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Science Friday > Archives > 2003 > April
> April 18, 2003:
Hour One: Depleted
Uranium / Iraqi Archaeology Update
The Department of Defense says depleted uranium ammunition gives
American fighting forces a clear advantage. The ultra-dense metal
lets weapons penetrate concrete and armor plating. But critics say
that the use of depleted uranium in war is a health hazard both for
troops and the people left living with war's aftermath. The material,
which is left over from the enrichment of natural uranium for use
in nuclear power plants, is less radioactive than natural uranium.
However, it has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, meaning that once
it is released into the environment, the material will remain there
for a considerable time. In this hour of Science Friday, we'll talk
about for a look at the case for and against using depleted uranium
in weapons.
We'll also get an update on Iraqi archaeological artifacts. Before
the war in Iraq began, archaeologists and historians concerned about
potential damage to priceless antiquities called on the US military
to protect certain sites from bombing damage. Now that US forces are
in Baghdad, it has been discovered that many artifacts are missing
from Iraqi museums and libraries. Some appear to have been taken by
ordinary looters -- but experts say that in some cases, the thefts
appear to have been more organized and targeted. We'll talk about
what has been lost, and what might be done to recover the artifacts
stolen from museums in Iraq. Call in with your questions and comments
at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required).
Guests:
Michael Kilpatrick
Deputy Director
Deployment Health Support
Directorate
Office of the Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness
Falls Church, Virginia
Dan Fahey
Navy Veteran
Veteran's Advocate for Depleted Uranium Issues
San Francisco, California
Elizabeth Stone
Professor of Anthropology
State University of New York, Stony
Brook
Stony Brook, New York
Tony Wilkinson
Associate Professor of Near
Eastern Archaeology
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
WISE
Uranium Project: Current Issues - Depleted Uranium Weapons
Dan Fahey's
paper "Depleted Legitimacy: The U.S. Study of Gulf War Veterans
Exposed to Depleted Uranium"
DeploymentLINK: DoD Web site
for deployment health information (Veterans, family members or
the general public who have deployment-related questions or concerns
are encouraged to call the toll-free Veteran's Direct Hotline at (800)
497 - 6261 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time.)
UNEP:
A United Nations Environmental Programme Post-Conflict Environmental
Assessment on Depleted Uranium
Gulflink:
Depleted Uranium Frequently Asked Questions
Science
Or Science Fiction? Facts, Myths and Propaganda In the Debate Over
Depleted Uranium Weapons
FAS:
Depleted Uranium
NATO
Information: Depleted Uranium
BBC
NEWS | In Depth | Depleted uranium
Christian
Science Monitor: Trail of a Bullet: the depleted uranium issue
Depleted
UF6 Management Information Network - A resource for the public, industry,
and the scientific community
New
Scientist: Depleted uranium casts shadow over peace in Iraq
Philadelphia
Inquirer | 04/17/2003 | U.S., scholars spar on looting of artifacts
Curators
Appeal for a Ban on Purchase of Iraqi Artifacts
Looters
plunder in minutes Iraq's millennia-old legacy | csmonitor.com
UNESCO
- UNESCO & IRAQ
UNESCO WORLD
HERITAGE News: IRAQ - HERITAGE IN DANGER
This segment produced by Annette
Heist and Adrian MacDonald
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