Establishing liberal democracys...

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central...

... in Afghanistan

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_...

... rumors about Iraqi resistance

http://www.umrc.net/downloads/destru...

... and a disturbing report about a new form of non-depleted uranium weapon used during enduring freedom

That last bit is f*cking scary. If the US or one of it''s allies used weapons like that, well, Im going to be one unhappy taxpayer. I hope they find out what did that to the villagers.

They''ve used it since at least the Gulf War. Iraqi tanks don''t usually set off Geiger counters.

You know, hawks can come here and say these weapons are a necessary tool in war, but how can they justify exposing US troops to harmful radiation?

I imagine they''ll just say it didn''t happen.

Rat Boy, are you referring to depleted uranium rounds? This type of ""weapon"" described is theorized to use non-depleted or natural uranium rounds. We used DU quite a bit in Desert Storm across several different weapons platforms.

Based on the weapon described, I fail to see how using it in a bomb, rocket, or artillery shell would have any benefit what so ever.
The whole purpose of depleted uranium is to make a direct fire round more deadly by making the penetrator more dense and the use of natural uranium (since it leaves such an obvious trail) just seems too f*cking sloppy quite honestly. It lacks total plausible deniability because it is such a nasty weapon and can be linked back to us. The indiscriminate killing of civilians is something the military honestly tries to avoid.

Is the research, design, and implementation of weapons using uranium impossible? No, certainly not. But I honestly wonder what possible benefit it could have.

We make horrific weapons, have no doubt, but they''re never 12.3% more horrific than they have to be.

"Reaper81" wrote:

It lacks total plausible deniability because it is such a nasty weapon and can be linked back to us. The indiscriminate killing of civilians is something the military honestly tries to avoid.

""It has been suggested that the US replaced Depleted Uranium with Natural Uranium. This would allow for plausible deniability when the the uranium
was discovered (attributed to naturally occuring, geological conditions).
It may also be to modify their battlefield performance: pyrophoricity, kinetics and inertial features.""

(quote from report)

Note the word ""Total."" There''s no way they could get away with dumping copious amounts of uranium and then blame it on the terrain or some naturally occuring geological condition. That''s just ridiculous.

It''s nice that this report suggests that the use of uranium may modify battlefield performance in certain area''s but I didn''t notice any particular benefit, especially to bombs. If ""pyrophoricity"" means ""burnination"" then that would be great for a bomb I suppose.

I''m not saying it''s impossible, I personally think it''s not very likely.

And why would you do it? You''d be exposing tank and artillery crews to very nasty amounts of radiation. It''s insane why they even give them ""depleted"" uranium in the first place.

Nah, DU has very little natural radiation. Most health risks only emerge after the round has been fired, primarily in the form poisonous substances that reside in the DU. Its comparable with asbestos, an intact piece of DU doesn''t present much harm but after spalting/fragmenting it''s a nasty substance.

Correct. And they made a point even before Desert Storm of telling US/Allied soldiers NOT to screw around near impact areas(so I''ve been told). The danger in DU comes from the fact it''s a heavy metal and breathing in heavy metals is very dangerous.

I would like to add that you guys know alot about guns. Really. I mean damn.

So who gets stuck cleaning up DU remains? There are a lot of burned out tanks left over from both wars.

Luckily most of those tanks ly around in the desert and other forward positions. Also remember that a lot of those tanks were not taken out with DU APFSDS (sabot) rounds but with HEAT or MPAT munitions which aren''t really harmful afterwards.

Jeez. I have a link for you guys. Best seen before you eat. It''s quite shocking. <--(That''s a warning).

Here are the effects of DU in weapons, as used by good ol'' USA in the first (and presumably the 2nd) Irak war.

http://www.web-light.nl/VISIE/extrem...

Actually, none of the enemy tanks were taken out with MPAT rounds. As far as I know, the US has never shot an MPAT round in anger. They''re too expensive and really they''re intended for anti-air.

Really? Shiat I''ve got to update my sources...