The dream of the hibakusha is shattered, as the DU munitions used around the world shatter into depleted uranium dust, contaminating everything.

“No one else should ever suffer as we did” has been the constant mantra of the hibakusha, which is the Japanese word for survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for over six decades.

Today is Nagasaki Day, the 61st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, which will be holding a solemn ceremony in memory of the victims of that tragedy and to encourage people to work for world peace. Similar ceremonies were held on August 6 in Hiroshima and other cities.

On this anniversary of a dark day in history, humanity is still far from realizing the goal of world peace.

The United States, Russia, and Britain are modernizing their nuclear arsenals. The U.S. is even designing a new generation of mini-nukes.

U.S. officials have not ruled out the use of nuclear weapons in future conflicts.

Nuclear weapons states, particularly the U.S. and the Zionist regime, have adopted a threatening nuclear stance toward their rivals.

On top of all this, the radiological weapon depleted uranium has been used by the U.S. military in Iraq, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. The U.S. Army has admitted they used over 500 tons of uranium munitions in the first two months of the 2003 war in Iraq.

In addition, there are now reports that Israel has used GBU 28 precision-guided bombs with depleted uranium warheads in Lebanon.

This is truly a war on the gene pool of the Islamic people since depleted uranium causes genetic damage.

Physicians in Iraq have documented a threefold increase in childhood cancers and a fivefold increase in birth defects since 1990. The U.S. military used DU weapons in that country for the first time in 1991.

U.S troops are also being affected.

A site established by a group of professors from the University of Minnesota at Duluth, umdfacultyagainstwar.com, wrote: “In a group of 251 soldiers in one study group in Mississippi, all of whom had normally birthed babies prior to their participation in either of the two (Persian) Gulf Wars, 67% of their post-war offspring were born with severe deformities, including but not limited to, birth defects; many were born with limbs missing, missing or damaged organs, missing eyes, or had blood-related or immune system diseases. In some veteran’s families, the only ‘normal children’ are those conceived and born before their participation in either of the Iraqi Wars…”

Furthermore, many of the internet sites that had posted photos of deformed babies of families that were affected by depleted uranium munitions are now out of order.

Despite this bleak picture, there is still hope.

In the Hiroshima Peace Declaration 2006 on Sunday, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said: “Nuclear weapons are illegal, immoral weapons designed to obliterate cities. Our goals are to reveal the delusions behind ‘nuclear deterrence theory’ and the ‘nuclear umbrella’, which hold cities hostage, and to protect, from a legal and moral standpoint, our citizens' right to life.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Akiba said: “To console the many victims whose names remain unknown, this year for the first time we added the words ‘Many Unknown’ to the ledger of victims' names placed in the cenotaph. We humbly pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of all atomic bomb victims and a future of peace and harmony for the human family.”

Even a shattered dream can be brought back to life. Fortunately, there are still many people working to make the dream come true so the ‘Many Unknown’ can truly rest in peace.