From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Mar 14 2003 - 15:22:00 MST
Michael M. Butler wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 10:52:39 -0800, Charles Hixson
> <charleshixsn@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> appearantly they feel that during the last war the US intentionally
>> used depleted uranium weapons in order to cause cancer among
>> civilians living in the area. Also appearantly there is a large
>> excess of cancers around the area where the depleted uranium weapons
>> were used.
>
>
> Is there any actual data to support the claim that DU in the
> environment causes a measurable increase in cancers? In rats, monkeys
> *or* man? If so, what are the numbers? What increase in cancer deaths
> at what dose, etc.?
Not that I know of.
> I believe that people could believe it.
>
> One factual predominant problem with DU is that it's a toxic metal.
> It's conceivable to me that it, or its oxides or other compounds,
> could be carcinogenic the way (for instance) arsenides are, so I'm not
> prepared to utterly reject the notion out of hand.
> ...
But the problem is that with the local population believing that they
have been intentionally poisoned with radioactive poisions, and are
about to be so attacked again... No matter how conciliatory the
purported poisoner was, people wouldn't be very attentive. Whether it's
true or not is secondary. (It may well be true. I haven't heard of any
extensive tests, and I believe that the veterans have been requesting such.)
-- -- Charles Hixson Gnu software that is free, The best is yet to be.
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