US soldiers are returning from Iraq to die of "mysterious" ailments - and the depleted uranium (DU) poisoning scandal just won't go away, despite efforts to cover it up. Protesters in New Haven spoke out against the U.S. military's use of DU, its effects on US troops, and cutbacks in veterans' medical benefits.

The DU test costs $1,000, so the U.S. government won't test for DU poisoning. "More than 240,000 Gulf War veterans are on permanent medical disability and more than 11,000 are dead. They have been denied testing, medical care, and compensation for depleted uranium exposure and related illnesses since 1991," say reports. A U.S. government study found that 67% of post-Gulf War babies have serious birth defects or serious illnesses. In Italy, eight soldiers home from Iraq died of cancer, probably caused by DU exposure. Today, Italy proposed new legislation to censor media covering the military. The new law would bar any reporting on the health effects of depleted uranium. Anyone who breaks the law could face up to 20 years in a military prison, including civilians. You thought they came home safely from the war.