British Balkans Vets to Get Health Tests Amid Uranium Risk Debate
In a policy turnabout, the British government said Tuesday that it will test armed forces personnel for possible health problems caused by uranium-tipped weapons, while insisting that there was no evidence of a link between the two.
Armed Forces Minister John Spellar told Parliament that the government would set up a voluntary screening program for service personnel and civilians who have served in the Balkans. But he said the move was in response to public concern, not evidence of illness caused by depleted uranium.
“Some of the recent coverage will have caused some concerns among our people, and we do recognize a need to reassure them,” Spellar said.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s use in the Balkans of tank-busting shells coated with depleted uranium has sparked controversy after six Italian soldiers who had served there died of leukemia. The illness has claimed a total of 16 Europeans who had served in the Balkans.
Britain had consistently said it had no plans to screen war veterans.
“There is to date no evidence of . . . unusual health among our Balkan peacekeepers. . . “ Spellar said.
Some European countries have already agreed to investigate possible health risks. Germany, Italy, Portugal and Belgium want a full NATO inquiry.
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