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Relatives Call For Withdrawal Of Italian Soldiers From Balkans
An association of soldiers' relatives Monday demanded the withdrawal of all Italians serving in the Balkans following the growing number of cancer deaths among veterans of peacekeeping missions sent to the region.
Angesol, the association of parents of conscripts, asked Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and leaders of the country's armed forces for the "immediate withdrawal of Italian soldiers from the Balkans."
Head of the group Amalia Trolio said that leaving the soldiers there would be "criminal".
So far, five Italian Balkan veterans have died of cancer and more than 30 others have fallen seriously ill and there have been claims that the cases are linked to the use of depleted uranium shells by NATO during the 1999 Kosovo conflict.
Angesol accused the government of hiding the dangers from soldiers and covering up the evidence. It called for the urgent screening of all soldiers who have served or are serving in the Balkans, saying that "any delays could prove fatal."
The latest Italian victim was a 31-year-old police officer, Rinaldo Colombo, who died from a malignant tumor two months ago. He served in Bosnia and Albania.
An investigation has been launched into his death and other similar cancer cases. During the Kosovo war, U.S. planes are reported to have fired about 31,000 rounds of depleted uranium ammunition at Serbian targets.
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