Iraq now of the world's most contaminated countries- Iraq war remnants cause cancer deaths

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Remnants from Iraq's three recent wars, the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the Gulf War in 1991 and the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, coupled with the absence of adequate government controls on emissions and industrial effluent, have turned Iraq into one of the world's most contaminated countries, say officials.

"There are a number of environmental challenges in Iraq," Environment Minister Narmin Othman told IRIN. "One of them is water, air and soil contamination caused mainly by emissions from cars and generators in crowded areas, unplanned use of chemical fertilizers, war remnants and bombing with depleted uranium."

She said her ministry had identified military vehicles and tanks contaminated with radioactive materials dating back to the wars of 1991 and 2003, but no action had been taken to get rid of them. There was a lack of government supervision of the waste being discharged into the country's two main rivers - the Tigris and Euphrates. This included waste from heavy industry, tanning and paint factories, as well as raw sewage and hospital waste, she said.

"The contamination levels are rising significantly in Iraq," she concluded.

...

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/10/14/88009.html

[glitch]

1. Free-market Wasteland.

Surely there will now be an economic boom of startups to clean up all the toxins. Thanks neo-cons! /sarc

[Bobbieo]

2. This has been going on in Navajoland since the 50s from uranium mining.

[glitch]

3. Let me guess

no boom in toxic cleanup industries as a result?

[gratuitous]

4. At last! A jobs program for out-of-work Bush administration officials

Alberto Gonzalez and all the rest of you casting about for something to do, put on a hazmat suit (or not) and get your unemployed carcasses over to Iraq and help clean up the mess you've left in that country. Donald Rumsfeld, you can take personal delivery on the flowers and candy that are sure to be showered on you by a grateful populace!

[Orwellian_Ghost]

5. Bump