Report claims
Gulf War Syndrome exists
Sunday, 17 October
2004
Researchers in the United
States now say Gulf War Syndrome does exist.
Thousands of US and British soldiers who fought in the Gulf War in 1991 have
long claimed that they suffer from unexplained poor health.
But they have struggled to get governments on either side of the Atlantic
to recognise the syndrome.
A report by the Research Advisory Committee on gulf veterans' illnesses in
the United States says it does exist and that possible causes include exposure
to sarin gas from an Iraqi weapons depot or a drug given to troops to protect
against nerve gas.
The Committee's Doctor Robert W Haley says possible causes include exposure
to sarin gas from an Iraqi weapons depot or a drug given to troops to protect
against nerve gas.
"We've gotten sufficient research now in the United States to conclude that
at least the US troops with this illness have a real illness," Dr Haley said.
"It is probably caused by brain cell damage, we think most likely due to
exposure to neurotoxins during the war, namely sarin nerve gas in low levels,
pesticide exposures and ... anti nerve gas tablets."
The senior coordinator of the national Gulf War Veterans and Families Association
in Britain, Charles Plumridge, has welcomed the findings.
"Most Gulf veterans both in the States and in Britain have been claiming
this for many years but our claims seem to have fallen on deaf ears," Mr
Plumridge said.
"We're just hoping that this report will open people's ears and they will
listen to us in times to come."