U.N. Mulls Depleted Uranium Probes In Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Iraq
VIENNA, Jan 26 (News Agencies) - Two U.N. agencies are considering sending missions to probe the impact of depleted uranium (DU) munitions used in conflicts in the Balkans and Iraq, a statement said Thursday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) "have agreed to consider ways and means to respond to requests for fact-finding missions to Bosnia-Hercegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Iraq," said the joint statement by the two U.N. agencies.
Pekka Haavisto, UNEP pointman on the uranium problem, met with U.N. officials in Sarajevo Thursday and is to visit Belgrade on Friday to discuss the possibilities of missions, it said.
A UNEP-led mission went to Kosovo last year to assess the impact of DU munitions. "UNEP will wait for the scientific findings of the report of the Kosovo mission, expected to be released in early March, before it embarks on new DU field assessments," said the statement.
Fears about possible links between depleted uranium (DU) munitions used in the Balkans and a rash of cancers among personnel who served in the region erupted last month, initially after a number of cases were uncovered in Italy.
