Al-Arab Online, London

03/04/2008

By Tahrir Swift

"Iraqi women giving birth in Basra no longer ask if it is a boy or a girl. They ask, is it normal?" This is the assertion made by an Iraqi doctor in Basra's main hospital in Deadly Dust - a documentary on the effects of Depleted Uranium munitions on the civilian population used in the 1991 and 2003 wars on Iraq - an extract of which was shown at London's School of Oriental and African Studies on 3 March 2008.

US forces used 350 tonnes of DU munitions on Iraq in 1991. In a report dated 25 February 2008, Dr Jawad al Ali of the Basra teaching hospital, who has been studying and monitoring the effects of DU on public health in the city, said the cancer rate has dramatically increased compared to 10 years ago. Today, it stands at 70 cases for every 100,000 people. Dr al Ali also revealed, in a report published in Asharq Al Awsat newspaper last November that 70% of cancer cases could be helped, but are not because of lack of equipment and medical supplies. The patients die, even if their cancers are detected early. Information about DU, the scientific evidence of its effects, recent cases and debates, can be found here.

"I am satisfied that at last a London audience has managed to see part of this very important documentary about the consequences of these deadly weapons," said Nicholas Wood, who has written a book on Iraq and has a great deal of knowledge and interest in the issue of DU. "The officials in the British and US governments are in denial about the issue of DU, particles of which will continue to make civilians sick and die for thousands of years to come unless something is done about it. The sooner we break this denial barrier, the sooner we can do something to save the future generations of Iraq."

This film screening and discussion was part of an event entitled "The heath and environmental catastrophe in Iraq: what can be done?" Iraqi academic Mundher Adhami, who spoke about possible interim solutions to contain the problem, said: "This is a catastrophe of immense dimensions. What is worrying is, as this film shows, areas around Baghdad, Arbil and, according to Dr Kadhum al Muqdadi, even parts of Najaf are now contaminated by radioactive materials. These areas apparently did not get direct hits by DU weapons in the 2003 war."

This can only mean that we now have the possibility of radioactive particles being carried in dust storms from parts of Iraq to others. These minute particles can be breathed in, ingested, or can contaminate the water table and enter the food chain, spreading sickness and death all over Iraq.

"Urgent action is therefore vital to contain the contaminated areas and prevent the continuation of the spread of radioactive pollution with all its deadly consequences," said Arab Media Watch adviser Haifa Zangana, who chaired the panel.

"The onus is on the user of DU to prove that it is safe, and it is their responsibility to contain and clear up the contamination," said Marion Birch, executive director of MEDACT, a charity concerned with the effects of war and conflict on the right to health for the civilian population in affected areas. This right is enshrined in international law as inalienable for every man, woman and child on the planet.

AMW member Lubna Samara spoke about Israel's use of unconventional weapons in Palestine and Lebanon. Her report started with the deliberate Israeli poisoning of the water wells of Acre with typhus germs in 1948, then the use of white phosphorus on civilians in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, to the use of DU munitions and cluster bombs in the 2006 war on Lebanon, not forgetting the Israeli use of biological agents in confrontations with Palestinian civilians taking part in a peaceful demonstration.

The parallels between Israel's and the US's strategy of using weapons of mass destruction that violates international humanitarian law on civilian populations in the region are glaringly obvious for all to see. In 2002, MEDACT warned against the dire consequences for the Iraqi people if the war on their country was to go ahead. Iraq's health infrastructure was already in a fragile state because of sanctions.

MEDACT is critical of the Coalition Provisional Authority's policy on health, sending experts with no prior knowledge of the region but with an agenda for privatisation, failing to protect and rebuild health facilities, and failing to set a good precedent and good standards by allowing the looting of hospitals and clinics. MEDACT's report Rehabilitation under Fire, launched on 16 January 2008, paints a grim picture for Iraq's population, stating that 75% of Iraqi health professionals have left their jobs since 2003.

Birch expressed concern that the terms of the Geneva Conventions have not been adhered to, and the neutral space for emergency and primary healthcare is not being respected. She called for the protection of Iraqi health professionals, facilities and provisions. She also called for the protection of personnel collecting data for the sake of an overall assessment of the health sector in Iraq. Without this information, it is very difficult to determine immediate needs, and to plan and put in place strategic policies for the health sector in the country.

One factor that can undermine a fair assessment of the situation of the health sector is the politicisation of health information for the interests of one party or another. "Surveys based on random cluster samples have long been accepted by governments the world over," said Birch. "It is therefore puzzling to see the initial rejection of the Lancet and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's surveys." No effort was made to conduct alternative scientific surveys to ascertain the number of casualties in Iraq. This is an example of politics getting in the way of accurate information. MEDACT believes Iraqis should be assisted in rebuilding their health system without being forced down the privatisation agenda.

This meeting did not just highlight problems, but also offered solutions. In the case of the health service crisis, Wood illustrated in a short film how easy it is to get hold of medical supplies such as oxygen masks, baby incubators and even a mobile hospital. He has been campaigning since he saw a documentary on Channel 4 entitled Iraq's Missing Billions, in which a two-day-old twin died because of a lack of vitamin K and a £0.95 canola that could have assisted the baby's breathing.

On the subject of DU contamination in Iraq, Wood and Adhami referred to the UN Environmental Department's suggestion to deal with contamination in Bosnia as an interim measure. Adhami's contribution to the discussion can be found here.

Zangana spoke briefly about systematic deforestation, cutting down of orchards and burning of vegetation in Iraq, comparable to the uprooting of citrus and olive groves in Palestine. "The official US army websites and military blogs mention so-called Controlled Burn, as if it is a great service to the people of Iraq," said Zangana. "It is done with relish. One marine describes the sound of burning as if it is 'an orchestra playing a piece of music.' No mention of the environmental damage and devastation caused to the farmers tending these groves and orchards."

A fact sheet with up-to-date statistics and information was given to the event attendees. After all the contributions from the speakers, there was a lively discussion about the awareness of the UK public on the dire health situation in Iraq, and an online petition was suggested.

The final speaker was Jonathan Stevenson of Iraq Occupation Focus, who talked of the important campaign of 'Justice for Iraq.' The UK government talks of withdrawing British troops, though the word 'all' is never mentioned. Furthermore, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pretends to distance himself from the Blair era and puts himself forward as the leader who will slowly but quietly withdraw from Iraq, and that will be the end of the matter!

IOF has formed a working group for 'Justice for Iraq,' and put together a document detailing the responsibilities of the protagonists of this illegal war and the reparations they must pay the Iraqi people. Withdrawing the troops and all the private security personnel (mercenaries) should only be the beginning. An end to this hated occupation and the eradication of all its manifestations must follow. The rule of international law must be restored.