COHEN, ALBRIGHT: DEPLETED URANIUM DID NOT CAUSE DISEASES

WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Hina) - There is no scientific evidence that depleted uranium was the cause of diseases of several soldiers who served in UN missions in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the United States does not intend to temporarily discontinue the use of ammunition containing depleted uranium, US defence minister William Cohen said in Washington on Tuesday. None of the numerous studies which have been conducted has scientifically confirmed that there is a link between depleted uranium and leukaemia, Cohen said, denying a comment on the mistrust of European NATO members regarding the results of the US research. Cohen said all in NATO had been warned about how to proceed with tanks and armoured vehicles hit with ammunition containing depleted uranium and everybody had known how to protect themselves from that heavy metal. US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said earlier in the day that all facts should be made known in order to prevent rumours and panic from spreading. Asked whether the United States would accept requests by some of its allies to temporarily discontinue the use of ammunition containing depleted uranium until investigations by UN and NATO teams were completed, Cohen said he was not considering such a decision for the time being. (hina) rml