Monday, February 09, 2004

-Lesser of Two Evils is Still Evil:  Wesley Clark would use Depleted Uranium and Cluster Bombs

Jan 28 - In an on-the-spot interview with the Democracy Now! radio program, General Wesley Clark defended the actions of the NATO forces he commanded during the 78-day bombing of Kosovo. The former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and current presidential candidate told Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill that, “All of my actions were examined and they were all upheld by the highest law in the United States.”

Clark, who was campaigning in New Hampshire at the time of the interview, told Democracy Now! that, if elected President, he would “use whatever it takes that’s legal to protect the men and women against force” and would not rule out the use of depleted uranium or cluster bombs.

Depleted uranium munitions, which NATO forces used extensively in Kosovo, are able to pierce some armor plating. They are also radioactive heavy metals and, according to scientists, can contaminate water and soil for long periods of time, adversely affecting civilian populations. BBC News Online’s environmental correspondent says that the effects of high exposure may include increased risks of kidney failure, leukemia, cancer and birth defects.

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