Annabelle Goldie, the British minister of state for defense, made this announcement last week, on March 20, 2023
Britain already has sent the first Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine and the Depleted Uranium munitions are designed to be fired from these tanks. This announcement came just two days after the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, where DU ammunitions were used on a large scale.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has attacked the UK’s decision. Kate Hudson, its General Secretary, said: “CND has repeatedly called for the UK government to place an immediate moratorium on the use of Depleted Uranium…”
DU munitions were used by the US and Britain in the Gulf war in 1991 and in Iraq in 2003. Their use has caused a sharp increase in the incidence rates of some cancers, such as breast cancer and lymphoma. Depleted Uranium also been implicated in a rise in birth defects in areas adjacent to the main battlefields. Other health problems associated with DU include kidney failure, nervous system disorders, lung disease and reproductive problems. Kate Hudson says that the DU pollution will be long-term for many generations to come. It can make agricultural land unsuitable for use.
No treaty explicitly banning the use of DU is yet in force, but it is clear that its use runs counter to the basic rules and principles of international humanitarian law.
In 2006, the European Parliament called for the introduction of a total ban, classifying the use of DU, along with white phosphorus, as inhumane. Since 2007, repeated UN general assembly resolutions have highlighted serious concerns over the use of DU weapons. However four states have consistently prevented the adoption of the resolutions. They are Britain, the US, France and Israel.
The first Challenger 2 tanks have already arrived – and with them the fear that Depleted Uranium munitions may get fired soon. The concern is now that the Abrams tanks from the US also might have Depleted Uranium munitions on board.
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