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Govt Says British Nuke Tests In 1950s Exposed Soldiers

Monday: August 04, 2008

(Radio New Zealand International)

Britain has acknowledged in court proceedings that its nuclear weapons testing program in the Pacific during the 1950s exposed some service members to dangerous levels of radiation, Radio New Zealand International reports.

According to RNZI, papers filed by the British Ministry of Defense at the High Court in London acknowledges that the ministry now believes nuclear tests in Australia and Christmas Island in Kiribati were responsible for some deaths.

The ministry, however, says only 159 service members out of the 200,000 present were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

Roy Sefton, the president of the New Zealand arm of the Nuclear Test Veterans Association, says that this is a case of science finally catching up with government authorities. He said the British Defense Ministry had no choice but to make the admission after years of repeated denials.

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=41259