Kosovo DU - New Scientist LETTERS

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

posted at http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990626/letters3.html
FYI,  from New Scientist, 26 June 1999

Uranium in war 
Your article on the use of depleted uranium (DU) by US forces in the Balkans
was remarkably one-sided (This Week, 5 June, p 20). 

Granted, the article does mention that Doug Rokke's claims are disputed by
the official organisations involved. However, it ignores the overwhelming
evidence supporting these organisations' positions. 

The recently released Rand report states: "There are no peer-reviewed
published reports of detectable increases of cancer or other negative health
effects from radiation exposure to inhaled or ingested natural uranium at
levels far exceeding those likely in the Gulf. This is mainly because the
body is very effective at eliminating ingested and inhaled natural uranium
and because the low radioactivity per unit mass of natural and depleted
uranium means that the mass of uranium needed for significant internal
exposure is virtually impossible to obtain." 

PHILIP HYPES 
Los Alamos National Laboratory 
New Mexico 

An A10's Minigun may be able to fire at the rate of 3900 shells per minute
but it never actually fires 3900 shells in a single minute and therefore
wouldn't "release 234 kilograms of DU a minute". A10s, like all other
gun-armed warplanes, carry only enough ammunition for a few short bursts of
firing. 

DAVE PARKER 
Bishop's Stortford
Hertfordshire 

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