The misnamed "Depleted Uranium" is left after enriched uranium is separated from natural uranium to produce fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. During this process, the fissionable isotopes Uranium 234 and Uranium 235 are separated; the remaining uranium, which is 99.8% Uranium 238, is called "Depleted Uranium." This waste product is disposed of by producing deadly weapons. DU has a half life of 4.5 billion years.

Four days after the action at Alliant Techsystems' corporate headquarters, Deborah Blum had an article published in the June 1, 2003, edition of the Los Angeles Times. Entitled "A Dark Magic in America's Silver Bullet," the article notes that "Early this spring, the U.S. Department of Defense held a barely noticed briefing on America's use of radioactive weaponry in the Iraq war. The weapons in question are called 'Depleted Uranium' bullets and--as military officials proudly say--they may be the best tank-busting weapons ever made.

"The critics [of DU], ranging from environmentalists in Europe to scientists in the Middle East, say that in all our recent engagements--the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Kosovo, Bosnia and now the latest Iraqi conflict--we left our poisonous, uranium-dusted footprints all over other people's homelands. They worry that the chunks of radioactive litter scattered across former battlefields have already caused a variety of illnesses. They worry, too, about the potential for future harm.

". . . In Iraq, physicians have blamed . . . an increasing rate of birth defects on the [use of DU weapons by the] United States. The Pentagon estimates that the 1991 Gulf War left behind about 320 tons of DU debris. It hasn't calculated the tonnage from the recent conflict . . . but the numbers are expected to be higher."

142. Jerry Berrigan - May 28, 2003.

148. Artist Jane Evershed - June 4, 2003.

Commenting on her artwork while standing across from Alliant Techsystems corporate headquarters, Jane says, "The mother has just given birth to an extremely genetically deformed baby caused by Depleted Uranium used in the 1991 Gulf War. She is horrified by what she's given birth to. The umbilical cord is attached to the cold heart of the profiteering arms dealer who manufactured the awful missiles with Depleted Uranium in them. In the background you see this current war going on and a U.S. soldier looking into the window. The soldiers are also deeply affected by Depleted Uranium. Their wives have given birth to deformed infants."

149. "I confronted an army recruitment officer at my high school and asked him if he knew anything about Depleted Uranium and the possible effects it might have on me if I were to join the army," said Chris on June 4, 2003. "His response to me was simply that he didn't know. I found that very disturbing."

In March 2003, when the U.S. launched its invasion and occupation of Iraq, Chris and others at his high school initiated a walk-out. "We walked out about a half-an-hour into school and met up with students from Southwest High School," he said. "We'd told our teachers in advance and typed up a mission statement and handed it to the principal who made copies. We had a really good response from our teachers-they were helpful and cooperative and made sure everything went well. A lot of students came out and joined us-students who I didn't think were going to come. We had a really good turn out-about 300 people in Lynhurst Park on 50th Ave. We stood out there all day."

Commenting on how he became involved in activism, Chris says, "My mom's always raised me with a very aware attitude. I went to Washington, D.C., for the big "No War!" protest on January 18. That was my introduction [to anti-war activism] and I came back and it just kinda all snowballed from there."