November 23, 2000

Depleted uranium suit possible

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Politics makes strange bedfellows, and so, apparently, does depleted uranium (see our 1999 exposé of DU in Kosovo, “Invisible Threat“). US-based families of Iraqi cancer victims and American veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome have been meeting to plan joint legal action against the US government over its use of DU during Operation Desert Storm.

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THE INDEPENDENT (UK) reports that medical experts, lawyers, and Gulf War vets will meet in Spain next month to talk about the pending lawsuit. Many believe there’s finally enough evidence to blame both a seven-fold increase in cancers in Iraq and the mysterious Gulf War syndrome on the effects of nearly 950,000 DU missiles and shells fired by the US military during the conflict.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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