|Front Page | In Depth | Conflict with Iraq|
As the allies bombed Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s occupying forces opened the taps of Kuwait’s oil wells, spewing some eight million barrels of oil into the Gulf.
The Iraqis also set fire to at least 600 oil wells, creating a huge black cloud of smoke over Kuwait.
And 320 “oil lakes” were left in the desert, which took much of the following decade to clean up. Sea birds, coral reefs and rare turtles were all casualties.
Kuwaiti doctors also suspect the choking pall of smoke of causing a significant rise in cancers, heart disease and respiratory problems.
In Iraq, concerns have been raised about the pollution caused by the allied forces’ use of ammunition and shells enhanced with depleted uranium.
Iraq claims that the radioactive dust left behind when these explode has caused a nine-fold increase in cancer near the southern city of Basra.
Some Gulf War veterans blame DU for illnesses they have suffered since returning from the Gulf.
These claims have not been proven, but even if the radioactivity is not to blame, depleted uranium is a highly toxic heavy metal and has left a legacy of pollution.
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