The Scotsman 11/17/04

An independent inquiry into illnesses suffered by veterans of the first Gulf War today called on the Ministry of Defence finally to recognise the existence of a "Gulf War syndrome"..

The inquiry, headed by the former law lord Lord Lloyd of Berwick, said it was clear the cocktail of health problems suffered by an estimated 6,000 veterans were a direct result of their service in the 1991 conflict.

It urged the MoD to establish a special fund to make one-off compensation payments to those affected.

The inquiry's report was warmly welcomed by Gulf veterans who called on the Government to accept its findings.

Tony Flint, of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, said: "To have Gulf War syndrome recognised means a hell of a lot to us.

"We've said all along that it exists--now we have an eminent body saying it as well.

"We call on the Ministry of Defence to accept the conclusions of the committee and take on board its recommendations."

Veteran Noel Baker added: "This report vindicates the veterans and it shows that we are not malingerers, we are not making it up-- there is a real problem."

The inquiry report admitted it had not been able to establish the scientific cause of the various symptoms suffered by the veterans, but said that should not prevent the acceptance that there was a "Gulf War syndrome".

It said that studies carried out by the MoD had shown that veterans who had served in the Gulf were twice as likely to suffer from ill-health as those who had not.

"We can see no good reason why they (the MoD) should not accept Gulf War syndrome," the report said.

"It does not imply a single disease with a single cause. It will not expose them to any new claims. It will make no practical difference. But it will make a great difference to the veterans and their families, if only for symbolic reasons."

Lord Lloyd told a news conference at Westminster to launch the report that even if there was more than one cause for the problems suffered by the veterans, there was no medical reason why they should not be described as a syndrome.

"Gulf War Syndrome means something, it has a certain resonance," he said. "As they (the veterans) are the ones who are ill it seems reasonable that they should name their disease.

"There is no medical objection to it and it is the name which seems to be the most convenient."

The report said that more scientific research was needed into the causes of the various conditions suffered by the veterans.

The most likely explanation was that they were the result of a combination of factors which had had a "potentiating effect on each other".

These included multiple injections of vaccines, including anthrax and plague; the indiscriminate use of organophosphate pesticides to spray tents; low level exposure to nerve gases such as sarin; and the inhalation of depleted uranium dust.

"All these causes are directly related to the veterans' service in the Gulf, in what was a very toxic environment. No other possible causes have been proposed," Lord Lloyd said.

The inquiry was set up at the request of Labour peer Lord Morris of Manchester, the parliamentary adviser to the Royal British Legion, after the MoD refused an official inquiry.

The MoD prevented serving military personnel and officials from appearing before the inquiry although it did submit written evidence.

However, the inquiry was still able to take evidence from former personnel including the commander of the British forces in the Gulf, General Sir Peter de la Billiere, scientific experts, and some 35 veterans or their families.

Lord Lloyd was scathing about the MoD's failure to co-operate fully with his investigation.

"The MoD thus lost a valuable opportunity to start the process of reconciliation with the ill veterans, an opportunity which would have cost them nothing," he said.

Asked if he thought the MoD should apologise to the veterans, he said: "No doubt if they take our recommendations to heart and set up a fund to compensate the veterans that will be tantamount to an apology."

Lord Morris today hailed the report and said that the inquiry showed that it was possible to challenge the Government if it would not accept the case for an official investigation into a particular issue of concern.

"Until now, if executive government refused an independent inquiry it was 'end of story'. Lord Lloyd's report ends that veto. We owe this tilting of the balance against executive government principally to him and those who have worked in fellowship with him," he said.

The Ministry of Defence today said it had just received Lord Lloyd's report and would consider its response once it had had a chance to fully assess his findings.