Todorovic 19. Miljko Valjarevic, General Secretary of the Faculty of Law 20. Prof. Vladeta Stankovic 21. Prof. Miroljub Labus 22. Prof. Sima Avramovic 23. Prof. Veroljub Rajovic 24. Prof. Jovica Trkulja 25. Prof. Kosta Cavo?ki 26. Prof. Danilo Basta 27. Prof. ?orde Lazin 28. Prof. Svetislav Taboro?i 29. Prof. Emilija Vukadin 30. Prof. Stevan Lilic 31. Slobodan Rakitic, writer, President of the Association of Writers of Serbia 32. Daniel Schiffer, philosopher, France 33. Tanasije Mladenovic, writer 34. Radomir Andric, writer 35. Predrag R. Dragic Kijuk, writer 36. Milorad R. Blecic, writer 37. Academician Adam Puslojic 38. Dr Nadja Teshich, writer 39. Moma Dimic, writer 40. Milica Jeftimijevic Lilic, writer 41. Radoslav Bratic, writer 42. Ratko Adamovic, writer 43. ?orde J. Janic, writer 44. Predrag Bogdanovic Ci, writer 45. Academician Nedjo ?ipovac 46. Gordana Pavicevic, assistant professor 47. Prof. Dejan Popovic 48. Branko Lubarda, assistant professor 49. Marko ?urdevic, assistant 50. Momcilo Ristic, assistant 51. Aleksandra Rabrenovic, ?ssistant 52. Slobodan Panov, assistant professor 53. Prof. Dragan Mitrovic 54. Gordana Ilic Popov, assistant professor 55. Marinka Cetinic, assistant professor 56. Milan ?kulic, assistant professor 57. Prof. Vladimir Milic 58. Prof. Dragutin ?o?kic 59. Milan Parivodic, assistant 60. Branko Rakic, assistant 61. Mihajlo Grozdanovic, attorney 62. Branislav Crncevic, writer 63. Academician Rajko Petrov Nogo 64. Du?ka Vrhovac, writer 65. Prof. Nada Milo?evic ?ordevic 66. Dobrosav Smiljanic, writer 67. Alek Vukadinovic, writer 68. ?arko Komanin, writer 69. Srba Ignjatovic, writer 70. Marko Radulovic, Ph.D. 71. Prof. Mirko Zurovac 72. Branislav Cirlic, writer 73. Tiodor Rosic, writer 74. Zoran Kostic, writer 75. Cedomir Mirkovic, writer 76. Miroslav Josic Vi?njic, writer 77. Prof. Rado? Lju?ic 78. Ljubica Miletic, writer 79. Academician Matija Beckovic 80. Petar Cvetkovic, writer 81. Academician Milorad Ekmecic 82. Academician Dragoljub Nedeljkovic 83. Zoran Milic, writer 84. Dimitrije Tasic, writer 85. Jovan Delic, writer 86. Jovan Bukelic, M.D, psychiatrist 87. Branko Popovic, writer 88. Prof. Vaso Milincevic 89. Ljubi?a Jeremic, Ph.D, writer 90. Predrag Protic, writer 91. Milivoje Majstorovic, writer 92. Academician Stevan Raickovic 93. Milisav Savic, Ph.D, writer 94. Du?anka S. Subotic Homen, attorney 95. Milan Mikovic, attorney 96. Prof. M. Vartabedijan, artist 97. Predrag Konstantinovic 98. Olga Turcinovic 99. Irena Ristic 100. Du?an Rakitic 101. Juna Moric, writer , Russia 102. Vitaly Sentalinski, writer , Russia 103. Bogdan Jamedzija, Ph. D, President of the Association of Serbs from B.& H. in Serbia 104. Viacheslav Kyprianov, writer , Russia 105. Ranko Jovovic, writer Signing began on June 28, 1999, in Belgrade Secretary General Mrs. Jela Jovanovic Art historian =========================== <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! 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[CTRL] APPEAL TO THE CONSCIENCE OF THE WORLDREGARDING THE USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS BY NATO FORCES ON THETERRITORY OF FR OF YUGOSLAVIA
Mrs. Jela Jovanovic, Secretary General Fri, 24 Mar 2000 15:19:59 -0800
