Gulf War illness 'chemical link'

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

There is evidence linking chronic health problems suffered by Gulf War veterans to exposure to pesticides and nerve agents, US research has found.

A third of veterans of the 1991 war experienced fatigue, muscle or joint pain, sleeping problems, rashes and breathing troubles, the research found.
***
It found evidence linking the problems to a particular class of chemicals.

These were an anti-nerve gas agent given to troops, pesticides used to control sand-flies, and the nerve-gas sarin that troops may have been exposed to during the demolition of a weapons depot.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7288902.stm

---

Finally! Statistics trump spin!

[laconicsax]

1. I saw something a while ago linking it to depleted uranium...

what with the radiation and chromosomal damage it causes.

[FogerRox]

2. depleted uranium...is a heavy metal which actually causes more problems

with the human nervous systems, than uranium...which has been .. . . depleted.

[laconicsax]

11. Depleted uranium is far from radiologically inert

Feel free to learn.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4406.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/568234.stm
http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/index.html

[JohnnyLib2]

3. Deja vu, Agent Orange.

:grr:

[fascisthunter]

4. Oh Look! They Found the WMD's After All.....!

Yeah... our Government Gives a Shit about our Troops. Let's experiment on the soldiers..... why not!

A-holes

[Trillo]

5. Wasn't this link debunked,

like hundreds of times by "experts" back in the 90s?

[KT2000]

9. No

the link was said not to exist because there was no pre-existing research to provide the link. Not doing research is how most health effects are not linked, therefore no corporation can be held liable.

It is because of this kind of lack of research that the ATSDR has never found a link between toxic pollutants and clusters of cancer and other illnesses.

Recent research has found that a percentage of the population is not able to handle a large amount of organophosphate chemicals. Soldiers were exposed to those chemicals through many sources: they used bug sprays on their clothes, some wore flea collars; their tents were sprayed; the weapons depots that were bombed released nerve gas.

Another way to deny links is to note combinations of exposures. No research is done on combinations.

[fed-up]

6. March 10 is anniversary of Khamisiyah demolitions-and testimony before House Vets Affairs Comm 1999

http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule106/nov99/11-16-99/ngwr.htm

Testimony of Paul Sullivan (now executive director Veterans for Common Sense which is presently suing the VA)
Executive Director
Before the
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee
Subcommittee on Health & Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

November 16, 1999

I. Introduction

Chairman, members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the National Gulf War Resource Center regarding the adverse health effects of pyridostigmine bromide, an investigational new drug (IND) given to as many as 250,000 U.S. soldiers during the Gulf War in 1991.

Each time humans engage in warfare, almost everyone suffers, even some who at first may appear to have survived without visible injury or illness. Amid the chaos of gunfire since the start of the Gulf War in 1990, some laws regarding human rights and medical experimentation have fallen short, fallen silent, or been disregarded. In hindsight, the history of Gulf War may show the well-intended use of PB pills backfired.

Similarly, the demolition of Iraqi chemical warfare agent stockpiles, the use of depleted uranium ammunition, and the presence of other toxins could very well represent the world’s largest friendly fire incidents all rolled into one never-ending conflict.

Today, the NGWRC urges Congress, based on new information released by the Department of Defense (DoD), to reexamine the utility of current research and benefits laws that have failed to adequately address Gulf War veterans’ illnesses.

The mission of the NGWRC is very narrow: request our government to determine why so many of our comrades are ill and disabled, to provide medical treatment to those in need, to provide compensation to the disabled, and to learn from mistakes made in the Gulf War so that future toxic exposures and illnesses may be reduced or prevented.

..snip

Led by Senator John Rockefeller, the panel’s staff reached a firm conclusion that

… pyridostigmine bromide pretreatment makes individuals more vulnerable to other nerve agents, such as VX and Sarin.

Sarin, cyclosarin, and mustard agents were released into the air as a result of post-cease fire demolitions efforts by U.S. troops, including two such incidents at Khamisiyah, Iraq on March 4 and March 10, 1991. Many others remain under DoD investigation.

Shortly after Senator Rockefeller’s report was released, the DoD and VA began additional medical research into the PB pills, with total appropriations of $20 million since 1994. This is commendable, yet DoD failures between 1990 and 1994 cost years of precious time for Gulf War veterans seeking answers and treatment.

..snip

[femmedem]

7. Joint pain doesn't begin to describe what my Gulf War vet friend's going through..

First he complained of odd tingling in his extremeties. Now he's on full disability and walks like he's a 110 years old. Takes him long minutes to get in or out of his car. No explanation.

A decade ago he sure could dance.

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. Depleted Uranium - It will probably be decades before the truth is accepted.

.
.
.

It is bad shit.

And used on purpose by ONLY the US in ammunition, as even wasted munitions will poison the land, water, and citizens of the country for centuries long after hostilities are ended.

Sorta like leaving unseen gas-chambers behind.

USA Nomba One.

[OKthatsIT]

15. Vaccinations and toxic military bases in the States, too.

[tuckessee]

10. Could it be because they're getting older?

The passage of time tends to have an effect on people.

[merh]

12. They had the problems when they came home - young and proud

yet plagued by physical ailments they couldn't explain and the VA told them had nothing to do with their service.

The passage of time only makes them weary of the fight for what they are due.

[eppur_se_muova]

13. This is what multivariate statistical analysis is for.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multivariate_statistics

The effect of age (and several other factors) on the general population is known, and can be disentangled from other effects, **IF** the data sample is large enough. With thousands of soldiers displaying symptoms, a pretty thorough separation of effects should be possible, if one only asks the right questions of the data.

[appleannie1]

16. No. The onset of their problems was in some cases

withing months of their returning home. Many were still young when they became disabled. A friend of mine started out with tingling and numbness in extemities within a year of coming back from the war. Then red blood cells were not forming, causing the need for packed cell transfusions. This is something that can be directly linked to the war, not aging. And it was something they were exposed to by our own government. My cousin's son and his wife came home and started a family. They had twins so deformed they did not survive. Their military doctor advised never having any more children and said their case was not unique among vets of that war. He had delivered numerous babies like that. It was caused by 'something' they were exposed to.

[ConcernedCanuk]

18. Just asking the question, shows you and others how much your government hides from you

.
.
.

This board exists for people to share truths and facts.

Something our governments seem unable to do.

And yes, that includes my Canuk Government at the present

We have to do the "freedom of Information" inquiry on a regular basis now

Fascism on the march methinks.

[lligrd]

14. Finally Is Right, Unfortunately These Vets Have

suffered for years while being ridiculed and denied coverage. Our treatment of veterans is disgusting.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

17. "Our" treatment of veterans is disgusting.

In a nation of war mongers, ALL are veterans!
Denial preserves the status quo.