(The impact of weapons of mass destruction)

Even if the war ends, do its effects end?

When we mention weapons of mass destruction, we have in mind a picture of the terrible impact and total destruction in the region, and for a moment we may think that this impact is only related to the present moment and has no long-term extension!

In fact, it's a lot worse than that.

In this article we review the impact of using depleted uranium as a weapon of mass destruction.

Depleted uranium is a radioactive element of high density, produced in the process of uranium enrichment as a by-product, which makes it available at very low prices so we find it has many applications in commercial and military terms.

Uranium is highly flammable. Also, it has enormous kinetic energy due to its high density, which causes penetration of the toughest armors

Bombs are filled with depleted uranium and then fired from cannons or through fighter aircraft, and when the missile hits the armored body it self-burns and ignites at a high temperature and fuses with the armored body, releasing uranium oxide.

The U.S. military first used depleted uranium as a weapon in the 1991 Gulf War, and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, although the United Nations classifies depleted uranium munitions as illegal weapons of mass destruction because of their long-term impact on the land on which they are used and the long-term health problems they cause when people are exposed to them.

A person is exposed to radiation hazards caused by Uranium through breathing radiation-contaminated dust, eating or drinking contaminated food or water, Or from fragments that enter the body through wounds and scratches

It's been seventeen years since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Yet Iraq's children are born with horrific birth defects and continue to suffer and pay the price of a war they have not even lived.

The rate of cancer is constantly increasing as well as abortions and radiation poisoning in several parts of Iraq, especially in the city of Fallujah, where it was subjected to major attacks during the occupation of the country.

Doctors face anomalies in children, which are so terrible that they cannot even find previous or similar cases; the war has caused a lot of radiation and if the situation continues like this, generations of Iraqis will continue to be affected and suffer.

The images of these children are shocking and frightening.

As mentioned earlier, the United Nations has classified depleted uranium munitions as illegal weapons of mass destruction, owing to the terrible effects they leave behind in the area and the long-term health problems that will be experienced by the inhabitants of the region and the surrounding areas.

In short, the use of depleted uranium as a weapon against Iraq, and its storage there, is an illegal war and a violation of the Prohibition of the Geneva Conventions on collective punishment, the convention on the Prohibition of the crime of genocide, and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques (ENMOD).

Here we review two articles of the environmental modification agreement (ENMOD):

Article I

"State Party to this Convention undertakes not to engage in military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects as the means of destruction, damage or injury to any other State Party".

Article V

"The States Parties to this Convention undertake to consult one another and to co-operate in solving any problems which may arise in relation to the objectives of, or in the application of the provisions of, the Convention. Consultation and co-operation pursuant to this article may also be undertaken through appropriate international procedures within the framework of the United Nations and in accordance with its Charter. These international procedures may include the services of appropriate international organizations, as well as of a Consultative Committee of Experts as provided for in paragraph 2 of this article".

The danger of using depleted uranium weapons is not only limited to civilians in foreign territories where the United States is fighting its wars, but also dangerous to American service members who have participated in these conflicts.

When a missile hits an armored vehicle, radium particles spread through the air and reach nearby people through breathing or swallowing, becoming part of the muscles and soft tissues, causing long-term harm to the person.

U.S. soldiers during the 1991 Iraq War were exposed to uranium munitions, often this is why many of them suffer from chronic diseases, and this pathology has been classified as "Gulf War Syndrome".

Public health has published an article addressing U.S. Veterans urging them to request "exposure screening for depleted uranium" and ask about the depleted uranium follow-up program in case the warrior suspects that he was exposed to depleted uranium during his service, and veterans are entitled to claim compensation for the health effects they believe are due to exposure to depleted uranium.

It is still possible to save generations of innocent children. We can save them if there are officials who want to. The big problem is that even research on these problems and these birth defects is carried out by independent researchers. The United States military and the competent institutions do not pay attention to this problem. unfortunately, if the situation continues like this and there is no sign of cleaning up the radiation pollution caused by the United States military in Iraq, generations of innocent children will born with birth defects and pay the price of the war.