The United States may be finished dropping bombs on Iraq, but Iraqi bodies will be dealing with the consequences for generations to come in the form of birth defects, mysterious illnesses and skyrocketing cancer rates.
Al Jazeera’s Dahr Jamail reports that contamination from U.S. weapons, particularly Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions, has led to an Iraqi health crisis of epic proportions. “[C]hildren being born with two heads, children born with only one eye, multiple tumours, disfiguring facial and body deformities, and complex nervous system problems,” are just some of the congenital birth defects being linked to military-related pollution.
In certain Iraqi cities, the health consequences are significantly worse than those seen in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Japan at the end of WWII.
The highest rates are in the city of Fallujah, which underwent two massive US bombing campaigns in 2004. Though the U.S. initially denied it, officials later admitted using white phosphorous. In addition, U.S. and British forces unleashed an estimated 2,000 tons of depleted uranium ammunitions in populated Iraqi cities in 2003.
DU, a chemically toxic heavy metal produced in nuclear waste, is used in weapons due to its ability to pierce through armor. That’s why the US and UK were among a handful of nations (France and Israel) who in December refused to sign an international agreement to limit its use, insisting DU is not harmful, science be damned. Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s refusal to release details about where DU munitions were fired has made it difficult to clean up.
Today, 14.7 percent of Fallujah’s babies are born with a birth defect, 14 times the documented rate in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Fallujah’s babies have also experienced heart defects 13 times the European rate and nervous system defects 33 times that of Europe. That comes on top of a 12-fold rise in childhood cancer rates since 2004. Furthermore, the male-to-female birth ratio is now 86 boys for every 100 girls, indicating genetic damage that affects males more than females.
I almost think I need to type this post in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS to adequately express my anger and my shame.
We did this to these people. And we did on the basis of a lie.
I hear the apologists right now talking about how great it is that we "saved" these people suffering under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Well under this fold you can see for yourself how "saved" they are! (Warning very graphic and troubling images.)
What we did is unconscionable, and indefensible, and the people who lied in order to convince the American people to allow it are criminals and NEED, NEED to be prosecuted!
I am sorry if this upset you on this fine Saturday afternoon, but I think everybody in this country should have the opportunity to be shocked and upset by these images.
And Republicans dare to call themselves "pro-life."
Well this was YOUR President, you voted him into office twice. So how "pro-life" does that make you?
Dick Cheney is rubbing his hands together and cackling at the thought.
ReplyDeleteNothing good ever comes out of wars and we must stop jumping into them.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot save everyone and make them democratic nations.
This makes me fecking furious...with increased anger at the lack of reporting by western corporate media (US, UK, and France) in spite of all the recent discussion about how the media can avoid the mistakes made leading up to the war.
ReplyDeleteSearching the web for related articles led to a Reuters report on the birth defect problem back in Nov. 2011.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/07/us-iraq-withdrawal-falluja-idUSTRE7B611P20111207
And in October 2012 a U.S. Dept of Defense spokesman said: "We are not aware of any official reports indicating an increase in birth defects in Al Basrah or Fallujah that may be related to exposure to the metals contained in munitions used by the US or coalition partners."
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/iraq-records-huge-rise-in-birth-defects-8210444.html
Grrrrr. Why isn't the U.S. funding studies to test the population for metal contamination?
As a French citizen, it makes me extra furious too, to know that my country opposes any ban on Depleted Uranium, along with US, UK and Israel.
DeleteThis sort of thing has been reported since the Gulf war. Babies in Bassorah have had such a rise in birth defects for more than 20 years now. Nobody cared. http://images.blatantworld.com/image/graph_rate_of_birth_defects_per_1000_births_at_basra_university_hospital_iraq.html
Besides, everybody ought to know that those damn weapons are radioactive too. Yes, U238 is twenty times less radioactive than U235, for the same mass. But when armies explode 2000 tons of U238 above a few cities, how could the end result be anything other than radioactive cities ?
W and Cheney should both be brought out in chains and tried for being the war criminals they are. Why the American people aren't raising hell about bringing them both to justice for their lies and the blood on their hands is beyond me. Makes you wonder why W in particular seems to stay close to home and doesn't travel outside the US. Maybe he's afraid of being detained and dragged in front of the world court.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly why Bush isn't traveling outside of the USA. He's been put on notice that they will arrest him. Cheney too, I would think, but I've not heard that for sure. Both of them should be tared and feathered and put on display in Washington D.C.
DeleteI think he has no desire to travel outside the U.S. - not out of fear, he just has no desire. Even when he was president he didn't travel outside the U.S. until his last year in office when he was told he had to make some sort of effort to at least acknowledge the rest of the world. He was the most incurious president we have ever had.
DeleteAll he really wants is to be left alone and paint stupid pictures. He doesn't want to do anything. The first thing he did after he left the presidency was get rid of that ranch so he could stop pretending he was some kind of real Texan or something. He doesn't want to help with the GOP or any candidates. He doesn't want the work involved to appear on any kind of lecture circuit. The only thing he has done are stupid things - that "Motivational" seminar that tanked and that seminar at the time of the last election when he was in the Cayman Islands talking about how to protect your money off shore. You'd think he would be ashamed, but George has no shame.
The guy is a loser. He was never anything more than a self-centered, entitled, drunken, lazy-ass frat boy, and this was all he ever really wanted in life. To have everything handed to him, do whatever he wants and be unaccountable to it; everyone kiss his ass and then just leave him alone.
And we, and the rest of the world suffer because he wanted to play out his John Wayne fantasies.
Loser.
Democrat MO: Assert ignorant opinion and base one's entire philosophy and argument on said opinion.
ReplyDeleteReally? STFU.
DeleteYou nailed it by assigning the label 'SHAME' to the post.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran" Johnny Boy McCain cares?
ReplyDeleteThe last I heard...the Hague Court (International War Criminals) in Netherlands have had their sights on Bush & Cheney if they wander out of this country. The rest of the world already knows the Bush team...esp these 2 should have been brought up on charges years ago, stripped of their wealth and put in prison.
ReplyDeleteSo much for ending wars. What liars and conmen we have in power in DC. And no one in their OWN party has the balls to call them on it. Shameful democrats. Youd NEVER let one republican get away with ANYTHING the left has done or said.]]Shameful.
ReplyDeleteWe should be ashamed our politicians for allowing this type of weapon to be used ANYWHERE in the world. I am losing hope that civilization will survive the power-mad military/industrial cabal in America. Damn their souls to eternal hell!
ReplyDeleteI NEVER VOTED for that damn Bush! I was against the war from the very beginning as I thought about the innocent people who were going to die and all the young people in the military whose lives were going to be destroyed through death, being maimed, head injuries and PTSD! But I never imagined this would also be part of the suffering this would cause the Iraqi people. We have a lot to answer for as a nation and there are those who should pay for what it has done--mainly, Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld! The Repuclicans be DAMNED!
ReplyDeleteOh those poor babies...I'm at a loss for words.
ReplyDeleteWhere did the statistics come from?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/7/7/2828
DeleteTook me all of five seconds to trace it back through the article links. You should try it yourself sometime. Lazy asshole.
Team America, Fuck Yeah!
ReplyDeleteShameful and heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI was against this war from the beginning, learning this just makes me ill. I can't imagine what these families suffer, and we wonder why "they" "hate" "us", hell, I'd hate us too!
ReplyDeleteThe linked article has links to a democracy now video that further explains the heavy metals and rise in these rare severe birth defects.
This has been known since before 2009, why isn't any coverage by our own media?
the "Dispatches" blog has a lot of interesting topics, thanks for linking to it!
This is why I read this blog and try to get my news from as many sources as possible.