Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey: NATO ADMITS USE OF RADIOACTIVE BOMBS IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA - 2 October, 2000

NATO - SHOCK REVELATION PRAVDA.RU PRINTS TEXT OF LETTER FROM NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL TO KOFI ANNAN The Secretary-General of NATO, Lord George Robertson, admitted in a letter of 7TH February, 2000 to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan that NATO forces, more specifically A-10 planes from the United States Air Force, dropped around ten tonnes of bombs loaded with depleted uranium in the campaign against Yugoslavia in the spring of 1999. The text of this letter, written on official NATO letter-paper is presented below : “ Dear Kofi, In further reply to your letter of 14th October, 1999, I would like to provide you with the following information compiled by NATO’s Military Authorities and reviewed by the North Altantic Council, on the use of depleted uranium (DU) during Operation Allied Force. I can confirm that DU was used during the Kosovo conflict. DU rounds were used whenever the A – 10 engaged armour during Operation Allied Force. Therefore, it was used throughout Kosovo during approximately 100 missions. The GALi-6/A API round is designated PGU – 13/B and uses a streamlined projectile housing a sub-calibre kinetic energy penetrator machined from DU, a non-critical by-product of the uranium refining process. The A-10s used DU rounds as part of their standard load. A total of approximately 31,000 rounds of DU ammunition was used in Operation Allied Force. ……………………… Sincerely, George” NATO military spokesmen immediately stated that these weapons do not leave any radiation in the territory where they are used and NATO claims that there is no threat to the population of Kosovo. However, further investigation shows that this may not be the case. Firstly, Yugoslavia has long been complaining in the United Nations Organisation that the local population in Kosovo has been showing symptoms of radiation sickness, a potentially fatal illness caused by exposure to radiation. It should be remembered that radiation sickness killed Marie Curie, after years of experimentation and investigation. More recently, it is now suspected that the causes of Gulf War Syndrome, experienced by NATO forces in the war against Iraq, were the same DU weapons used in that campaign...320 tonnes of DU were said to have been used in the Gulf by American bombers, which continued to bomb Iraqi agricultural fields after the conflict had ended, to deprive civilians of food. Secondly, the area most affected is the operation field where the Italian and Portuguese forces are stationed. The information was not presented to the Portuguese public, indeed it was hidden. Only now does the information come to light, days after it was discovered that the Portuguese government wants to withdraw from Kosovo, alleging financial reasons. Thirdly, and more sinister, are Internal Regulations for the commanding Italian brigade in the area, determining some preventive measures : “ Do not stop in the more affected areas. Do not touch strange objects. Do not buy souvenirs. Do not buy foodstuffs from the local population. Do not eat anything that is not prepared by Army Personnel.” As NATO travels round the planet inventing wars to experiment its weapons and to keep its lucrative arms industry in profit, nobody is safe…not even innocent civilians.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY Correspondent of PRAVDA.Ru Lissabon