Since the cessation of hostilities in the 1990-91 Gulf War, hundreds if not thousands, of Gulf personnel have been plagued by ill health. Many of these once fit and healthy men and women have confirmed that they are suffering from an array of distressing medical conditions. Many veterans have been linked to high death, car crash and suicide rates as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration. In addition to this misery, and most distressing for all concerned, is the emerging evidence concerning the reproductive health of veterans and the effect this may have on their ability to produce healthy children.
For average folk on the street the Gulf war ended in 1991; for most of the individuals who gave loyal service, this is not the case. When they returned home a new front opened up and now personal battles are being waged on local ground in towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom. Their battle is for justice and recognition of their suffering. They want their ill health to be recognised, accepted and treated without delay.
Anyone who has ever joined the armed forces readily accepts that they may be sent to war. War is a messy business; people get displaced, property gets damaged or destroyed, and combatants get injured or killed. Our violent and changing world dictates that sooner or later a flash point will emerge and that British troops will be sent to intervene, as happened when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The illegal occupation was met with a force of some 55,000 plus British military personnel. Many who took part in the “mother of all battles” now believe that this was a defining moment in the eteology of Gulf War Syndrome.
It is said that the Gulf War was the most toxic battlefield in history.
It is not difficult to see why. It is now thought that Gulf War ill health is linked to an individual’s personal experiences of where he/she was located and what function they performed. It is well documented that the Iraqi regime held a vast arsenal of biological and chemical weapons. These hideous products had been used in the past and may well have been used again. In response to this threat, British military personnel and their civilian support staff underwent a battery of medical countermeasures. New vaccines containing experimental adjuvants were rolled out and the multiple vaccination strategy became the answer to the battle planner’s fears. Nerve Agent Pre-treatment Sets were handed out like sweets from a corner shop. Troops adopted and accepted the daily routine of taking the pills in addition to their food. The victim in the rush to enforce prophylactics was accountability and entries into medical records were ignored, lost or even destroyed.
Many chemical weapon facilities and storage sites were destroyed during the war. Troops suspect that their presence in the downwind footprint area may be to blame for their misfortune. Low-level allied bombing may have taken care of the Iraqi WMD threat, but it may have also inadvertently served to aid the enemy by distributing the diluted yet toxic load throughout coalition areas.
New weapons appeared on the battlefield and promises were given about their worth. Depleted uranium emerged as the wonder weapon. Little did we know about its history and dubious past. In stealth, and with precision, Iraqi targets were destroyed and in doing so we unleashed a layer of toxic dust that shrouded the land. Veterans now present with positive readings for exposure to depleted uranium and chromosome aberration results get scrawled on medical research papers in their sight.
All of these factors have now become irrelevant to the veterans. They feel betrayed, battle weary and they have already made up their minds as to what has made them ill. For the most part their suspicions have been endorsed as new reports set the machinery of an uninterested government into motion. Evidence released in America by the Presidential Advisory Committee was followed by the British Lord Lloyd Inquiry. This has added weight to the battle cry of campaigners that has kept the issues in the public eye so far.
It is with a heavy heart that I write this article and I try to remain positive as I attempt to explore the issues in order to further our cause. Once you have read this article please do not discard it, take time to read it again and think of the loyal service that the Gulf veterans have given on your behalf. Time is now short for many of us so attributing blame is pointless. Medical assessment, treatment and compensation will suffice.
