As part of Iraq's effort to determine and address the causes of radioactive contamination, the University of Babylon conducted an academic study, which was published in January, that revealed the existence of radioactive contamination in the soil of many areas in Babylon province in central Iraq, just south of Baghdad, including a textile factory, the Musayyib and Alexandria utility plants, an automotive company and Hattin industrial facility. Babylon is where Saddam's regime established numerous military manufacturing plants.
Baghdad itself, however, is not part of that contaminated area, according to researcher Mohamed Hassan Hamza. "The level of contamination is clear in the area between Baghdad and the province of Babylon," he told Al-Monitor.
Hani al-Oqabi, a member of the parliamentary Health Committee, also challenged the impact of radioactive contamination and its negative outcomes. He told Al-Monitor, “Contaminated areas are limited and monitored and are concentrated in the western and southern regions. Other than that, what is published in the media is mere exaggeration.”
He added, “There is no indication of an increase in cancer rates in Iraq."
Many experts, however, beg to differ.
According to a 2006 Associated Press story, the United Nations in 2005 identified more than 300 polluted sites in Iraq and estimated it would take years and at least $40 million to clean them up — if an international effort ever begins.
In light of the spreading problem of radioactive materials in some areas — and the denial of this by some officials — it seems necessary to demand transparency and resort to global expertise for detection and treatment, as citizens' confidence is shaken in the absence of accurate statistics on this phenomenon.
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