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Albright Sees No Proof for NATO Bombs Causing Leukemia
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said here Monday that there was no proof that depleted uranium from NATO bombs used in the Balkans has caused leukemia in peacekeepers in the region.
Albright, who was here to pay a farewell visit to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, told the press, "There is absolutely no proof that there is a connection. We have forces there also, so we would have been concerned about it."
"NATO is taking a look at it in order to be very careful. But this is the standard munition that is used," she added.
The use of depleted uranium in NATO weapons directed at Yugoslav army targets in Kosovo in 1999 has come under fire following reports that six Italian soldiers who served in the region had developed leukemia.
According to defense experts, depleted uranium is used in the tips of missiles, shells and bullets to boost their ability to penetrate armor. On impact, it can be pulverized into toxic radioactive dust that can contaminate the air, soil or water supply.
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