February 2004

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Jury Acquits DU Weapons Inspectors

Most of this account was written by Steve Clemens, one of the Alliant 28 (www.circlevision.org/alliantaction.html), though it also draws on other sources, including the October 21, 2003 Minneapolis Star Tribune.

At the height of the recent war against Iraq, on April 2, 2003, 28 Minnesotans "crossed the line," entering the world headquarters property of Alliant Techsystems Corporation (ATK) in Edina, MN with the express purpose of conducting a "citizens' weapons inspection."

Alliant Techsystems manufactures depleted uranium (DU) munitions. The material, used by the US military because of its density, is employed primarily in anti-tank weapons and in the armor of US tanks. The material is not very radioactive, but even Alliant admits that such weapons burn upon impact, spewing a heavy toxic dust which is quite hazardous.

Investigators are assessing whether DU weapons used during the Gulf War and in the Balkans contributed to severe health problems for civilians and veterans alike. Though DU weapons themselves are highly lethal, the extent of the health impact caused by breathing DU dust is unclear.

Representing themselves, and using provisions from the US Constitution and international humanitarian law, the defendants argued that the "manu-facture, sale, stockpiling, as well as the use of weapons containing this radioactive waste (depleted uranium) is illegal."

Wendi Nauheimer had never been in a demonstration before. One week before this witness against ATK took place, she told Marv Davidov, a longtime peace and justice activist, and one of the Alliant 28, "They [ATK] killed my brother, Patrick."

Wendi testified that her brother, a US Marine for 11 years, returned with sores on his body from the desert area of Iraq and Kuwait after "cleanup" of the area where depleted uranium weapons were used. He developed an aggressive form of leukemia and died in 1995, leaving a widow and two young children.

Before he died, he told his family, "Something happened to me in that desert." Wendi believes her brother's death is at least partially due to the exposure he received from the waste left by depleted uranium penetrator munitions manufactured by ATK and sold to the Army and Air Force and used in that war.

The defendants included six Roman Catholic nuns (as well as at least one atheist) who testified how our nation's spending on the military has deprived many needy people in our inner cities. On the stand, defendant Sister Char Madigan implored the jury to join her in working to move from "money-wealth to commonwealth." She said that ATK cannot hide what it is doing for profit behind "private property" laws but must be exposed and held accountable like the tobacco companies and Enron.

On Friday, October 17, 2003, a six-person jury of citizens from Hennepin County, MN declared that International Law can trump a local no trespassing law. The citizen inspectors were ajudged not guilty.

AlliantAction, as well as the newly-created Philip Berrigan Depleted Uranium Coalition, will continue to work to convert ATK from its present production of "swords" into "plowshares" which can better all humankind. Weekly vigils, begun in 1996, will continue by the entrance to ATK.

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