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Canadian Defense Minister Pledges More Depleted Uranium Tests
Canadian Defense Minister Art Eggleton has pledged to have more tests among soldiers on exposure to radioactive-depleted uranium ammunition.
More than 100 Canadian soldiers who served in the Balkans have been tested and the medicals didn't link any of their illnesses to contact with depleted uranium ammunition in Croatia and Bosnia, he said Tuesday.
Despite the test results, soldiers still worry about their exposure, according to local media, which said last week that up to seven Canadian soldiers had suffered from Leukemia after their service in the Balkans.
Eggleton denied "any linkages between any illnesses and depleted uranium," saying "No toxic levels of depleted uranium have been found in the Canadian personnel that have been tested."
Eggleton said the Canadian military doesn't use depleted uranium, unlike certain NATO countries which use it to add strength to their ammunition during conflicts in the Balkans and the Gulf War.
But he indicated Canada won't push NATO to launch an inquiry even though Britain has reversed its position and stands for testing sick soldiers.
Both Britain and the United States, however, said Tuesday that they would keep the ammunition in service since there was no known danger to their own troops.
Blood cancer fear swept NATO countries, especially in Europe, after a number of soldiers had reportedly died of leukemia following the NATO operations in the Balkans. Independent medical workers are conducting tests in Kosovo with initial results indicating the local radioactive level is higher than elsewhere.
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