10月30日付け、The Canadian Pressのニュースです。http://on-msn.com/vVtonX
1996-97年、ボスニアに派遣されたパスカル・ラコスト氏（38）は、その後、健康状態が悪化（退化性神経系疾患や慢性痛など）。2003年に検査を受けた結果、毛髪から非常に高い量のウランが検出されたが、カナダ政府は、劣化ウラン被曝による健康障害の可能性を否定し、ラコストさんからの毒物検査や治療支援の要望を拒絶。そのため、ついに今回、抗議のため、11月11日の英連邦Remebbrance Day（戦没者追悼記念日）に向け、11月5日から、ケベック市の退役軍人省前でハンガーストライクに入ることを決意したとのこと。
［1995年6月、ボスニア＝ヘルツェゴヴィナ紛争にNATO軍が介入した際、収録となった米軍A-10戦闘機は、約3トンの劣化ウランを含む約１万発の砲弾を発射。参照：「劣化ウラン問題をめぐる動き」、『ウラン兵器なき世界をめざして—ICBUWの挑戦—』17頁］ 記事によると、ラコスト氏が派遣されたボスニアで劣化ウラン弾が使われたことを認めつつも、カナダ兵が派遣されたのは劣化ウラン汚染された地域からは遠く、劣化ウラン被曝の影響は考えられないと主張。しかし、最近、劣化ウランによる健康障害を訴え出る退役軍人が増えてきているとのこと。
以上、ご参考までに。 嘉指、ICBUWヒロシマ・オフィス http://icbuw-hiroshima.org/
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Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press MONTREAL –
An ex-soldier who says he was poisoned while serving overseas is planning to go on a hunger strike outside the office of Canada’s veterans affairs minister until he gets medical treatment.
Or until he dies.Pascal Lacoste, who believes his steady decline in health began after he was exposed to depleted uranium in Bosnia in the 1990s, intends to stop eating on Nov. 5.The Quebec City resident chose the date because he expects his weakened body to shut down six days later – on Remembrance Day.
Lacoste, 38, says Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney and his department have denied his repeated requests for toxicology tests and decontamination treatments, even though his doctor says his body is carrying an unusually high level of uranium.The government insists, however, it doesn’t see depleted uranium as a potential risk for vets because few, if any, Canadian soldiers have ever come into contact with it while in service.
Ottawa also argues that tests performed a decade ago on a limited number of returning troops did not find any toxic levels of depleted uranium.But Lacoste, who suffers from a degenerative neurological condition, infertility and chronic pain, insists he has all the necessary medical evidence to support his argument.”If this is what my country expects from me – to die instead of being treated – then I accept my fate, except that I will do it publicly,” said Lacoste, who plans to spend the hunger strike in his white SUV, which will be parked in front of Blaney’s office in Levis, Que.”It’s not a good life, it’s been 12 years of suffering. Man, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. http://on-msn.com/vVtonX