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Hi Pinz

I did a little search on Fr. Benjamin and found this on Zenit News Agency from August 19, 1999:

PRIEST DENOUNCES RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION BY U.S. IN IRAQ Scott Ritter: "U.S. in Secret and Illegal War Against Iraq"

ROME, AUG 19 (ZENIT).- According to French film director and writer, Fr. Jean-Marie Benjamin, today the "Apocalypse" can be seen in Iraq. The humanitarian and ecological catastrophes are unimaginable, not just because of the international economic embargo, but also because of the terrible consequences of nuclear contamination, a legacy of the Gulf War.

Radioactive Contamination Fr. Bejamin, who in September will present his film "Iraq, Genesis of Time," in Assisi, describes terrifying experiences. During an interview with the Italian newspaper "Avvenire," he said: "Last December we were in the south of Iraq finishing the filming of the picture. We were advised not to touch the missiles and tanks that are rusting in the desert because they are radioactive. So I began my research."

At the end of his investigation, Fr. Benjamin levels grave accusations. "In December I attended a symposium in Baghdad on the contamination of the people and of U.S. army veterans, resulting from the use of arms with impoverished uranium. U.S. veterans' associations sent me much information; after meticulous work, I was able to get some documents from the U.S. Department of Defense, who for years denied that contamination exists. I succeeded in getting the attention of the Italian Parliament's third Commission for Foreign Affairs, which -- in the second half of September --, will present a petition to the European Union for the creation of an investigation commission."

The problem is impoverished uranium used experimentally in the Gulf in 1991. Some say such arms were also used in Kosovo. Fr. Benjamin stated categorically: "At present, it is not only institutions of specialized studies that are giving proofs. Great Britain and the European Union have also admitted that there is an alarming area of radioactivity in Kosovo."

Deformed Children According to the French priest, "the U.S. Department of Defense admitted that 295 tons of impoverished uranium were discharged on Iraq, but I think the figure reached about 400 tons, an amount sufficient to contaminate the U.S. population five times over. At present, hundreds of children are born with terrible deformities in Iraq. I have four and a half hours of recordings and interviews on the issue, ready to be viewed. After eight years, radioactivity has contaminated the environment. And, because of the embargo, they have no means of transportation or electricity. Saddam Hussein killed thousands of Kurds with chemical gases, but the embargo and bombings have caused more than a million deaths. This is genocide or ... what should it be called?"

So, are American soldiars experiencing this radioactivity? Are we finding deformed children in Iraq because of radioactive contamination? Where does he get his 400 ton figure from? I would think this sort of thing would be pretty hard to cover up being so many of our soldiars are there as well as media. This Fr. Benjamin makes outlandish and similar claims like our friend Mary Jo. I'm stunned.