Birth defects among children 'rise' in Falluja, Iraq, blamed on weapons used by the US

Birth defects 'rise' in Falluja
By John Simpson
World affairs editor, BBC News

A paediatrician and parents have told the BBC of a high level of birth defects among children in Falluja, Iraq, blaming weapons used by the US.

Six years ago, in 2004, there were fierce battles as US forces subdued two uprisings in the town.

Now, one hospital doctor told the BBC that they see two or three cases of birth defects each day.

The US military says it is not aware of any official reports showing an increase in birth defects in the area.

It says it always takes public health concerns about any population now living in a combat theatre "very seriously".

“ I am a doctor, I have to be scientific... I have no proof and I have nothing documented, but I can tell you that year by year they were increasing ”
Local hospital doctor

"No studies to date have indicated environmental issues resulting in specific health issues," said US Military Health System Communications Director Michael Kilpatrick.

"Unexploded ordinance, including improvised explosive devises, are a recognised hazard," he added.

But local people blame the weapons used by the US troops during the fighting.

It was hard to find doctors at the brand-new, US-funded hospital in Falluja who were prepared to talk about the problem.

'Savage epidemic'

I was told they were scared to speak because the Iraqi government did not want to create trouble for the Americans.


The official line is that Falluja has only two or three cases of birth defects a year more than normal.

But, in the children's ward, I spoke to a paediatrician who told me he saw as many as two or three cases a day, mainly cardiac defects.

That would mean that this medium-sized town has some 1,000 cases of birth defects a year.

Every doctor, and every parent I spoke to there, believed the problem was the highly sophisticated weapons the US troops used against Falluja six years ago.

The rubble from the damaged buildings was bulldozed into the river - and people in Falluja have got their drinking water from there ever since.

I went to a house where all three young children were suffering from paralysis or brain damage.

A man who heard I was there brought his daughter to show me - she had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, and suffered from several serious diseases.

Falluja is in the grip of a savage epidemic, and the victims are the weakest and most vulnerable of all.



# 40 miles (64km) west of the capital Baghdad
# Major city in the predominantly Sunni province of Anbar, a hotbed of insurgency following US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003
# Burned corpses of four ambushed US contractors dragged through the streets of the city in March 2004
# Scene of major US-led offensive against insurgents in November 2004, when thousands of marines stormed the city
# US military's use of white phosphorus munitions in that offensive widely condemned
# Situation in Anbar as a whole calmer since 2006, when tribal "Awakening Councils" turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq


Views: 41

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by youhavetoforgiveme on March 5, 2010 at 1:28am
This ain't rocket science....depleted uranium was never labeled as SAFE...they just wanted something heavier and sturdier than lead to slice through enemy tank armor. They never cared if any "enemy" civilians got a good dose of U-235 "after the fact"-- we Americans don't live there....

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted a blog post

What Has Tulsi Gabbard Been Up to? Oh, Just catching Obama's ass ordering Intelligence Agencies to Commit Treason!

As we can always expect, the mainstream media will do anything they can to undermine the Trump…See More
8 hours ago
Burbia commented on tjdavis's blog post The Jewish Couple That Taught Bob Dylan Hebrew and Introduced Him to Zionism
"Haaretz put this story behind a pay wall. Sali Ariel and Terry Noble were the names of the couple…"
10 hours ago
William Heckman is now a member of 12160 Social Network
13 hours ago
cheeki kea commented on tjdavis's photo
16 hours ago
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

This Woman DESTROYED Harley-Davidson's Future Forever

"It's a sad day on the highway. But I guess the show must go on. Watch out for the ruination of…"
17 hours ago
cheeki kea posted a video

This Woman DESTROYED Harley-Davidson's Future Forever

This Woman DESTROYED Harley-Davidson's Future ForeverWelcome to Ride Radar – Your Frontline Source for Motorcycle Deals, Trends & Market Mayhem.Looking for t...
17 hours ago
tjdavis posted a photo
23 hours ago
Burbia posted a status
"Who knew releasing the MLK files and literally deflecting, it ends up implicating himself with the Epstein Files."
Tuesday
Burbia posted a video

Dan Bilzerian DEMOLISHES MAGA Nutjob Patrick Bet-David on His Own Show

Watch as two powerhouse personalities collide in this no-holds-barred debate on one of the world’s most contentious issues. Patrick Bet-David, known for his ...
Monday
Doc Vega's 7 blog posts were featured
Sunday
tjdavis's 2 blog posts were featured
Sunday
Less Prone favorited tjdavis's blog post Track AIPAC
Sunday
FREEDOMROX's blog post was featured

MRNA VACCINES: Question

Hello my fellow sojourners,I know it has been five years since the Plandemic, but one question has…See More
Sunday
Less Prone favorited FREEDOMROX's blog post MRNA VACCINES: Question
Sunday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Saturday
cheeki kea posted a photo
Saturday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Friday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Marjory Taylor Green Proposes Bill Abolishing Geoengineering or Weather Modification
"cheeki kea Marjory is in a daily battle with Democrats on the hill constantly coming up with more…"
Friday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Jul 16
Mr. Sizzle favorited Less Prone's video
Jul 15

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted