One term that I saw in Baghdad Burning was depleted uranium. I really didn't know what that was when I came up to it and how it got people sick so I went to investigate more. Looking at the Wikipedia for depleted uranium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium#Armor_plate I see that depleted uranium is the uranium after the removal of a certain isotope. They use this depleted uranium in aircrafts, radiation shields in medical radiation therapy machines and containers for them, while the military uses it for defensive armor plates and tanks. It is controversial to use in ammunition because it is very harmful for the environment. It has been known to be highly toxic to mammals, but is not known to cause cancer. It also can increase birth defects in children that are born from people who have been exposed to depleted uranium. This has been used in Iraq before, in 1991. Riverbend thinks it might have been used in this war too. Riverbend tells us "I remember seeing babies born with a single eye, 3 legs, or no face—as a result of DU [depleted uranium] poisoning." (Riverbend, 47) So I see that this is in the book because this happened in Baghdad during the war.
Lindsay
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