A panel of experts unanimously concluded that Israel didn’t use depleted uranium shells during last year’s war in Lebanon. The panel included representatives from from the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency plus various Lebanese scientific and security personnel. The Beirut Daily Star wrote:
Senior UNEP’ scientist Mario Burger conducted intensive research on soil samples collected in South Lebanon at the Spiez government laboratory in Switzerland. “No use of weapons containing depleted uranium” was found, he said, adding that “no use of weapons containing any uranium – depleted, natural, or enriched” was found.
An above-normal level of concentration of uranium had been found in Khiam, Burger said, but an investigation showed the level of uranium was consistent with levels naturally occurring in soil in the area.
“The laboratory was able to confirm that the uranium measured at the Khiam site stayed in equilibrium with its daughter [decay] products,” said Burger. “This is the confirmation that the uranium present at the site was never technically processed and can therefore not be tied to a missile or bomb.”….
Pieces of missiles and bombs that had hit Khiam in the 2006 war did not reveal any radioactive material, he said.
The findings contradicted claims made in December by Chris Busby, secretary for the European Committee on Radiation Risk, who said there was “no way the signs of uranium found in Khiam were the result of natural or industrial materials. Their only source is nuclear reactors.”
Now that the Lebanon retracted the allegation, what about the depleted uranium shills of Robert Fisk and The Independent?
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