No German troop illness linked to U.S. uranium shells, says Berlin

"There have not been any German cases," said Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping's spokesman, Detlef Puhl, adding that one soldier had died after serving in Kosovo but this was not linked to the depleted uranium weapons complex.

Puhl said German troops in Kosovo were being regularly screened as were soldiers returning home from tours of duty in the region. "Nothing has been found among German soliders," he said.

The U.S. was the only NATO member to use uranium armour-piercing munitions during the war against Yugoslavia and Washington insists the weapons - first used in the 1991 Gulf War - are safe.

But Italy has launched an investigation into a possible link between deplected uranium munitions and 12 of its soldiers who developed cancer after serving in Kosovo and Bosnia. Five of the Italian soldiers have died of leukaemia.

France said this week that four of its soldiers who served in the Balkans in 1999 now have leukaemia. Puhl indicated that Germany had doubts about the safety of depleted uranium weapons. "We are not saying this is not dangerous," he said.

German troops in Kosovo have mapped out regions were such weapons were used and are required to wear protective clothing and masks when dealing with war wreckage from depleted uranium munitions, said Puhl. Local people were also being warned to keep away from such sites.

Puhl declined to respond to questions over whether Berlin would seek a ban on the use of depleted uranium munitions in future NATO operations.

(dpa)