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We are aware of the request made by the Government of Iraq during its statement to
the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October for Member States and relevant
international organisations to conduct research into the impact of exposure to depleted
uranium (DU) ammunition on human health and the environment and possible methods of
treatment. We are conscious that some nations, international organisations and individuals
are concerned that there may be a link between the use of DU ammunition and certain
medical conditions. This is an issue taken very seriously by the Government. Scientific
literature, including that of the Royal Society, the European Commission, the United
Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organisation, contains a substantial
number of reports which indicate that DU has not been shown to have, and indeed is
very unlikely to have, any significant impact on the health of the local population
or on the veterans of conflicts in which these munitions are used.
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