Depleted uranium weapons / U.C. Jha
Document type:
Article
Title:
Depleted uranium weapons
Author zone:
U.C. Jha
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Languages:
English
Abstract:
The author argues that depleted uranium (DU) weapons (armour-piercing munitions) cannot be used in military operations without violating international law, and therefore must be considered illegal. While there are no explicit rules or treaties that make them illegal, there are rules regarding the use of weapons during armed conflicts: weapons may only be used against legal military targets, only be used for the duration of the war, not cause undue suffering or superfluous injury, and not severely damage the environment. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Decision on Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Decision on Yugoslavia, and resolutions by the UN General Assembly demonstrate an increasingly prevalent view that the use of DU weapons is unacceptable. The use of these munitions in combat poses various short- and long-term hazards to the health of local populations and the environment. When a DU projectile explodes, it disintegrates into particles which can contaminate the surrounding environment and be a health hazard for combatants as well as civilians. The effects of exposure to DU include cancer, renal damage, brain damage, chromosomal aberrations and congenital defects. [Summary by students at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (IHRP)]
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