Margaret Lowrie: European nations raise concerns over depleted-uranium ammo

Margaret Lowrie

CNN Correspondent Margaret Lowrie is reporting on separate European Union and NATO talks over concerns that depleted-uranium ammunition used in the Balkans may pose a health risk. To date, there is no scientific evidence of such a link.

Q: What are the primary concerns being raised by European countries?

LOWRIE: People are fearing that soldiers who have served in the Balkans for European nations and the United States may have inhaled or come into contact with radioactive dust left by depleted-uranium ammunition. Uranium is used in the tips of shells, missiles and bullets to help increase their armor-penetrating capabilities. In other words, so they can be better effective against things like tanks.

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Reports in the British press say that during the campaign in Kosovo in the spring of 1999, NATO fired more than 31,000 rounds that contained depleted uranium. The concern growing among a number of European nations is that soldiers who came into contact with the depleted uranium, or dust on the ground, may in fact have contracted leukemia or other ailments.

But the British Defense Ministry to date has repeatedly stressed there is no medical or scientific evidence that proves any connection between depleted uranium and health ailments that soldiers may have suffered. This is a position that puts Britain pretty much alone among its European allies. However, it puts Britain in the same corner as the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has said there is absolutely no proof that depleted uranium is responsible for ailments Balkan peacekeepers may have suffered.

Q: Are European countries planning their own investigations into the matter?

LOWRIE: Yes, a number of countries have said they are going to carry out screening of their own soldiers who served in the Balkans. In addition, the European Union says it will conduct its own inquiry. We don't know the scale of that inquiry or what that will entail, but the EU says it will move forward with its own inquiry.

There is growing pressure on NATO to at least address the issue and look into it. We expect a statement later this week on NATO's position.

In the meantime, the United Nations has taken samples from 11 of 112 possible sites in Kosovo where uranium-depleted ammunition hit targets. They're in the process of analyzing that right now. They're not expected to have a final report until March. But their preliminary findings indicate that they did find some low levels of radiation at eight of those 11 sites.

In addition, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative in Kosovo has asked the World Health Organization to send in experts to help them assess whether there is any risk to the civilian population in Kosovo.

But I'd like to stress again that to date, these are all concerns being raised; we're not aware of any hard proof or evidence that there is a link. However, it is being investigated.

Q: What are the soldiers hoping to get from the investigations?

LOWRIE: That's not clear yet. But there are certainly Gulf War veteran groups who will be watching this very, very closely because, of course, uranium-depleted ammunition was also used in the Gulf War. And there is the unexplained ailment known collectively, some would say, as the Gulf War Syndrome.

So, these Gulf War veterans will certainly be looking to see if any connection can be made linking what they say are their cases of unexplained, mysterious ailments.