InSerbia
December 12, 2013
Problem of NATO depleted uranium bombing pushed under the carpet – Retired Generals
For almost 15 years, there hasn’t been political will in Serbia, the strength and courage to present to the international community a complete problem of bombing with depleted uranium munitions, the Serbian Daily “Novosti” reported.
And Serbia should define a national strategy to eliminate the effects of the harmful radiation.
This was, among other things, said on Wednesday at the “Yugoslav Army in the defense of the NATO aggression in 1999″ round table organized by the Club of generals and admirals of Serbia. Round table participants paid most attention to the consequences of the use of uranium munition, military health care, foreign propaganda and epilogue of reform of the Serbian armed forces.
“The question of the use of depleted uranium munition by NATO forces in Serbia has been pushed under the carpet for years because of the relationship to Western countries,” says retired General Slobodan Petkovic.
“It is necessary to urgently organize monitoring, treatment of patients, and help the population that was sprayed with this ammunition,” he said.
In the territory of Kosovo during the war in 1999. was fired more than 31,000 missiles and projectiles, and on other locations more than 5,000 missiles with depleted uranium. Land contaminated by depleted uranium is near Vranje, Bujanovac and Presevo. These areas are surrounded by concrete pillars, signs with warnings, but the population is not informed of all the dangers.
“The state initiated in 2000 a program of prevention and monitoring the health status of military personnel who came into contact with uranium, but the program was canceled,” reminds Petkovic.
Depleted uranium and growth of malignant diseases by more than 100 percent compared to the period before the NATO bombing are just one of the consequences of NATO aggression.
According to the round table participants, the war in another form is not completed even after combat operations. The U.S. and NATO have started the degradation of the Serbian army, which in 1999 in Kosovo taught them a military lesson on successful defense.
“Breaking the army, under the guise of reform, is done first by destroying its organization, and continued with bringing the people who established the Serbian Army to be in the interests of the aggressor from 1999,” says a retired admiral Bosko Antic.
The defense system, according to Antic, was destroyed with extradition of leading generals to The Hague, retirement of commanding officers, breaking the officer corps, introducing the Brigadier system because of which armies, corps and divisions vanished. With drastically reduced numerical strength of military personnel and the abolition of the conscripted army, question of combat readiness of the troops to counter the dangers that still threaten Serbia is raised.
Retired generals point out that the Serbian army in previous years was reformed by semiskilled or semi-literate military security analysts, NGOs and officials of the ruling parties.
“Everything is done to create a Serbian Army as military service for NATO’s peacekeeping and humanitarian interventions worldwide.”
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