UK urged to probe 'Balkans syndrome'

WEB EXCLUSIVE Patricia Kelly: NATO nations worry U.S.ammunition tied to cancer deaths

LONDON, England -- Britain has been urged to join other European NATO members in conducting health checks on troops who served in the Balkans.

Concern at the effects of depleted uranium used in armour-piercing shells on soldiers grew after Italy linked the deaths of six soldiers to exposure to radioactive material.

A number of European allies have called for an investigation into deaths or illness among peacekeepers -- a condition dubbed "Balkans Syndrome" -- but Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said it sees no cause for concern and that the risks to troops are "minimal."

But the pressure on London is set to increase after the MoD said on Sunday that its troops had fired depleted uranium at test ranges in the north of the country over the last 10 years.

An MoD spokeswoman said tests of the ammunition, which some Gulf War and Balkans veterans blame for unexplained cases of cancer and other ailments, had been monitored by environmental and military experts.

VIDEO Gulf War vet Shaun Rusling explains to CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney the symptoms of uranium exposure illness Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     AUDIO Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon denies connection between depleted uranium and "Balkan's syndrome" 279K/35 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Shaun Rusling, Chairman of the UK Gulf Veterans and Families Association talks about "Balkan's syndrome" 691K/64 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Mark Laity Nato spokesman downplays the risk of uranium to human health. 0.37 MB/30 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Possible link between depleted uranium and serious illness 1.07 MB/104 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     MESSAGE BOARD Peace in the Balkans

"Analysis of published results shows the firings do not pose a significant risk to marine life, members of the public or site personnel," the spokeswoman said of the tests carried out at one site on the Solway Firth channel between north-west England and southern Scotland.

But the National Gulf War Veterans Association has said that ordinary Britons should now be concerned.

"Depleted uranium is not just an issue for servicemen, it is an issue for civilians as well. It is being tested virtually on people's doorsteps," the association's spokesman Terry Gooding was quoted as saying.

Russia, France, Norway, Germany and Greece have added their voices to the growing chorus of concern.

Portugal has urged its soldiers who experience certain symptoms to report for radiation screening, while Italy, Spain and Poland are also conducting tests on troops.

In Athens, protesters marched to demand the return of Greek troops from Bosnia and Kosovo due to the health concerns.

NATO has continued to dismiss any link to illnesses, saying that the threat from the depleted uranium posed a "negligible hazard."

But Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres said NATO assurances about the safety of depleted uranium-tipped ammunition were not enough and a full probe was needed.

The stance was in contrast to that of Britain. "At the moment we are confident in our position that there is no significant risk to our personnel," a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said.

"The standard advice we give to personnel is to avoid areas where DU rounds have just been fired. The radioactivity levels would be higher just after they had been fired," she said.

"We have always known about the risks but we consider them to be minimal."

Depleted uranium is used in the tips of shells and bullets to increase their ability to penetrate armour and can be pulverised on impact into a toxic radioactive dust.

U.S. attack jets fired about 31,000 DU rounds against Serbian targets during NATO's 1991 campaign to drive the Yugoslav army out of Kosovo. About 10,000 rounds were also fired in neighbouring Bosnia in 1994-5.

Turkey and Yugoslavia found no cases of radiation exposure among their troops, and the International Committee of the Red Cross disclosed that tests on more than 30 staff deployed during the 1999 Kosovo war showed no traces of depleted uranium.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

Conflicting research on radiation in Kosovo
January 6, 2001
NATO urged to probe 'Balkans sickness'
January 5, 2001
NATO arms illness claims denied
January 4, 2001
Italy acts on NATO cancer fears
January 3, 2001
Peacekeepers' deaths linked to 'Balkans syndrome'
December 30, 2000
Radiation tests for NATO troops
January 4, 2001

NATO
Gulf War Illnesses
United Nations Environment Programme
British Ministry of Defence
UK Gulf War Veterans

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