THE United States military knew that ammunition containing depleted uranium was a health hazard a decade ago -- well before Gulf War veterans started falling ill with cancer, a former Pentagon expert claims.

Now, while the US and Britain maintain that contact with remnants of depleted uranium (DU) shells poses little risk, some of their partners in the North Adantic Treaty Organization are drawing links between the deaths of Balkans veterans and exposure to the element.

"This stuff is a nightmare." say’s Doug Rokke. former Depleted uranium Project Director with the US Army. "It is toxic, radioactive and pollutes for 4.500 million years. It cannot be removed from clothes - if they arc not physically removed, bagged and safely disposed of and DU isscrubbed off your body, you will get sick."

Rokke. a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran with more than 30 years' experience in nuclear, biological and chemical warfare, was charged by the Pentagon with organising DU cleanup operations in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after the GulfWar in 1991.

The US and Britain have also used DU — radioactive waste from nuclear power stations -- for it armour-piercing shells since the Gulf War. On impact, these shells bum off a spray of fine dust, which some scientists believe can cause cancer.

More than 900.000 rounds of DU shells were fired zduring the GulfWar, compared to 10,000 rounds in ^Bosnia in 1994-95 and more than 30,000 rounds during NATO's campaign to eject the Yugoslav army from Kosovo in 1999.

Rokke is furious that depleted uranium was used again in the Balkans - and that another generation of soldiers and civilians is set to pay (he price.

He maintains that DU is "now resulting in severe health effects, includingdeath.

"I and my colleagues warned US and British officials that this would occur because of what happened in Iraq and to my team." he told Gemini News Service. "They disregarded our warnings because to admit any correlation between exposure and health effects would make them liable for their actions in wilfully refusing health care and environmental remediation, wherever these weapons have been used worldwide."

In early January. Italy initialed an enquiry into the link between depleted uranium and serious illness in its peacekeeping troops in (he Balkans. Six have already died of leukemia, and 12 others have developed cancer.

Portugal, Finland.Turkey. Bulgaria. Belgium. Greece. Switzerland, the Netherlands and now Britain plan to screen their troops who served in NATOJs Kosovo force.

YettheUShoIdsolT.

According to Shaun Rusling of (he Britain-based Gulf War Veterans and Families Association, 521 British veterans had died of GullWar-related illnesses by the end of2000.

Rokke, who briefed the House of Commons Defence Select Committee last year on depleted uranium, is frustrated, angry - and ill.

"Since 1991 numerous (US) Department of Defence reports have slated (that (he consequences of) DU were

unknown," he says. "That is a lie, (hey were (old -- they were warned."

Rokke says he gave milirary personnel classified briefings, made trainingvideos "specifically identifying" hazardsand gave "decontamination briefings."

"lean confirm (hat medical and tactical commanders knew all (he hazards, there were written briefings and refresher courses," he says. "My source of frustration is that today dangers arc still ignored. In cases of exposure we advised long-term medical monitoring and support."

Rokke claims (hat numerous documents on (he hazardsof depleted uranium have gone missing.

The consequences to Rokke and his team are chilling.

During the cleanup in Saudi Arabia they collected contaminated tanks and military vehicles for shipment to a nuclear decontamination facility at Barnwell. North Carolina. They buried other vehicles, contaminated equipment, even contaminated body parts and hazardous materials near Saudi Arabia's King Khaled Military Base and shipped spent depleted uranium rounds to the US.

Thirteen of his 50-member team paid with their lives.

"All but one of over 50 individuals 1 keep in regular contact with are sick," Rokke says, adding (hat (he one who is healthy was the only operative to wear full radio-logical protective clothing.

Rokke's own health has deteriorated. The former Al-fit veteran, expert skier and scuba diver is suffering from respiratory problems, neurological damage, and kidney ailments. He has had 15 kidney operations since 1995.

The cost ofspeakingout has also been high.

"My house was broken into twice, 1 was shot at once; telephone problems and computer viruses are endemic. There have been numerous face-to-face warnings from uniformed army officers to stop speaking out. the most recent on 2 December.”

He even lost his job at the university he taught at. and blames the army for that.

I\vo months ago he moved to a location he will not divulge.

That Rokke is not a warrior-turned-pcacenik gives special poignancy to his stand. He is fiercely patriotic, and proud of his and his colleagues' service.

"I am fed up with the lies, utter disregard for health, environment and accountability," he says.

Arbuthnot is a freelance journalist who has been nominated for two journalism awards this year, the Millennium Peace Prize for Women and the Courage of Conscience Award lor her coverage on depleted uranium and Iraq.