Ministries of Defense from several European countries, NATO members, have started investigating whether their soldiers were exposed to the dangerous level of radiation due to the use of ammunition with depleted uranium during the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia. Until recently, the public of these countries was assured that there was "no room for panic". Nevertheless, the increasing number of soldiers who became ill or died, and who were engaged in the international forces in Bosnia and Kosovo-Metohija could no longer remain hidden, and this became a "hot' news in the media, in European countries governments and European Union and NATO structures.

The second serious question is not still on the agenda: if the situation is so alarming for the soldiers who were deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo, what about the citizens of the areas which were hit by tons of depleted uranium ammunition.

Here is the report of some of the reactions in the countries whose soldiers were in the international forces.

• NATO rejected the idea of moratorium
• Shift in British policy arouses higher suspicions
• Depleted uranium - a monopoly business
• French public opinion demands explanation from NATO
• "Balkan syndrome" threatens unity of NATO
• Russian Daily "Rossiyskaya gazeta": The most serious crisis in the history of west military alliance threatens
• British Defense Ministry still do not admit that problem exist
• Balkan and the European hypocrisy
• Italian fishermen demand inquiry into NATO bombs in the Adriatic Sea
• Greek troops in Kosovo not endangered by radiation
• Bulgarian doctors check the health of their troops in Kosovo
• The Netherlands examines "The Balkan syndrome"
• The Pantagon: No proofs that the depleted uranium causes cancer
• Discussion on the "Balkan Syndrome" next week
• Three EU members asked for a discussion on the depleted uranium
• Italian general: We knew about the depleted uranium
• Amato: NATO should answer for the diseased soldiers
• "Crime against humanity"
• Scandinavian countries will have their soldiers tested
• Turkish and Finnish KFOR troops subjected to contamination checkup
• Turkish KFOR soldiers are not irradiate
• Britain ignores the consequences of bombs filled with depleted uraniu
• NATO member countries worried about the health of their troops in the Balkans

Italian fishermen demand inquiry into NATO bombs in the Adriatic Sea

Rome, January 5 (Tanjug) - Italian fishermen's association demanded that the Italian government conducted an inquiry into whether bombs retrieved from the Adriatic seabed contained depleted uranium.

The demand has been prompted by suspicions that depleted uranium warheads used in the 1999 NATO bombing campaign in Yugoslavia had caused the death of six Italian Balkan mission veterans.

The president of the Association said thousands of bombs have been found in the Adriatic Sea, some dating from World War II, stressing it had to be determined whether any of them contained depleted uranium.

In the course of the bombing campaign, NATO fighter jets frequently dumped their bomb cargoes into the Adriatic Sea or over unpopulated areas on returning to base, for safer landing.

Italian fishermen have often pulled up bombs in their nets during and after the airstrikes on Yugoslavia.

Greek troops in Kosovo not endangered by radiation

Athens, January 4 (Tanjug) - The Greek government carefully discusses the information on the KFOR troops in Kosovo falling ill and will take necessary measures to protect the health of its soldiers in peacekeeping forces, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said today.

It was said that not only the Greek peacekeepers now stationed in Kosovo, but also the ones who were there before, and the ones who were in Bosnia would undergo additional medical checkup.

The level of radiation in eastern Kosovo and Metohija, in the area of Urosevac where 1,480 Greek troops are stationed, is within normal limits, Deputy Greek Defense Minister Dimitris Apostolakis said on Wednesday, adding that none of the troops had health problems.

Apostolakis arrived in the southern Serbian province for an inspection which was triggered by a warning from Italy that six KFOR Italian troops have died most probably of the consequences of irradiation caused by depleted uranium from NATO bombs dropped on Kosovo and Metohija throughout the spring of 1999.

Greek military sources estimate that the highest danger of radiation is in western Kosovo and Metohija, where the bulk of bombs with depleted uranium had been dropped.

This is a zone in which majority of Italian and German troops are stationed.

Bulgarian doctors check the health of their troops in Kosovo

Sofia, January 4 (Tanjug) - Bulgarian Defense Minister Boiko Noev said today that a team of Bulgarian doctors and experts on chemical and radiological protection would go to Kosovo in order to check health condition of Bulgarian KFOR troops and examine human environment in the area where they are stationed.

The team of Bulgarian experts were supposed to visit Kosovo today, but they postponed the visit for tomorrow due to bad weather conditions.

Bulgarians have not conducted similar examinations before because Bulgarian troops are deployed within German KFOR contingent which is why the German experts were involved in such examinations, Noev said at a press conference.

He added that he learnt about the health problems of KFOR troops in Kosovo from domestic and foreign media, but that governments or Defense Ministries of the countries whose troops were deployed within KFOR gave no official information on that.

According to him, there are no proofs that the deployment in Kosovo or Bosnia has given any health problems to Bulgarian troops including the case of sergeant Danail Danailov.

Sergeant Danailov, who was treated in the German hospital in Kosovo, was returned to Bulgaria in late spring last year for exhaustion, muscle fatigue, lungs and kidney pains and high temperature.

Some Bulgarian media connected his case with the impact of depleted uranium which had been used in the NATO bombing in Kosovo. The sergeant had been treated in the Bulgarian military hospital for months, but the doctors failed to determine the cause of his health problems and discharged him. Danailov still has health problems and will be sent to Germany for medical examination, Noev said.

Bulgarian Aleksandar Vasilev, who served in the Yugoslav Army as a volunteer in Kosovo during the 1999 war, has also been complaining of health problems. He claims he was completely healthy and fit, but since he came back from Kosovo he has been suffering lung pains, having eye problems and feeling great exhaustion after the slightest physical efforts.

The Netherlands examines "The Balkan syndrome"

The Hague, January 4 (Tanjug-Reuters) - The Netherlands reported today that it started an investigation into the health risk of depleted uranium radiation, which their soldiers within peacekeeping troops of the United Nations in the Balkans might have been exposed to after the NATO bombing.

"As far as we know two soldiers died of leukemia. One of them was deployed in Kosovo and Metohija, and the other one in Bosnia," said the Dutch Defence Ministry spokesman.

He added that the investigation had been continued, and should discover if any other Dutch soldier had passed away or had come down with that illness.

A few NATO members expressed their concern over the mysterious illness, which occurred among the members of peacekeeping troops in the former Yugoslavia, usually referred to as "The Balkan syndrome".

Italy appealed to the Western Alliance to examine the facts according to which six Italian soldiers died after having been deployed in the Balkans due to the depleted uranium radiation, used in bombs during the NATO air strikes.

The results of the Dutch investigation would be announced next week, concerning the connection between "The Balkan syndrome" and NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, the Dutch Defence Ministry spokesman said.

As the British agency Reuters states, the American military planes dropped around 31,000 bombs filled with depleted uranium during the last year's NATO bombing of the FRY.

The Pantagon: No proofs that the depleted uranium causes cancer

New York, January 5 (Tanjug) - The Pentagon reported that there were no proofs that ammunition with the depleted uranium, used by the American air force in Bosnia and Kosovo and Metohija, caused cancer and was the cause of the illnesses of certain members of peacekeeping troops in the Balkans.

The Pentagon official Kennet Bacon devoted the entire press conference on Thursday evening to this issue, which became a topical one after numerous demands that the US and NATO submit all facts concerning the usage of that ammunition during the bombing of Kosovo and Metohija and Bosnia.

Bacon promised that Washington would fully cooperate in investigation into "The Balkan syndrome" conducted by NATO. According to the Pentagon, there were no proofs, so far, of the connection with soldiers' illnesses and the usage of the depleted uranium used in anti-tank ammunition, dropped by A-10 planes on Kosovo and Metohija.

Bacon stated the results of a few studies dealing also with "The Gulf syndrome", for which many claim to be of the same origin as "The Balkan", adding that the American team of experts took soil and water samples from Kosovo and Metohija, that the analyses were still being carried out and that the results might be known until spring.

Discussion on the Balkan Syndrome next week

Brussels, January 4th (Tanjug) - NATO ambassadors will, on their regular meeting on January 10th, most probably, discuss the Balkan Syndrome, this was confirmed in the Alliance's seat in Brussels.

The mysterious illness, which many peacekeeping soldiers deployed in the Balkans are suffering from, will be the issue of discussion at the session of NATO Political Committee.

The Alliance's military representatives claim that as far as the health of the soldiers is concerned, being exposed to the remains of depleted uranium missiles is not any different than being exposed to, for example, lead".

Depleted uranium ammunition contains, as it is being emphasized, "40 percent less of radioactive uranium than it can be fund in nature".

Belgium, Portugal and Italy urged for a discussion inside the Union and inside the Alliance, in light of claims that the use of depleted uranium is directly linked to the illness and death of a number of Balkan war veterans.

Three EU members move for debate on Balkan Syndrome

Brussels, January 3rd (Tanjug) - Three European Union and NATO nations have moved in the two organizations for a debate on the use of depleted uranium warheads and its consequences.

Belgium, Portugal and Italy urged for an international probe, in light of claims that the use of depleted uranium is directly linked to the illness and death of a number of Balkan war veterans.

Electronic media in Brussels on Wednesday quoted the Italian foreign ministry to the effect that the NATO Council and Political Committee would be meeting in Brussels on Jan. 9 to discuss the matter.

The NATO Command again on Wednesday denied that the use of depleted uranium was a threat to human life and that the illnesses of the veterans were anything to do with the depleted uranium bullets and shells.

Belgium's Defence Minister Andre Flahaut has recently formally requested the current E.U. president Sweden to put the Balkan Syndrome on the agenda of one of the very next Ministerial Council meetings.

Portugal joined Belgium in that request today in Lisbon, during the talks of the chiefs of the two countries diplomacies, Louie Michel and Jaim Gamma.

Belgium Foreign Minister, Michel, has confirmed that Belgium and Portuguese Defense Ministers have already talked about that subject and suggested that the Balkan Syndrome becomes the issue of discussion in EU and NATO Alliance in order to "take adequate measures in time".