Re: Humor for some, not for the overly sensitive

[Khalid Aleissa <kaleissa@kacst.edu.sa>]

Depleted uranium is used in an anti-tank ammunition because it has a better
penetrability than tungsten and it is free or you may get paid for taking it a
way from the huge piles of nuclear fuel industry. Once a depleted uranium
ammunition  hits  an armored tank, most of its kinetic energy will dissipated
into different forms. Heat is a a major form. This heat is enough to oxidizes
and evaporates DU. Breathing or ingesting U cause different health problems,
cancer and kidney failure are the major effects. Contaminating the environment
for long time is a long term impact of using these type of ammunitions.

I believe that many agree with me that war is not an acceptable solution,
however, if it is become a must then ethics of war shall be followed (may sound
strange to some people!). For example, preserve the environment.

Brian Rees wrote:

> NB98.49-19] 'Gulf War Syndrome: An Iraqi
> Ministry of Health official claims a link has been
> established between depleted uranium ammunition used in
> the Gulf War and ailments including congenital defects,
> muscle disorders, fatigue and cancer cases. At a
> conference in Baghdad, Iraqi officials alleged cancer cases
> had soared in parts of southern Iraq and radiation levels
> were unusually high. (Reuters, 2 December)
>
> Since nobody's ever successfully accused me of being Politically correct:
> (modified from a colleague)
>
> Part II Question:
>
> What is the EDE of a 500 gram U238 slug as it passes through the torso of
> an Iraqi solder at 914.4 meters/sec (3000 fps)?
>
> What will the TEDE be if it strikes the soldier's backbone on its path?
>
> At what concentration of spent ammunition (kg/km2) does the natural
> background radiation level double?
>
> Calculate the ratio of excess risk, comparing living around spent ammunition
> vs. being struck by moving projectiles.
>
> (Obviously) my own opinion.
>
> Brian Rees
> brees@lanl.gov
>
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--
Khalid Aleissa,


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