According to a forum thread here, it is possible that the Israeli Defense Force has utilised Depleted Uranium shells in some of the tank munition it has fired into southern Lebanon. The claim is based upon images taken by photographer David Silverman on July 14th. The post also states that one of the images was printed in early editions of the Guardian newspaper on July 15th.
To access the images goto:
http://editorial.gettyimages.com
Type in the image numbers below.
Image 71440735
Image 71440734
What you see is a shell shape that looks remarkably like the image below.
An article on the Amnesty USA site explains that;
Depleted uranium is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal used particularly in armour-piercing ammunition. DU weapons are denser than conventional arms, meaning they can penetrate heavy armour more easily. They burn up on impact, creating a radioactive dust, the effect of which remains the subject of safety debates. Like other heavy metals, DU is toxic and constitutes a health risk independent of any residual radioactivity.
AI is calling on governments to consider refraining from the transfer and use of depleted uranium (DU) weapons. There is much controversy over their long-term effects. Some studies suggest that DU dust, which remains in the vicinity of targets struck by DU weapons, poses a significant health risk if inhaled or ingested.
This is more than something of an understatement. Massive amounts of DU munitions have been used in recent conflicts. They remain technically legal, because there is no specific treaty banning their use, despite the fact that their usage clearly constitutes a form of chemical warfare.
The physical and environmental effects of contamination are long-term, monstrous, and in no way reversible. For those requiring a more detailed understanding of the truly horrendous long term effects of this type of munition, there is an informative (and disturbing) video located here.
