Iraqi city has higher cancer rates than Hiroshima

22 July 2010 | 02:08:23 PM | Source: SBS Staff/ BBC

iraq_fallujah_children_100722_B_GETTY_1811278542

The types of cancer are similar to that in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors who were exposed to nuclear fallout. (GETTY)

A report has been published indicating cancers and other diseases in the Iraqi city of Fallujah are significantly higher than those of the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs of 1945.


The survey found that in the five years following the 2004 attacks by USA-led forces there has been a four-fold increase in all cancer.

The types of cancer are similar to that in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors who were exposed to nuclear fallout.

Researchers found a 12 fold increase in child hood cancers since 2004.

"Far fewer boys were born than girls and this is a well known expression of genetic which was found after Hiroshima." Said report writer Dr Chris Busby. 

Fallujah is less than 65km from Baghdad.

Your Comments

Display: 20 | 40 | All comments per page
Previous 10 | Page 1 | 2 | Next 10

15 Sep 2010 3:28 AEST

Bashar Sukkar

From: Groningen-Holland

MPH

One needs to be careful with interpreting such reports from country's that do not have a good public health system, such as Iraq. The 4-fold increase might be an increase in registeration and reporting, i.e. before 2004 there might have been the same prevalence of cancer, only it was then under-reported, which is the case in Iraq. Iraq does not have any registeration and information service in the health sector. Such reports are often used for political ends. Saddam used the same trick!

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (5 people disagree)
 

12 Aug 2010 16:12 AEST

Audrey

From: Nedlands Wa

Busby is a Liar.

Since there was no depleted uranium used in Fallujah,Chris Busby is just making up his so-called scientific report-Busby has along history of making things up and this report is going to blow up in his face-I hope that SBS will determine that they were conned into using it . But no, in a couple of months SBS will have moved on to another evil act of the USA/Capitalism conspiracy and there will be no follow up. ps .there were no child mortality figures available during the Saddam era.

Agree (3 people agree)
Disagree (5 people disagree)
 

12 Aug 2010 3:25 AEST

John

From: Claremont WA

Anti Science = Anti USA

This is total bullshit depleted uranium is not that harmful. Please study some basic physics before making such stupid statements. Scientific ignorance is no excuse for dumb ass anti-Americanism.

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (8 people disagree)
 

26 Jul 2010 0:49 AEST

Chris

From: Melbourne

Our wretched friends...

Look at our friends, who have made us stain our hands with innocent blood. It makes you wonder just how wrong these 'terrorists' are in the first place. I wonder what we would do if an empire this evil did something like this to us. I guess we would be about as outraged as we are that they have convinced us to poison our water with rat poison...uh, i mean fluoride. Americans had better learn a new accent if they want to be accepted by other nations as refugees one day. Curse that nation!

Agree (9 people agree)
Disagree (6 people disagree)
 

24 Jul 2010 15:19 AEST

Jen

From: Sydney, Australia

What affects Fallujah could affect soldiers

Have there been any studies done on the soldiers who have been to Fallujah, Basra and other Iraqi cities that suffered heavy bombardment with DU ammunition? Do we know if these soldiers' children are also experiencing higher-than-normal levels of cancers and birth deformities? What is the sex ratio of the children born as well - do soldiers' families have more girls than boys?

Agree (7 people agree)
Disagree (3 people disagree)
 

24 Jul 2010 13:42 AEST

Mike

From: Newburgh ,NY, USA

Iraq city has higher cancer than Hiroshima

It is sickening enough that the US has and is using this type of weapon the people of their occupied lands; and i suppose causing birth defects for Ever is fun for the terminally brainwashed. Thanks for the exposure to this subject. You would think this type of warfare would be banned . Make everyone see the babies photos for just an hour. This country is over anyway.

Agree (17 people agree)
Disagree (4 people disagree)
 

24 Jul 2010 10:58 AEST

Viola Wilkins

From: Melbourne

Depleted Uranium

Depleted uranium used to make bullets etc armour piercing (through metal) were fired then pulverised as dust which is spread in sand/air borne into lungs, into ground water etc. Gulf War Syndrome may in fact be this. Uranium start her ein Oz we should stop digging it, leave it in the ground and not nuke the climate.

Agree (16 people agree)
Disagree (4 people disagree)
 

24 Jul 2010 1:27 AEST

michael

From: New York

Atrocities of Empire

I guess this is the price of bringing "freedom and democracy" to the untermensch. The US public has no idea what its military did in Fallujah. I wonder why they hate us?

Agree (14 people agree)
Disagree (6 people disagree)
 

24 Jul 2010 0:14 AEST

Robert Charron

From: Raleigh, NC

Iraqi City has higher cancer rate than Hiroshima

What hath the U. S. wrought?

Agree (8 people agree)
Disagree (5 people disagree)
 

23 Jul 2010 22:35 AEST

Kraut

From: Germany

Words

The effects of Uranium Ammuntion have been well known for years - just because there was no "mushroom cloud" does not mean that Iraq hast not been nuked. When do we stop talking about the Iraq War and start talking about the Genocide in Iraq?

Agree (19 people agree)
Disagree (3 people disagree)
 
Display: 20 | 40 | All comments per page
Previous 10 | Page 1 | 2 | Next 10

Join the Discussion

E.g. Suburb / City
You have characters remaining.
Validation (
) :
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.

All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.