[ RadSafe ] DU in Israel-Arab War, and Vietnam(?)

[Steven Dapra]

April 9

         On Apr. 6, I received from James Salsman an e-mail dated Apr. 
5.   Within this e-mail was another e-mail, dated Apr. 1, wherein Salsman 
had asked a third party for "a source for the statement that Israel used DU 
in the 1973 war with U.S. supervision".

         But, on March 31, Salsman posted a message to RADSAFE replying to 
John Jacobus, wherein Salsman said, "According to some people it [DU] was 
used with U.S. supervision [in Israel] in 1973".

         I don't have my original e-mail, but I asked Salsman who "some 
people" were, and what their basis in fact was for believing that Israel 
used DU in 1973.  His reply, dated Apr. 5, was, "Two of Rokke's supporters. 
I don't know what the basis is yet."

To top it all off, on April 6 John Jacobus placed a message here with an 
answer he had received from Salsman, wherein Salsman said:  "Yes, the 
United States DOD provided DU munitions to them for use during the 1973 
Arab Israeli War. United Nations officers, actually U.S. officers assigned 
to the UN, provided complete accounting of the use and thorough 
documentation of the adverse health and environmental effects to the 
NAS-IOM during a formal presentation several years ago. The 1974 DOD report 
discussed the consequences."  (This Salsman reply to John Jacobus was 
probably dated March 31.)

         Note that on the 31st, Salsman is declaring that "some people" 
claim that DU was used in 1973.  On (probably) the same day he also said 
that the Department of Defense provided DU munitions to the 
Israelis.  Then, on the next day, Salsman is asking a third party for a 
source for this claim that DU was used.

         Is it merely my imagination, or does something smell funny here?

         Some curious things will be found on this (anti-DU) website 
<http://www.notinkansas.us/>.

         Near the top of this page, referring to the 1991 Gulf War, we 
read, "During the early aerial bombardment and later tank war, President 
Bush and Secretary Cheney authorized the use of massive amounts of depleted 
uranium armaments for the first time in the history of warfare. This 
material is produced only by the United States and had been used 
experimentally in Vietnam and the 1973 Israel-Arab War. Internal Department 
of Defense reports had warned since 1943 about its use, and accurately 
predicted its poison gas effects on our troops."

         Note the claim that DU was used "experimentally" in Vietnam, and 
that it was used in the 1973 Israel-Arab War.

         Slightly more than half-way down the page, the 1973 use claim is 
repeated:  "The miraculous powers of D.U. were confirmed in Israel's 1973 
war when the American-made ordinance was tested under U.S. supervision."

         No citations or links are given for either of these claims (use in 
Vietnam, or in the Middle East).

         Now read near the top of the page in the introductory 
material:  "We value truth for its own sake. We cite our sources, and we 
admit when we're wrong."

         Sources?  What sources for the use of DU in Vietnam and in the 
Middle East in 1973?  The Not in Kansas page does provide source material 
for many of its claims.  (I may have my doubts about its reliability, but 
it does provide some source material.)  The claims about DU usage in and 
before 1973 are rather striking and provocative claims.  Where is the 
source material for these claims?  Will it be forthcoming (James Salsman, 
are you listening?), or will Not in Kansas admit it is wrong?

Steven Dapra
sjd at swcp.com