[pierrem15]

It's almost all lies-- my brother spent 10 years as an M1 tank crew member surrounded by DU armor with no ill effects.

The worst effect from vaporized DU would be heavy metal poisoning like lead or mercury (and the effects of that would be noticable almost immediately). Almost all of the evironmental damage in Iraq was caused by Saddam running the countries industries (including all petrochemical and insecticide and chem warfare plants) with no pollution control for decades.

If you sit your butt down on the Thorium filled granite of the White Mountains in NH, you're getting more than the allowed daily max of roentgens.

[reformedliberal]

Add that this must be the Left's weekly talking point. Yesterday, I got a haircut. My beautician was telling me about a local Dem political activist who was in that morning, saying exactly the same things as are listed in this rant.

I thought it odd, then, that this old stuff was being resurrected. I thought this was dealt with between 1993 and 1998. Although, come to think of it, we heard it during the Afghanistan campaign.

In another thread, the hair and fingernail loss of the soldiers was theorized as being either a known response to severe stress or perhaps exposure to an excess of selenium.

Heavy metal poisoning is AFAIK easily tested for and I believe chelation is an effective treatment.

[Ace Correspondent]

209,000 vets have filed claims for disability benefits based on service-connected injuries and illnesses from combat in that war.

What you say may be true but there was Gulf War Syndrome and many of the vets claimed it was because of DU.

On the other hand the number quoted for claims seems to be very high and because of its other obvious anti Bush and anti-war message I think, as you do, that the claims should not be taken at face value.