There are also other avenues of investigation besides uranium weapons. One recent study examines the possible contributions of mercury and lead to the health crisis in Iraq. Metal Contamination and the Epidemic of Congenital Birth Defects in Iraqi Cities by Al-Sabbak et alia compared the levels of lead and mercury in hair, nail, and teeth samples from Fallujah and Basrah. The study found that the population studied in Fallujah had been exposed to high levels of "two well-known neurotoxic metals, Pb and Hg." In Basrah the authors found even higher levels of lead exposure than in Fallujah. Basrah has the highest ever reported level of neural tube defects, and the numbers continue to climb.
The authors of this study note that "[t]oxic metals such as mercury (Hg) and Pb are an integral part of war ammunitions and are extensively used in the making of bullets and bombs." They conclude that "the bombardment of Al Basrah and Fallujah may have exacerbated public exposure to metals, possibly culminating in the current epidemic of birth defects."
The conclusion of this study is not abstract, and it is not merely an intellectual or medical issue. It has real world importance. The modern means of warfare may be inherently indiscriminate. This is a scientific finding worthy of discussion at the highest levels of academia, politics, and international affairs. While it may get some attention outside the borders of the United States, its "controversial" nature (its implications of the US military's guilt in creating possibly the worst public health crisis in history) ensures that it will be ignored at all costs by the callous and corrupt US government and its subservient media establishment.
Ultimately, it may not be the case that lead or mercury or uranium alone is the sole cause of the health crisis in Fallujah. It could be a combination of the three agents, or something different entirely. But this is an empirical question that demands further investigation.
Methodology and proper science are important, but we must remember that science is a means to an end and not an end in and of itself. The people of Fallujah are ends, and our goal should be to help them. Simply dismissing the studies that have been done on this health crisis is not responsible, acceptable, or ethical.
What we need to do to help Fallujans is clear. More studies need to be done to figure out what is harming those poor children, and then steps need to be taken to ensure that this never happens again. But first we must find a way to overcome the stifling silence of governments.
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