Marine Confirms Depleted Uraniam Shipped Via Shannon

by S Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:45

D.U. is a cheap way of the U.S. getting rid of its nuclear waste.They don't sell it to the arms manufacturers they give it away. 1 million 1/2 rounds were fired from A 10 antitank Warthogs in the first Gulf War. And over 10,000 11 lb.shells from tanks, including ones involved in friendly fires incidents on British forces etc.

The U.S. military treat as ordinance and they wouldn't be making any exceptions at Shannon in trms of moving it through.

by Michael Y - iawm Wed Feb 01, 2006 14:38

Here we go again - anonymous 'workers' from 'Shannon' trying to vilify testimonies of US citizens against the Iraqi slaughter...trying to attack the anti-war and peace movements as people with 'personal causes' , people who are not respectful, bandwagon experts.
As Cindy Sheehan gets arrested this morning for unfurling a banner in Washington, before Dubya's speech, this so-called 'Shannon worker' tells us all these 'honest boys' in uniform are fighting for democracy and freedom....
As Jimmy Massey carries his personal burden of having killed innocents in Iraq, and having to live with that horrible past for the rest of his life, despite his courage and determination to stand up for what he believes - he is belittled and sneered and marginalised by anonymous pen pushers.
When he says the 50mm bullets the Marines use have depleted uranium at their base, the 'Shannon worker' laughs and demands 'proof'? He says he represents 'the public' ? The 100,000 of us who marched against this imbecile genocidal war? The absolute majority of us they attempted to dupe with their lies of WMDs? The untruths they spread about how the US and the CIA helped Bin Laden and his fundamentalist groupies in Afghanistan? How Saddam was the US 'friend' when he was attacking Iran? How the Irish beef barons made packs of gold by selling beef to Saddam's armies?
C'mon 'Shannon worker'... answer. Stand up and argue....
We will hit the streets again on March 18th in Dublin - three horrible years since the aggression started. We are here, we will fight and we will not go away. In solidarity with Cindy and Jimmy and the US anti-war movement. Against 'Shannon workers' like you my friend and - of course- the Bush Administration and his cronies.

by Tim Hourigan - Cosantoiri Siochana Wed Feb 01, 2006 14:52 Limerick 0879777703

This is all absolutely untrue and I can prove it in a few simple steps, using the approved FF/PD guidelines.

1. The Irish Government says that it has never received a request to allow the US to bring DU though Shannon.
2. The Irish Govt. says that if it received such a request, then the request would be denied.
3. Of course that means that the US would never try to deceive the Irish govt by bringing the stuff through without asking.

Same goes for torture victims. If the Bush Administration knows that the Bertie/Harney Junta would not be able to publicly condone a practice, then OF COURSE Shannon wouldn't be used for that practice.
And we all know that Bertie, Willie, McDowell and Co, are only chomping at the bit waiting to stop something dodgy coming through Shannon, to pick up the phone and tell G.W. Bush to "feck off".

So, we can all rest assured that "there is nothing secretive or furtive going on at Shannon" as Willie O'Dea told us 3 years ago. And there's no need to go opening any planes, or worrying that the emergency landing of a C-17 at Shannon two months ago involved anything more than 'helium gas' as claimed by the US Embassy (several hours afterwards) despite the pilot telling the coast guard and air traffic control that it contained "hazardous material"
see more on
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/73255

by Seán Ryan Wed Feb 01, 2006 18:25

There was approximately 400 tonnes of DU dumped around Iraq during the first Gulf War.

by Balor Wed Feb 01, 2006 18:26

and what are they do? tell them feck off and you think the American Government won't be onto intel and the like. They would crush our economy. it would be political suicide for the irish government to do so.
i'm sure there are thousands of people who would be appreciative of Dermort Ahern telling George to "feck off" as they lost their jobs within the coming months of him doing so.
don't say this isn't what would unfold, as you know this is what happens when any country works against their interest, they are either severly weakened economically or there governments are overthrown as in the cases of Iraq, Chile and countless others.

by Seán Ryan Wed Feb 01, 2006 20:18

You use the word 'their' very liberally. If George can facilitate their rendition in the blink of an eye, who owns the jobs?

With this in mind, ponder the term 'sovereignty.'

I'm not suggesting that doing the moral thing will not involve hardship. I am suggesting that not doing the moral thing, involves a lot more hardship. And it blackens our name and our history.

by A10 Wed Feb 01, 2006 22:51

With all due respect to Ex sgt Massey,
But
How would an ex Marine Sgt know first off where and how 20mm[not 50 mm as someone claimed here] DU cannon shells would be shipped to and from???And specifically thru Shannon????
Unless he was involved in logistics and stores,which he was not he was by his own story a combat grunt.

The DU shells and the A10 aircraft is excluseively USAF terrority.Nothing to do with USMC,who fly either Harrier jump jets,helicopters or the Osprey VTOL aircraft.

DU due to it's huge weight in quantity is sent by SHIP cargo,not aircraft.
So I asm afraid this story has been taken out of context ,perveted to the Shannon issue or is totall Bullshit!

by Devil Dog Wed Feb 01, 2006 23:33

A10, the USMC uses DU tank rounds. You're right on Former SSgt Massey though - there is no way he would have had any dealings with cargo aircraft. You're also right about the strong likelihood of such ammo going by ship. As far as Iraq is concerned, while Massey may have had a tank unit attached to his battalion during he war, as a Platoon Sergeant of an infantry platoon, he would have had no dealings with it and would not have used it as claimed in the first post. Another "anti-war" red herring.

by Counterspin Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:05

A few responses:

====and what are they do? tell them feck off and you think the American Government won't be onto intel and the like. They would crush our economy. it would be political suicide for the irish government to do so.

Really?
I can just imagine the CEO of Intel... "Yeah, we're making a fortune in Ireland, low corporate tax, and plenty of loopholes and state support. What's that George? They disagree with your unpopular war? Why, I'll close the plant immediately. I'm sure the shareholders won't mind at all... who cares about profit? "

This is a b*llsh*t scare story. The only thing that would cause a massive movement of US investment from Ireland is a BIG hike in corporate taxes, not any concern for the pride of a 2nd term president who will be gone in 2 years.
As usual, it's rightwing parrots bringing up the same empty argument, which falls flat on it's ass when anyone considers that US investment in France increased despite French opposition to the war. Why? Because they made lots of money... END OF STORY.

point 2
===How would an ex Marine Sgt know first off where and how 20mm[not 50 mm as someone claimed here] DU cannon shells would be shipped to and from???

He didn't say 20mm, or 50 mm cannon shells. It was either the 50 calibre or 60 calibre machine gun that he mentioned. I wonder if you really didn't read it properly or if your deliberately trying to spin it. There was no reference to tank shells, Jimmy spoke about using the stuff himself, and he never claimed to be using a tank to do it. There are DU tipped bullets in service. And they ARE obviously small enough to transport by air then....

===And specifically thru Shannon????

They carry their personal ammo and guns with them through Shannon Airport, so yeah. I guess he'd know.

===Unless he was involved in logistics and stores,which he was not he was by his own story a combat grunt.

True, the ordinary Marines, and Staff Sgts haven't a clue what type of gun it is they are carrying, what ammo it uses, how could they possibly know what they brought through Shannon....? Impossible obviously.

by Devil Dog Thu Feb 02, 2006 13:45

Armour piercing rounds for the M2 .50 Cal HMG (which is a weapon which SSgt Massey may have used) are not made from DU.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/du.htm

http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu/StudentWebPages/IPesic/Rese...r.htm

by Oh yeah? Thu Feb 02, 2006 14:11

Talon Manufacturing Company manufactures DU armour piercing bullets. The Pentagon susbsidises this by 'selling them' excess stock of shells for $1 a ton for the manufature of the rounds.

"Gun dealers boast that the projectile will go through six inches of steel up to a 45-degree angle at 1,000 yards. The 50-caliber guns are considered accurate at 2,000 yards and can hit targets 4 miles away with some effectiveness. Talon even sold 35,000 rounds of the refurbished 50-caliber armor-piercing projectiles back to the U.S. military. The U.S. military arsenal includes a 50-caliber DU armor-piercing projectile"

Gaines, W., "Amor-Piercing Ammo Being Sold as Surplus," Chicago Tribune, June 6 1999.

I guess the US military don't talk much about DU do they Devil Dog? Ask any of the personnel suffering from DU poisoning - ask Doug Rokke, he's an expert. Jimmy Massey said that despite 12 years in the USMC he hadn't even seen DU until he was deployed for the 2003 Iraq war.

Add that to the unexplained cancers in the armourers who load the A-10s and whaddya got? Lots of personnel who either (a) would sue the pants off the Pentagon or (b) a load of guys who would refuse to load the A-10s if they knew what the health risks were.

According to the Penatago book of public relations DU = Damned Unmentionable.

by Oh yeah? Thu Feb 02, 2006 14:34

Check out Dr. Doug Rokke. ex-US military, suffering from DU effects as he was involved in DU clean up in Iraq.
He lists the 50 cal weapons among those that use DU.

So the Pentagon, and their fans at FAS are not exactly the credible sources you think they are.