![]() The Pentagon's focus on proponency has forestalled investigation and research Severe health and environmental consequences and create "adverse international reaction." However, post-war reports have promoted a policy of "proponency" to guarantee the unrestricted use and proliferation ofĭepleted uranium weapons. Army reports which warned the use of DU weapons could have A possible motivation for thisĬautious silence is expressed in pre-war U.S. Surprisingly little public praise from Pentagon and U.S. Iraq did not have DU armor or munitions in itsĪmidst post-war hype over the success of expensive, high tech weaponry, depleted uranium weapons received Uranium tank armor was never tested on the field of battle. Of American and British forces over the Iraqi Army's inventory of tanks, but the effectiveness of depleted Depleted uranium penetrators enhanced the tactical advantage ![]() Were equipped with depleted uranium armor. In addition, one-third (654) of the American tanks used in the war (2,054) American snipers shot 7.62mm and possibly. Of thousands of small caliber depleted uranium rounds. American A-10 and AV-8B aircraft shot hundreds Thousands of large caliber depleted uranium penetrators. To the pyrophoric nature of uranium metal and the extreme flash temperatures generated on impact." In theġ980's, depleted uranium was also developed for use in tank armor.ĭuring Operation Desert Storm, American M1A1, M1, and M60 tanks and British Challenger tanks fired Kinetic energy penetrators do not explode they fragment and burn through armor "due During the 1960's and 1970's, research and open-air testing at various locations in the United Statesĭemonstrated the effectiveness of using depleted uranium in kinetic energy penetrators, which are rods of solid In weapons because it is extremely dense, pyrophoric, cheap, and available in huge quantities in the United In the 1950's, the United States Department of Defense became interested in using depleted uranium metal Institute states "DU is a low-level radioactive waste, and, therefore must be disposed in a licensed repository." Depleted uranium is chemically toxic like other heavy metals such as lead, but it is also primarilyĪn alpha particle emitter with a radioactive half-life of 4.5 billion years. Accordingly, we must learn from the lessons of the use of depleted uranium weapons in the Gulf WarĪnd take steps to minimize and prevent the adverse effects on soldiers, civilians, and food and water supplies.ĭepleted uranium (DU) is the waste product of the process to enrich uranium ore for use in nuclear weaponsĪnd reactors. Proliferation and use of depleted uranium weapons ensure their part in armed conflict for the foreseeableįuture. Which the line between conventional and unconventional warfare is irreversibly blurred. The use of a radioactive and toxic waste in ammunition heralds a dangerous new era in land warfare, one in Veterans and civilians exposed to depleted uranium contamination are suffering health problems including Though investigations are ongoing and additional research is needed, it now appears that some By war's end, more than 290,000 kilograms (640,000 pounds) ofĭepleted uranium contaminated equipment and the soil on the battlefields of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Or had they?ĭuring the Gulf War, American and British forces introduced armor-piercing ammunition made of depleted When hostilities subsided in March, 1991, the world breathedĪ collective sigh of relief that weapons of mass destruction had not been used. Massive casualties among friend and foe alike. Nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons were all poised for use, each with the ability to cause The 1991 Persian Gulf War included an array of the twentieth century's most frightening and devastating McMaster described the success as a result of Saddam Hussein’s mistake in engaging in conventional warfare against the United States.Depleted Uranium Weapons: Lessons from the 1991 Gulf War Depleted Uranium Weapons: Lessons from the 1991 Gulf Warįrom: Depleted Uranium: A Post-War Disaster, Part 7 The Battle of 73 Easting would go down as an epic demonstration of American superior military technology and tactics, but years later, McMaster would cite America’s success in the war as luring leaders into thinking the American military was indestructible. We had the advantage and had to finish the battle rapidly.” Had we halted, we would have given the enemy farther to the east an opportunity to organize an effort against us while we presented them with stationary targets. … If we had stopped, we would have forfeited the shock effect we had inflicted on the enemy. “Gifford explained the situation to the squadron headquarters on the radio. “ called me from the command post to remind me that the 70 easting was the limit of advance.
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