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Depleted
Uranium - An expert's view Betrayed by My Government Major Dr. Doug Rokke, Medical Service Corps, U.S. Army Reserve I fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. During the Persian Gulf War, I taught nuclear, biological and chemical warfare operations in the U.S. Army. I was also part of the Depleted Uranium Assessment Team. We were charged with cleaning up the mess left by the thousands of bombs, rockets and missiles enriched with depleted uranium that U.S. dropped on Iraq. My service has cost me dearly. I am one of many Gulf War veterans suffering from illnesses related to exposure to depleted uranium (DU). My breathing is lousy. My eyesight is deteriorating. My muscles ache. And I have had 15 kidney surgeries since the spring of 1995. But the worse part is the betrayal by my own government. The Department of Defense and Veterans Administration officials continue to deny medical care to thousands of U.S. soldiers who are sick and dying from DU and other chemical exposures and to refuse to implement programs designed to resolve the ongoing health and environmental issues. If the government acknowledges the effects of DU on us, they have to acknowledge its effects on all the Iraqis--the innocent women and children who are dying from cancer. They don't want to do that because it's a crime against humanity. Although many have recommended banning DU, the U.S. refuses because it is the best killing machine and war is meant to kill. Even now, they are sending these kids off to war with defective equipment, without proper training, and lying to them about the hazards. For what? This war is without justification. It is flat out wrong. |