www.echo.net.

au The Byron Shire Echo October 9, 2012 5

<echowebsection=Local News>
Get Echo news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au Local News
MULLUM HIRE & POOLS
PH: 6684 3003
73 Station St, Mullumbimby
(Opposite the Council Chambers)
Is your POOL ready
for summer

Its time to service your pool and equipment

FREE water testing and analysis

Pool servicing all areas

We supply all pool chemicals and equipment
A different approach
to Chiropractic Care
MARGARET TAY
Chiropractic Biophysics
RESTORING HEALTH
BY RESTORING ALIGNMENT
Locals & visitors welcome.
RING 6680 8400 NOW!
www.discover-chiropractic.com
Be fully lnformeJ Rehubllltute your xplne Nurture your
fumlly Complete xplnul uxxexxment 1ructlon exerclxe
therupy Munuul uctlvutor xucroocclpltul uJjuxtmentx
Neck back pain Headacbes
Muscular |oint pain Sports in|uries
wallace
I
clothing
109 River St Ballina 6686 2081
Suit
Shirt
Tie
Belt
Shoes
Socks
Hire suits also
available
S
u
i
t
m
a
y
v
a
r
y
f
r
o
m
i
m
a
g
e
s
h
o
w
n
SCHOOL FORMAL SAVINGS
A
ll th
is
o
n
ly

$
2
0
0
MyVet Byron Bay
6685 6899
MyVet Billinudgel
6680 3480
Under New Management
www.myvetoz.com.au
www.facebook.com.myvetoz
24/7
VET ON
DUTY
New Puppy Preschool
Classes BOOK NOW
Mandy Nolan
According to Australian Insti-
tute of Health & Welfare there
are 308 birth defects for every
10,000 births in this country.
But this is not the case in the
Iraqi city of Fallujah, where
one in three babies is born with
a birth defect, claims journalist
Donna Mulhearn.
Its a case of generational
genocide, with surviving chil-
dren later developing unusual
tumours and cancers.
Ms Mulhearn has just re-
turned from Iraq, and will be
addressing north coast audi-
ences in what she calls the
legacy of the war.
Toxic legacy
Te impact on the physical
place and on society has been
dramatic and very negative,
but Ill be focusing on the long-
term toxic legacy of the Iraq
war and the impact of chemi-
cal weapons and weapons con-
taining depleted uranium.
Donna has spent a signif-
cant amount of time in Fallu-
jah, west of Bagdad, a city that
shows itself as a microcosm
refecting the bigger problems
Iraq is now facing.
I spent a week there last time
and I felt what I could bring to
the issue as a journalist was to
document the issue; my goal
was to give a face to the issue
and to humanise it.
I feel ofen that our govern-
ment and our media and com-
mentators talk about wars as if
if the people who live in these
places arent like us. Tey are
ofen presented as the other.
I want to humanise that and
hopefully raise the awareness
of what has happened to fami-
lies there. Donna believes that
it is ofen dif cult for audiences
to comprehend the scale of the
problem.
What I often say to audi-
ences is that Fallujah has 200
300,000 people. Tats the size
of Hobart. Imagine if that hap-
pened in Hobart or Newcastle
if one in three babies was being
born with these defects, there
would be civil and government
outrage. But its a story that
in the main part is dismissed;
Fallujah is a city where almost
every family is afected.
Iraqi citizens have clearly
sustained genetic damage, and
continue to live, grow their
food, and drink water in con-
taminated surrounds.
Its an intergenerational ef-
fect says Donna, I dont even
know if there is a name for
it slow violence? Tese ba-
bies are basically dying from
wounds from a war that they
never saw; its similar to Agent
Orange and I believe that it is
the Agent Orange of today.
Damaged genetics
I did my masters last year
on Fallujah, the killing of a city.
Te city wasnt fattened at the
time, but the longterm legacy
may mean a total change in the
genetics of the demographic.
Those living in Fallujah
dont have access to a lot of in-
formation, but many are com-
ing to believe that they and
their families have been poi-
soned by the Iraq war.
When I interviewed lots
of parents, most of them are
healthy, so I asked what caused
the birth defects.
Tey are aware its related to
the weapons used by Ameri-
cans, [when] we asked one
young couple who had lost
four babies they were bur-
ied at the football feld which
is now a cemetery. In 2004
the deaths were so high, they
gave up the football stadium
and used it as a cemetery, and
the only people buried there
are people connected to the
attacks. Tis football stadium
has a section of baby graves,
many unmarked. I went to the
fresh grave of their little baby
Mohammed who lived for fve
minutes. I asked: what are you
going to do, try again?
They said we wont try
again until there is a solu-
tion. Te most heartbreaking
thing about that it is there is
no solution, the doctors and
gynaecologists advice is just
stop, dont fall pregnant as its
unlikely youll give birth to a
healthy child.
Disabilities are varied al-
though the most common are
congenital heart and spinal
defects, she says. For instance,
there was a little girl born when
I was there who had a hole in
her back. Te doctor said this
is very common now, they get a
couple a week.
In Australia, spinabifida is
rare, with statistics showing it
occurs in just one in 2000 births.
Perhaps the most shocking
are the physical deformities.
Tere are babies born with-
out brains, or shrunken heads,
ofen very grotesque physical
deformities. There are chil-
dren who are born and look
normal but they could be dead
in three months because there
just arent the facilities or the
equipment available to deal
with these complex cases.
Parents have to go to Bagh-
dad to access the help they
need. It costs them a fortune.
So why hasnt this story
gained international media at-
tention? Every now and then
there is a story, says Donna,
But I fnd that the media arent
really interested; they need a lo-
cal angle. I would argue a local
angle is that our army helped
deliver the depleted uranium
there as part of our coalition.
No media attention
I find that when ordinary
people fnd out about what is
happening over there they are
angry and want to know more.
Donna has just returned
from her fourth trip to Iraq.
I have a long history there,
she says. Te frst time I went
as part of the human shield
movement, and I returned later
as an aid worker.
So does Donna fear for her
own health? In terms of being
exposed to depleted uranium,
its possible that I am afected.
When I got back in 2003 an
American colleague got basic
tests done and they showed
radiation levels that were sig-
nifcantly higher than normal.
My friend said, It doesnt
matter for me as Im 70. I was
in my mid-30s.
I investigated getting tests
but there was no place to get
tests. So I have decided not
to have children. She says for
years people have been grow-
ing their crops in contami-
nated land and kids have been
playing in tank graveyards.
Areas need to be decontami-
nated. We hear about billions
of dollars of aid going to Iraq
but much of that has been
squandered. What is urgently
needed is genetic testing and
research its what the hospi-
tals are crying out for.
Donna Mulhearn will be
presenting her very personal
journey and the story of the
forgotten casualties of the Iraq
war this Friday at the Mul-
lumbimby RSL at 6.30pm with
performers Renee Simone and
Ilona Harker, along with a
screening of David Bradburys
flm Business as Usual.
Mulhearn will also address
the Byron Services Club from
6.30pm on Monday October 15.
Te ongoing legacy of an unnecessary war
One in three Iraqi babies are being born with defects, says journalist Donna Mulhearn
Road ragers face court after melee with out-of-uniform cop
Eve Jefery
A father and son appeared in
Byron Bay court last Friday
on charges stemming from a
road-rage incident in Brun-
swick Heads.
Tony Nelson and his father
Clarence Nelson were driving
into Brunswick when a four-
wheel-drive came up behind
them and tooted his horn, as
the Nelsons were driving slowly
in search of a particular address.
Tony Nelson, who was
a passenger in the vehicle,
thrust his hand through the
window and fipped his mid-
dle fnger at the driver of the
4x4 and both cars pulled over.
What Tony Neslon didnt
know was that the driver of the
other vehicle was local police
of cer Detective Sergeant La-
beeb Saad.
A scuf e ensued and Detec-
tive Saad placed Mr Nelson
Junior under arrest. Mr Nel-
son Senior, who admitted to
the court that he was hard of
hearing, joined in the melee
and Detective Saad called for
assistance from onlookers.
As the police vehicle was un-
marked and Saad was not in
a police uniform, Mr Nelson
alleges that he felt threatened
by the approach of the other
driver in what he thought was
an act of road rage.
Detective Saad told the court
that he did say he was from
the police but the situation es-
calated at such speed that he
did not have the chance to fully
identify himself.
As a result of the incident,
Detective Saad received a black
eye, cuts and bruises and an
injury to his mouth requiring
three stitches. Tony Nelson
was charged with ofensive lan-
guage and both of the Nelsons
were charged with resisting
arrest and assault occasioning
actual bodily harm.
Several complications arose
during the hearing as Tony Nel-
son claims he did not under-
stand that Det Saad was a police
of cer and Mr Nelson seniors
hearing impairment hampered
his grasp of the situation.
Te timing on behalf of both
the Nelsons of the understand-
ing and acknowledgment Det
Saads occupation was one of
the main questions in the case
and magistrate Michael Dakin
retired to his chambers to look
further look into the evidence
given on the stand by the Nel-
sons and Detective Saad.
More witnesses took the
stand during the afernoon.
During proceedings the
charge of assault was with-
drawn against Clarence Nelson
and Mr Dakin ruled that he be
given a bond of good behav-
iour for two years.
The case involving Tony
Nelson was adjourned until
November 23.