Call to test Balkans soldiers

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- NATO medics are recommending tests be carried out on the health of soldiers serving in the Balkans in the wake of concerns over the use of uranium-tipped weapons.

Medical committee member General Roger Van Hoof said so far there was no indication that the depleted uranium was responsible for health problems suffered by some soldiers.

But illnesses among peacekeepers who served in the Balkans have caused concern among a number of NATO countries and some have offered health tests to their peacekeepers..

The alliance's medical committee is to present its initial findings on so-called Balkans syndrome and the use of the uranium-tipped weapons on Tuesday. The uranium is used the armour piercing qualities of some weapons.

General Roger Van Hoof said: "We cannot identify any increase in disease or mortality in soldiers who have deployed to the Balkans as compared to those soldiers who have not deployed.

REFERENCE Balkans Syndrome   •  Uranium facts   •  Search for truth   •  Depleted uranium effects   •  Q&A: NATO fears   •  Cause for doubt   •  Cancer, leukaemia reports   •  What they say   •  In-depth: Kosovo   •  News search

"On the evidence available, a causal link cannot be identified between depleted uranium and the complaints or pathologies. So far there is no evidence of possible exposure beyond the safe levels.

"However, there are a number of military personnel reporting symptoms. While these symptoms are not linked to depleted uranium exposure, these should warrant further peer-reviewed scientific studies."

The NATO announcement was issued as a the first cancer death among Danish peacekeepers who served in the Balkans was revealed.

CNN Denmark reported that Danish police have confirmed to the daily JydskeVestkysten that a policeman who served in Croatia died of cancer in 1998.

The policeman was working for the U.N. in Croatia in 1994 and 1997, and again in 1998 for the Danish foreign office. The same year he died of cancer in the stomach and spleen.

In total he served 18 months in Croatia. Another policeman has told the daily B.T. that he is terminally ill with lymph cancer after serving in Croatia and Bosnia in 1994 and 1997.

All Danish policemen who have served in the Balkans will now be offered a medical test just like the country's soldiers who have served in the Balkans.

Earlier NATO spokesman Mark Laity said: "Scientist after scientist after scientist has been coming out saying they do not see a link between leukaemia and depleted uranium."

Laity, appealing for calm, said that "facts and science" were needed.

"There's quite a lot of screening going on and studies going on. I would caution people against expecting very firm conclusions" at this point.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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UN Environment Programme: Balkans
World Health Organisation
U.S. Dept of Energy: Depleted Uranium
NATO
UK Ministry of Defence
UK Atomic Energy Authority

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