Update on “Kosovo Syndrome’ furor: Uranium-Tipped Arms Ban Rejected by NATO Majority. “A
majority of NATO
countries turned down
requests today from several
of their allies for a
temporary ban on the
inclusion of
depleted-uranium munitions
in NATO arsenals.” New York Times A seventh Italian soldier involved in the handling of these weapons has died of leukemia within a year of exposure. Official dismissals of the danger of these depleted-uranium shells are based on the fact that they are only mildly radioactive at rest. But as my blink several days ago suggested, the shells burn on impact and release a radioactive aerosol. European testiness with the U.S., the main proponent of these weapons, joins the tensions with Europe of last month over implementing the Kyoto accords on clean air.