Iraq's City Of Deformed Babies

[Kevin and 10]

We need to think about the consequences of using DU rounds.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-New...200908415371946

The Truth Of Iraq's City Of Deformed Babies

8:48am UK, Tuesday September 01, 2009

Lisa Holland, foreign affairs correspondent

An Iraqi doctor has told Sky News the number of babies born with deformities in the heavily-bombed area of Fallujah is still on the increase.

Fifteen months ago a Sky News investigation revealed growing numbers of children being born with defects in Fallujah.

Concerns were that the rise in deformities may have been linked to the use of chemical weapons by US forces.

We recently returned to find out the current situation and what has happened to some of the children we featured.

In May last year we told the story of a three-year-old girl called Fatima Ahmed who was born with two heads.

When we filmed her she seemed like a listless bundle - she lay there barely able to breathe and unable to move.

Even now and having seen the pictures many times since I still feel shocked and saddened when I look at her.

But the prognosis for Fatima never looked good and, as feared, she never made it to her fourth birthday.

Her mother Shukriya told us about the night her daughter died.

180-girl-and-mum

Fatima died after our first report

Wiping away her tears, Shukriya said she had put her daughter to bed as normal one night but woke with the dreadful sense that something was wrong.

She told us she felt it was her daughter's moment to die, but of course that does not make the pain any easier.

Fatima's father had taken his little girl's hand but it was cold.

"She is gone," he had said to his distraught wife.

Another girl we met last year was Tiba Aftan who was born with a huge growth across her face.

Now she is a toddler her future is looking brighter having gone to neighbouring Jordan to have it removed.

The growth had covered half of Tiba's forehead and was invading one of her eyes - and it was getting bigger as she got older.

Although the operation was a success Tiba will need more surgery and the last trip cost her family almost every penny they have.

But since our original investigation, we have built up a new dossier of cases of deformed children in Fallujah born in the last eight months.

There are a wide range of problems - from abnormalities of the abdomen to facial disfigurements.

We have also seen pictures of all kinds of deformed foetuses which have not survived.

180-fallujah-airstirke

Fallujah was heavily bombed in 2004

There is no precise explanation as to what has caused the deformities and there are no figures to compare cases with those a decade or more ago as records were not kept during the time of Saddam Hussein.

All of our evidence is anecdotal, but repeatedly people tell us they believe the deformities must be linked to the heavy bombardment of Fallujah - a Sunni insurgent stronghold - by America in 2004.

People want an independent investigation into the impact of the kinds of weapons used - including controversial white phosphorus.

Yet even since we first started to give a voice to the calls for help from the people of Fallujah things seem to have got worse.

Dr Ahmed Uraibi, a specialist paediatrician in Fallujah, told us that the number of deformities he has dealt with has increased in the last year.

The people of Fallujah want to know how many more deformed babies there will be before someone sits up and takes notice of them.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Wow. How horrible.

Hard to believe that there is no conclusive evidence as to the long term impact of those weapons.

[Kevin and 10]

Wow. How horrible.

Hard to believe that there is no conclusive evidence as to the long term impact of those weapons.

How can they not see that it would have an effect on people? Most people should know by now that radiation is very damaging to people.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well if there's still no official admission as to the cause of Gulf War syndrome - the DOD doesn't want to take responsibilty for it.

If US military veterans get the short end of the stick - I imagine a villageful of kids in Iraq probably isn't going to get any better (what with their being lower on the food chain as far as the politicians are concerned)

[Chica Yeyé 41]

oh man, this is fvcked up.

[Kevin and 10]

Well if there's still no official admission as to the cause of Gulf War syndrome - the DOD doesn't want to take responsibilty for it.

If US military veterans get the short end of the stick - I imagine a villageful of kids in Iraq probably isn't going to get any better (what with their being lower on the food chain as far as the politicians are concerned)

I suppose your right. They are still dealing with Agent Orange from over 35 years ago.

Using DU is a way to get rid of the nuclear waste from enriching uranium. Hey at least we don't have to store it in the US.

[Azzudiin 26]

Radiation is not the problem with DU rounds, Depleted Uranium is a heavy metal and acts much like mercury and lead when considering toxic effects.

Depleted Uranium is used for many beneficial applications such as radiation shielding in hospitals. I am not defending the use of these weapons because I am against them being used, but I detest inaccurate band wagon statements such as the following.

How can they not see that it would have an effect on people? Most people should know by now that radiation is very damaging to people.

Heavy metals such as lead. mercury and uranium have been known for long term health problems for many years and the use of such weapons by any countries military is just another example of people not learning from history.

These weapons will be scattered around where they were used for years, just look at Europe, they are still removing land mines from a war 50 years ago.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Depleted Uranium is slowly being replaced anyway....by my wedding ring. Seriously - Tungsten