Veterans for Peace exchange letters with former President Jimmy Carter on the US' continuing use of depleted uranium ammunition, with all its long-term health effects

[2-9-05]

This came to us with a note from Witherspooner Gary Campbell

I thought you might want to share with members of Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, Witherspoon Society and Binational Servants the following message from Veterans for Peace National Administrator Woody Powell with exchange of letters between VFP member Bill Compher and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Best wishes,

Gary Campbell,

Veterans For Peace, Member at Large
Presbyterian Church (USA) Minster
Member, PPF, Witherspoon Soc. & BNS

January 9, 2005

Mr. Jimmy Carter
The Carter Center
One Copenhill
Atlanta, GA 30307

Dear Mr. Carter:

I recently attended a Veterans for Peace meeting in Olympia, WA. where the topic was depleted uranium exposure to U.S. and Iraqi troops and civilians in Iraq. We were discussing various ways this problem could be addressed. Then just today I read an article in YES! magazine (Winter 2005)  by Darrin Burgess which said, "the Pentagon is quietly pursuing an alternative to depleted uranium ammunition, after years of rejecting claims that it leaves a legacy of death and contamination." He goes on to say that contracts have been awarded to a company to develop a tungsten alloy replacement for DU, a change already made by Germany.

Currently, however, people are dying from the longtime effects of DU inhaled or ingested (leukemia, birth defects, cancer .... ) and many more will be exposed in the future, as areas hit with DU shells remain radioactive. In 2002, the United Nations declared DU weapons illegal.

I would very much appreciate hearing what you, as a nuclear physicist, ex-President, Navy Veteran, and Humanitarian, have to offer in the way of information, opinion and advice regarding this dire situation. Your comments would be shared with members of The Rachel Corrie VFP Chapter 109 (Olympia, WA ). Many other activists, concerned citizens, and military families affected by this tragedy would also greatly value your guidance. I realize your plate is full already and time is precious, but a response from you, however brief, would do wonders for the hope and morale of many Americans who feel increasingly helpless and betrayed by their government.

Thank you for all the good work that you do.

Respectfully,

Bill Compher
Associate member, VFP 109,
Olympia, WA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

President Carter responds:

January 19, 2005

To Bill Compher:

In the first place, the Iraqi War was unnecessary, unjust, and its initiation was based on false premises.

The United States has now become the antithesis of efforts to control nuclear weapons, by abrogating many international agreements negotiated and supported by all previous presidents beginning with Dwight Eisenhower. We also oppose control or prohibition of land mines and cluster bombs, and are not meeting our commitments to destroy weapons of mass destruction including chemical and biological weapons.

Using depleted uranium is just one of a litany of issues that need to be addressed, but the decisive voices will be those of the general public, which seem largely ignorant or supportive of the policies named above. Veterans for Peace and other organizations with similar commitments can play an important role, and I wish you well.

Sincerely,

A former Green Beret argues with Prof. Tilford >>

Ah, and this from a website that recently published a letter from someone decrying the use of napalm in Iraq … a weapon that has been out of the US arsenal for a decade, would be inappropriate to the nature of the conflict, and basically unnecessary since precision guided munitions can destroy targets amenable to napalm attack more effectively and do so at far less risk to the aircraft using the ordnance.

Perhaps these anti-war veterans overlooked the "long-term health risks" entailed in being obliterated by a 120mm tank round. Depleted uranium rounds were useful in the first phase of the liberation of Iraq, when US forces engaged and annihilated armored forces. They are not useful in this phase of the operation since the character of the fighting has changed to counter-insurgency and training of Iraqi security forces to take over defense of their newly established democracy. The current tactical situation simply does not require the use of such weapons … using them would make about as much sense as fighting a virus with anti-biotics.

Very Respectfully,


Earl H. Tilford, Jr., PhD
Professor of History
Grove City College

Re: "Vets for Peace and Jimmy Carter on depleted uranium" and the response in an article "A military man disputes the concern about US use of depleted uranium ammunition" from Earl H. Tilford, Jr., PhD, Professor of History, Grove City College

Tilford's comments are misleading and typical of those who obviously have not seen combat first hand and up close. He says "Perhaps these anti-war veterans overlooked the 'long-term health risks' entailed in being obliterated by a 120mm tank round." First of all, combat veterans do not overlook or forget the effects of tank rounds at least those of us who have been in combat. We cannot forget the horror not matter how hard we try. And believe me after thirty-four years of occasional nightmares, I wish I could and I have tried.

Secondly, these are not "anti-war veterans: these are "pro-peace Christians" who like myself have heard the Lord's command "Put your sword into its sheath".

Tilford goes on to say "Depleted uranium rounds were useful in the first phase of the liberation of Iraq, when US forces engaged and annihilated armored forces" and avoids the fact that the DU rounds are radioactive long after the battle. The problem is not that they are not useful but that they continuing indiscriminate killing decades later. He then says "using them would make about as much sense as fighting a virus with anti-biotics" in post-combat operations and fails to see that it's more like using an atomic bomb in danger close combat. You may win the battle but you loose the war. What is more important is that you loose the peace and your humanity!

Very respectfully,
Bob Smith
Command Sergeant Major (retired)
US Army
Special Forces Green Beret
RVN 1969 - 1971

Mr. Smith adds: "I am a retired Command Sergeant Major, a Special Forces Green Beret Viet Nam combat veteran of three tours, mobilized for Desert Storm, and served my country for 20 years in the military."