Monday, January 27, 2003

Run-down Iraqi hospitals struggle to treat cancers linked to Gulf War bombing
"Hospital statistics in Basra show cancer rates are on the rise. In 1988, there were 11 cases per 100,000 people in the city. By 2001, there were 116 per 100,000, according to Dr Jawad al-Ali, a cancer specialist who teaches at the Saddam Training Hospital.

"Throughout the country, the number of cancer cases has grown steadily since the Gulf War, with 7481 cases in 1989 and 8592 in 1997, according to registry statistics. At first, doctors were puzzled by the surge in cancer patients in Basra, which was heavily targeted by the US-led bombing campaign. Then it was discovered that many American munitions contained depleted uranium, which remains radioactive, prompting a series of studies."

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