'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

[Guest guest]

'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

Some 700,000 troops served in the 1990 Gulf War

More people may have been exposed to chemical warfare agents during

the 1990 Gulf War than previously thought, a report says.

The US government revealed in 1996 that some people may have been

exposed to chemicals when troops destroyed a stockpile of agents in

southern Iraq.

Officials said over 100,000 troops, including 9,000 Britons, may

have been affected.

But the US General Accounting Office says the figures could be much

higher.

The GAO is the investigative arm of the US Congress. It has carried

out an investigation into how the US and UK governments came up with

their figures on how many troops may been exposed to these agents.

The figures are largely based on how many troops were in the direct

path of the plume of smoke that was produced when these agents were

destroyed at Khamisiyah, in southern Iraq in 1991.

'Figures flawed'

But in a report, the GAO says the figures, which were drawn up by

the US Department of Defense, " cannot be adequately supported " .

It says the plume of smoke travelled further than officials have

suggested.

The majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in 1991 may have been

exposed to these chemicals

Shaun Rusling,

National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent Association

" The plume heights used in the modelling were underestimated and so

were the hazard area, " it says.

The report dismisses the estimates on how many troops may have been

exposed to the agents as " uncertain, incomplete and non-validated " .

The report raises serious questions about UK government claims that

only 9,000 British troops were in the direct path of the plume of

smoke.

" Since the Ministry of Defence relied exclusively on Department of

Defense modelling and since we found that Department of Defense

could not know who was and who was not exposed, the MOD cannot know

the extent of British troops' exposure. "

The Ministry of Defence said it was considering the findings of the

report.

" We will publish a paper in September reviewing the results of the

US modelling and our response to the GAO report, " a spokeswoman told

BBC News Online.

More than 5,000 British veterans who served in the Gulf War have

reported illnesses, which they believe may have been caused by

vaccines or exposure to chemicals.

The government has so far refused to acknowledge that Gulf War

syndrome exists.

Inquiry demand

The UK's National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent

Association renewed their calls for a public inquiry into gulf war

syndrome in light of the GAO findings.

" It is possible that the majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in

1991 may have been exposed to these chemicals, " said Shaun Rusling,

its vice chairman.

" We need a full public inquiry. The Ministry of Defence has known

about this for years. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3797201.stm

[Guest guest]

'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

Some 700,000 troops served in the 1990 Gulf War

More people may have been exposed to chemical warfare agents during

the 1990 Gulf War than previously thought, a report says.

The US government revealed in 1996 that some people may have been

exposed to chemicals when troops destroyed a stockpile of agents in

southern Iraq.

Officials said over 100,000 troops, including 9,000 Britons, may

have been affected.

But the US General Accounting Office says the figures could be much

higher.

The GAO is the investigative arm of the US Congress. It has carried

out an investigation into how the US and UK governments came up with

their figures on how many troops may been exposed to these agents.

The figures are largely based on how many troops were in the direct

path of the plume of smoke that was produced when these agents were

destroyed at Khamisiyah, in southern Iraq in 1991.

'Figures flawed'

But in a report, the GAO says the figures, which were drawn up by

the US Department of Defense, " cannot be adequately supported " .

It says the plume of smoke travelled further than officials have

suggested.

The majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in 1991 may have been

exposed to these chemicals

Shaun Rusling,

National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent Association

" The plume heights used in the modelling were underestimated and so

were the hazard area, " it says.

The report dismisses the estimates on how many troops may have been

exposed to the agents as " uncertain, incomplete and non-validated " .

The report raises serious questions about UK government claims that

only 9,000 British troops were in the direct path of the plume of

smoke.

" Since the Ministry of Defence relied exclusively on Department of

Defense modelling and since we found that Department of Defense

could not know who was and who was not exposed, the MOD cannot know

the extent of British troops' exposure. "

The Ministry of Defence said it was considering the findings of the

report.

" We will publish a paper in September reviewing the results of the

US modelling and our response to the GAO report, " a spokeswoman told

BBC News Online.

More than 5,000 British veterans who served in the Gulf War have

reported illnesses, which they believe may have been caused by

vaccines or exposure to chemicals.

The government has so far refused to acknowledge that Gulf War

syndrome exists.

Inquiry demand

The UK's National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent

Association renewed their calls for a public inquiry into gulf war

syndrome in light of the GAO findings.

" It is possible that the majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in

1991 may have been exposed to these chemicals, " said Shaun Rusling,

its vice chairman.

" We need a full public inquiry. The Ministry of Defence has known

about this for years. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3797201.stm

[Guest guest]

A buddy of mine that was over in Iraq the first time said he guarded burning oil

wells in Kuwait.

He went into convulsions and they had to give him steriods and they cut out

about a fourth of his

left lung and showed it to him. He said he could rap it on the table like a

stick. It took a long time

for him to get on his feet.

Another fellow I worked with at Dell Computers that was also over there had some

strange fluid that filled

his lungs and was also on a barrage of drugs. He looked so bad it was painful to

be around him.

Jim

'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

Some 700,000 troops served in the 1990 Gulf War

More people may have been exposed to chemical warfare agents during

the 1990 Gulf War than previously thought, a report says.

The US government revealed in 1996 that some people may have been

exposed to chemicals when troops destroyed a stockpile of agents in

southern Iraq.

Officials said over 100,000 troops, including 9,000 Britons, may

have been affected.

But the US General Accounting Office says the figures could be much

higher.

The GAO is the investigative arm of the US Congress. It has carried

out an investigation into how the US and UK governments came up with

their figures on how many troops may been exposed to these agents.

The figures are largely based on how many troops were in the direct

path of the plume of smoke that was produced when these agents were

destroyed at Khamisiyah, in southern Iraq in 1991.

'Figures flawed'

But in a report, the GAO says the figures, which were drawn up by

the US Department of Defense, " cannot be adequately supported " .

It says the plume of smoke travelled further than officials have

suggested.

The majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in 1991 may have been

exposed to these chemicals

Shaun Rusling,

National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent Association

" The plume heights used in the modelling were underestimated and so

were the hazard area, " it says.

The report dismisses the estimates on how many troops may have been

exposed to the agents as " uncertain, incomplete and non-validated " .

The report raises serious questions about UK government claims that

only 9,000 British troops were in the direct path of the plume of

smoke.

" Since the Ministry of Defence relied exclusively on Department of

Defense modelling and since we found that Department of Defense

could not know who was and who was not exposed, the MOD cannot know

the extent of British troops' exposure. "

The Ministry of Defence said it was considering the findings of the

report.

" We will publish a paper in September reviewing the results of the

US modelling and our response to the GAO report, " a spokeswoman told

BBC News Online.

More than 5,000 British veterans who served in the Gulf War have

reported illnesses, which they believe may have been caused by

vaccines or exposure to chemicals.

The government has so far refused to acknowledge that Gulf War

syndrome exists.

Inquiry demand

The UK's National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent

Association renewed their calls for a public inquiry into gulf war

syndrome in light of the GAO findings.

" It is possible that the majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in

1991 may have been exposed to these chemicals, " said Shaun Rusling,

its vice chairman.

" We need a full public inquiry. The Ministry of Defence has known

about this for years. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3797201.stm

[Guest guest]

A buddy of mine that was over in Iraq the first time said he guarded burning oil

wells in Kuwait.

He went into convulsions and they had to give him steriods and they cut out

about a fourth of his

left lung and showed it to him. He said he could rap it on the table like a

stick. It took a long time

for him to get on his feet.

Another fellow I worked with at Dell Computers that was also over there had some

strange fluid that filled

his lungs and was also on a barrage of drugs. He looked so bad it was painful to

be around him.

Jim

'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'

Some 700,000 troops served in the 1990 Gulf War

More people may have been exposed to chemical warfare agents during

the 1990 Gulf War than previously thought, a report says.

The US government revealed in 1996 that some people may have been

exposed to chemicals when troops destroyed a stockpile of agents in

southern Iraq.

Officials said over 100,000 troops, including 9,000 Britons, may

have been affected.

But the US General Accounting Office says the figures could be much

higher.

The GAO is the investigative arm of the US Congress. It has carried

out an investigation into how the US and UK governments came up with

their figures on how many troops may been exposed to these agents.

The figures are largely based on how many troops were in the direct

path of the plume of smoke that was produced when these agents were

destroyed at Khamisiyah, in southern Iraq in 1991.

'Figures flawed'

But in a report, the GAO says the figures, which were drawn up by

the US Department of Defense, " cannot be adequately supported " .

It says the plume of smoke travelled further than officials have

suggested.

The majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in 1991 may have been

exposed to these chemicals

Shaun Rusling,

National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent Association

" The plume heights used in the modelling were underestimated and so

were the hazard area, " it says.

The report dismisses the estimates on how many troops may have been

exposed to the agents as " uncertain, incomplete and non-validated " .

The report raises serious questions about UK government claims that

only 9,000 British troops were in the direct path of the plume of

smoke.

" Since the Ministry of Defence relied exclusively on Department of

Defense modelling and since we found that Department of Defense

could not know who was and who was not exposed, the MOD cannot know

the extent of British troops' exposure. "

The Ministry of Defence said it was considering the findings of the

report.

" We will publish a paper in September reviewing the results of the

US modelling and our response to the GAO report, " a spokeswoman told

BBC News Online.

More than 5,000 British veterans who served in the Gulf War have

reported illnesses, which they believe may have been caused by

vaccines or exposure to chemicals.

The government has so far refused to acknowledge that Gulf War

syndrome exists.

Inquiry demand

The UK's National Gulf War Veterans and Families Benevolent

Association renewed their calls for a public inquiry into gulf war

syndrome in light of the GAO findings.

" It is possible that the majority of troops deployed in the Gulf in

1991 may have been exposed to these chemicals, " said Shaun Rusling,

its vice chairman.

" We need a full public inquiry. The Ministry of Defence has known

about this for years. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3797201.stm