Say No to War and Yes to Peace

We believed the war was more about oil than about effectively dealing with weapons of mass destruction, the existence of which was never proven. We believe the Iraq war was illegal. It has also brought devastating human and environmental consequences, and set a dangerous precedent.

Though the occupying forces were quick to secure Iraqi oil fields, the oil ministry and even museums, they neglected to safeguard dangerous nuclear material. That material made its way in to the surrounding neighbour hoods, into homes and schools.

Uranium and other nuclear materials stored under UN control in Iraq until the fall of Saddam Hussein were looted from nuclear fascilities around the country.  Six weeks after occupying forces took control, the US finally allowed the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to return to assess what has been stolen at part of one site, Tuwaitha. But, the IAEA was refused permission to leave the nuclear complex or enter the local community or even go to other nuclear sites in the country, in contravention of UN resolutions.

Greenpeace went to Iraq in June 2003, just after the so-called end of the war, with a small specialist team to examine the environment and assess the extent of any nuclear contamination. The team  conducted on-site monitoring with specialist radiation detection equipment. While the extent of the Greenpeace radiological survey was not comprehensive, it provided an indication of the risk to the people, and the land on which they live.

The US Military’s Head of Radiation and Health in the region, in an interview with Greenpeace and on CNN said the IAEA and the World Health Organisation (WHO) should be called in as soon as possible, yet this has still not happened.