Depleted Uranium: Iraq's nuclear Nightmare

Depleted uranium (DU) is uranium primarily composed of the isotope uranium-238 (U-238). Natural uranium is about 99.27 percent U-238, 0.72 percent U-235, and 0.0055 percent U-234. U-235 is used for fission in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Uranium is enriched in U-235 by separating the isotopes by mass. The byproduct of enrichment, called depleted uranium or DU, contains less than one third as much U-235 and U-234 as natural uranium. The external radiation dose from DU is about 60 percent of that from the same mass of natural uranium. DU is also found in reprocessed spent nuclear reactor fuel, but that kind can be distinguished from DU produced as a byproduct of uranium enrichment by the presence of U-236. In the past, DU has been called Q-metal, depletalloy, and D-38.


According to wikipedia, DU is useful because of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3. Civilian uses include counterweights in aircraft, radiation shielding in medical radiation therapy and industrial radiography equipment, and containers used to transport radioactive materials. Military uses include defensive armor plating and armor-piercing projectiles.


The use of DU in munitions is controversial because of questions about potential long-term health effects. Normal functioning of the kidney, brain, liver, heart, and numerous other systems can be affected by uranium exposure, because in addition to being weakly radioactive, uranium is a toxic metal. It is weakly radioactive and remains so because of its long half-life (4.468 billion years for uranium-238). The aerosol produced during impact and combustion of depleted uranium munitions can potentially contaminate wide areas around the impact sites or can be inhaled by civilians and military personnel. During a three week period of conflict in 2003 in Iraq, 1,000 to 2,000 tonnes of DU munitions were used, mostly in cities.


The actual acute and chronic toxicity of DU is also a point of medical controversy. Multiple studies using cultured cells and laboratory rodents suggest the possibility of leukemogenic, genetic, reproductive, and neurological effects from chronic exposure.[4] A 2005 epidemiology review concluded: "In aggregate the human epidemiological evidence is consistent with increased risk of birth defects in offspring of persons exposed to DU." The World Health Organization states that no consistent risk of reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects have been reported in humans. However, the objectivity of this report has been called into question.

BBC Documentary on Israel's Illegal Nuclear Weapons Program

From the DailyMotion entry:

In court, at his parole hearing, Avigdor Feldman, Vanunu's lawyer, argued that his client had no more secrets and should be freed. But the prosecutor had a new argument: the imminent war with Iraq. After the hearing Mr Feldman told Correspondent: "The prosecutor said that if Vanunu were released, the Americans would probably leave Iraq and go after Israel and Israel's nuclear weapons - which I found extremely ridiculous."

The real force blocking Vanunu's release is a man who was known only as "Y". In 2001, "Y" was exposed as Yehiyel Horev and it is said that the only thing he fears is publicity. Mr Horev is the head of Israel's most powerful intelligence service, dealing with nuclear and military secrets. His accountability has only been to the many prime ministers he has watched come and go in the 16 years he has built his power base.
He has been likened to the head of the FBI, J Edgar Hoover - an autocrat out of control.

Ronen Bergman, security correspondent for one of Israel's leading newspapers - Yediot Ahronoth - says: "Horev is a grave danger to Israeli democracy.
"He operates with no law, no real scrutiny and no monitoring by the Israeli parliament.
"Horev was afraid that veterans of the Israeli intelligence and the Israeli nuclear effort would try to maintain their footprint in the history of Israel and tell their story.

Weapons Races: The Race for the Nuclear Submarine

From the very first nuclear powered sub, USS Nautilus to the latest nuclear attack sub, USS Virginia (representing the cutting edge of modern naval warfare).



A race has ensued to develop a new kind of warship that would change naval warfare forever.

Inside Story: Sanctioning Iran

World powers have failed to reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - plus Germany, met in New York on Saturday to discuss the matter.

The US and its allies believe Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons. But Tehran maintains its programme is for civilian purposes only.

In a bid to resolve the matter, major powers have been pursuing a dual track policy involving engagement and pressure.

In October last year, they gave Iran until the end of the year to accept a UN-brokered deal. The deadline was ignored and the deal rejected.

While the six parties agree that Iran's response was unsatisfactory, they could not reach a consensus on how to deal with Iran.

But are sanctions the only way to go against Tehran? And can they work at all?

Inside Story, with presenter Imran Garda, discusses with guests: Kenneth Katzman, a Gulf affairs analyst with the Congressional Research Council, Hillary Mann Leverett, a former US national security official, and Sayed Mohammad Marandi, the head of North American studies at Tehran University.

This episode of Inside Story aired on Monday, January 18, 2010.

Threads: Nuclear War (1984)

Threads is a 1984 television docudrama depicting the effects of a nuclear war on the United Kingdom and its aftermath.


Written by Barry Hines and directed by Mick Jackson, Threads was filmed in late 1983 and early 1984.


The premise of Threads was to hypothesize the effects of a nuclear war on the United Kingdom after an exchange between the Soviet Union and the United States escalates to include the UK.