[ RadSafe ] Reuters Video Point on Reuters Basra Story

[Roger Helbig]

http://videopoint.reuters.com/Application.html#view=script;id=122616

This link was buried at the bottom of the "Reuters" video story - this is
not an article, it is a video - much more effective form of propaganda 

The first line clearly is not true - DU has never threatened thousands of
lives - it probably has not threatened even one life - 

Roger Helbig

Depleted uranium from ordnance threatens thousands of lives around the Iraqi
oil hub of Basra, Iraqi experts say.

Shotlist
ABU AL-KHASEEB, NEAR BASRA, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. WIDE OF ABU AL-KHASEEB TOWN, SITE OF THOUSANDS OF TONS OF SCRAP METAL
CONTAMINATED WITH DEPLETED URANIUM

2. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING NEAR A HOUSE IN ABU AL-KHASEEB TOWN

3. VARIOUS OF MOUND OF SCRAP METAL AND WAR DEBRIS CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM

4. WAR DEBRIS CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM

5. RUSTY SCRAP METAL CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM

6. MEN LOOKING AT MOUND OF SCRAP METAL IN ABU AL-KHASEEB TOWN

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMED HUSSEIN, LOCAL RESIDENT OF ABU AL-KHASEEB
TOWN, SAYING:

"This mound of scrap metal is harmful to the health, this is the radiation
from the war. They came here three times and said ninety percent of the
scrap metal is a harmful, but no action has been taken so far. It has not
been removed yet."

8. VARIOUS OF HEAPS OF SCRAP METAL AND WAR DEBRIS CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMED HUSSEIN, LOCAL RESIDENT OF AL-KHASEEB
VILLAGE, SAYING:

"Now, you can see different types of disease. There is a man who got cancer,
we have been told that is because of the contaminated scrap metal. There is
another man whose leg will be cut also because of the contaminated scrap
metal. My mother suddenly lost her sight, all the cases are because of
radioactive pollution."

10. VARIOUS OF WAR DEBRIS CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM SCATTERED ON RIVER BANKS
NEAR ABU AL-KHASEEB TOWN

BASRA CITY, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

11. ZUHAIR MOHAMMED ALI, DEPUTY HEAD OF TECHNICAL COMMITTEE IN BASRA
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, SPEAKING ON THE PHONE IN HIS OFFICE

12. CLOSE OF IRAQI FLAG

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ZUHAIR MOHAMMED ALI, DEPUTY HEAD OF TECHNICAL
COMMITTEE IN BASRA PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, SAYING:

"The rate of pollution is different from one area to another. Everyone
expects the rate of pollution to be the same everywhere and this is not the
case. For instance the rate of pollution is one percent in the centre of
town (in Basra), but it is two percent in Hayaniya city (a slum in Basra
city). I expect the rate of pollution to be high in Abu al-Khaseeb town and
in al-Madinaa town because we found big pieces of war debris during our
visit to these locations."

ABU AL-KHASEEB, NEAR BASRA, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

14. SIGN READING IN ARABIC "Danger: Highly dangerous area." / MOUND OF RUSTY
SCRAP METAL CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM IN THE BACKGROUND

15. MORE OF RUSTY SCRAP METAL CONTAMINATED WITH URANIUM

BASRA CITY, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ZUHAIR MOHAMMED ALI, DEPUTY HEAD OF TECHNICAL
COMMITTEE IN BASRA PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, SAYING:

"Around 46,000 tonnes of contaminated scrap metal are in Basra. Most of the
contaminated debris will be removed to Khrashej area near the Iraqi-Saudi
border to be buried. It will not affect underground water."

ABU AL-KHASEEB, NEAR BASRA, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

17. VEHICLES DRIVING PAST HEAPS OF SCRAP METAL AND WAR DEBRIS CONTAMINATED
WITH URANIUM IN ABU AL-KHASEEB TOWN