Canadian Tests Find Link Among Balkan War Vets
ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: A number of European countries are calling for an investigation into a possible link between depleted uranium ammunition and cancer among Balkan peacekeeping troops. Uranium weapons were used by the United States aircraft during the NATO bombing of Kosovo. A host of countries in the International Red Cross deny any evidence of a link, but sick veterans and recent testing at two Canadian universities are telling a different story. Here is Canada's CBC.</s>DARROW MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eight years ago, Raza Miran went to war in the Balkans as an army doctor; he came back a patient, suffering first from leukemia, then bone cancer. Today, he seems to have beaten both. But he can't shake suspicions of how he got them in the first place.</s>RAZA MIRAN, BALKAN VETERAN: It is very difficult to believe that a perfectly normal individual, could</s>MCINTYRE: He doesn't know exactly what caused his illness, but he thinks he was exposed to something. Dozens of other Canadian soldiers also survived war zones, only to later develop unexplained illnesses: cancer, kidney failure, chronic fatigue. So far, 104 have asked to be tested for depleted uranium; 59 Gulf War veterans, 45 who served in the Balkans. Those tests showed no problems, which is why Canada will not be launching a new, more aggressive testing policy.</s>ART EGGLETON, DEFENSE MINISTER: There has not been any linkage between illnesses and depleted uranium. No toxic levels of depleted uranium have been found in the Canadian personnel that have been tested.</s>MCINTYRE: Researchers at this lab in Newfoundland have been doing their own tests on sick veterans from Canada, the U.S., as well as Britain. They are finding different results.</s>GREG DUNNING, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY: Either urine has a significant component of depleted uranium in it, not short uranium, but depleted uranium, which does not occur in nature -- you couldn't pick it up just walking around.</s>MCINTYRE: Raza Miran says it is time the government found out what is making people sick.</s>MIRAN: I think at the moment, the action of the government is the peace deal (ph), poorly organized, and like, scientific rigidity (ph).</s>MCINTYRE: He says a thorough investigation is the least Canada can do for soldiers who served overseas in the past and those who will in the future. Darrow McIntyre, CBC news, Toronto.