Gulf War I vets: Gulf War Syndrome

[Dirt McGirt]

Study: Sarin at root of Gulf War syndrome

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 29, 2007 6:22:58 EDT

As benefits administrators, officials and politicians argue the worthiness of studies on Gulf War syndrome, researchers say they have no doubts that they’ve found the root of the problem.

Sarin gas.

And they have advice for as many as 300,000 troops exposed to small doses of sarin in 1991: Don’t use bug spray, don’t smoke and don’t drink alcohol.

“Don’t do anything that would aggravate a normal, healthy body,” said Mohamed Abou-Donia, a neurobiology scientist at Duke University who conducted two studies for the Army.

Research released in early May showed that 13 soldiers exposed to small amounts of sarin gas in the 1991 Gulf War had 5 percent less white brain matter — connective tissue — than soldiers who had not been exposed. A complementary report showed that 140 soldiers who were exposed had the fine motor skills of someone 20 years older — what researchers called a “direct correlation” to exposure.

The data was the work of Roberta White, chairwoman of the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health.
Full article here: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/05/military_sarin_gulfwar_070525w/

 

[Dirt McGirt]

I'm wondering if there were two culprits here, Sarin gas and exposure to depleted uranium.

 

[Gunny]

I'm wondering if there were two culprits here, Sarin gas and exposure to depleted uranium.

So let me get this straight ... Saddam had sarin gas and used it? Who'd have EVER thought THAT.

 

[CSM]

So let me get this straight ... Saddam had sarin gas and used it? Who'd have EVER thought THAT.

Actually, I do believe that the sarin was released when the US blew the big ammo dump; I have yet to hear anything that sarin was evident prior to that.

 

[Dirt McGirt]

So let me get this straight ... Saddam had sarin gas and used it? Who'd have EVER thought THAT.

Actually, I do believe that the sarin was released when the US blew the big ammo dump; I have yet to hear anything that sarin was evident prior to that.

You are correct CSM. The article states:

The debate over this issue goes back 16 years to when U.S. forces blew up the chemical munitions dump in Khamsiyah and released a plume of sarin gas to which thousands of U.S. troops were exposed — something the Pentagon denied until 1997.

As more research was done, and as veterans systematically sought details through the Freedom of Information Act, scientists showed Desert Storm vets exposed to sarin were at higher risk for brain cancer. And the veterans eventually showed the Pentagon knew that as many as 300,000 service members had breathed in small doses of the toxic fumes.

 

[Gunny]

You are correct CSM. The article states:

Thanks for the clarification. Either way, I can now justify to my significant other my poor social behavior as being the result of brain damage!

 

[CSM]

Thanks for the clarification. Either way, I can now justify to my significant other my poor social behavior as being the result of brain damage!

I suspect that aint it...I know I'm anti social simply because (to quote a nautical figure) "I ams what I ams".

I have to wonder though, how many other munitions were hidden in other dumps besides the one they blew up. Also, who the heck in their right mind would blow an ammo dump if they KNEW chemical munitions were stored there. I have heard that Saddam did not mark his chemical munitions appropriately (in accordance with international standards). I do not have any evidence either way but it would explain why the US military blew those munitions in place instead of treating them as chemical munitions.

 

[CSM]

After a wee bit of digging around:

"As reported by UNSCOM inspectors, the Iraqi chemical weapons inadvertently demolished by US troops at Khamisiyah had no CW-specific marking or colored bands. Furthermore, Iraqi munitions at Khamisiyah that did bear colored markings--as seen on US military photography--can be readily identified as non-CW munitions."

http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/cia_wp/

A truly interesting report if anyone really cares.

 

[Dirt McGirt]

I'm a little upset that the Pentagon would deny that they blew up the sarin gas site for 6 years. The military's initial approach to Gulf War Syndrome was that it was all psychological. Had the Pentagon just acknowledged that they blew up a plant containing sarin gas and that troops might have been exposed, they could have taken the appropriate steps for treatment in VA hospitals and given the appropriate medical ratings. After thinking about it for a day, I think that there really is no Gulf War Syndrome. What you really have is exposure to sarin gas, exposure to depleted uranium, and post traumatic stress disorder. All of the symptoms overlap. The doctors probably weren't familiar with diagnosing sarin gas or DU and probably were told that the Soldiers weren't exposed to it. DU studies back then were relatively new and the military had recently just switched over to depleted uranium from tungsten. So months later, you have Soldiers going to aid stations and hospitals reporting a wide range of symptoms and the doctors are baffled and call it a mystery illness.

 

[CSM]

I'm a little upset that the Pentagon would deny that they blew up the sarin gas site for 6 years. The military's initial approach to Gulf War Syndrome was that it was all psychological. Had the Pentagon just acknowledged that they blew up a plant containing sarin gas and that troops might have been exposed, they could have taken the appropriate steps for treatment in VA hospitals and given the appropriate medical ratings. After thinking about it for a day, I think that there really is no Gulf War Syndrome. What you really have is exposure to sarin gas, exposure to depleted uranium, and post traumatic stress disorder. All of the symptoms overlap. The doctors probably weren't familiar with diagnosing sarin gas or DU and probably were told that the Soldiers weren't exposed to it. DU studies back then were relatively new and the military had recently just switched over to depleted uranium from tungsten. So months later, you have Soldiers going to aid stations and hospitals reporting a wide range of symptoms and the doctors are baffled and call it a mystery illness.

I tend to agree except for one point. It is obvious to me that they did not know there was sarin in the ammo dump when they blew it. As I said, the Iraqiis did not mark their munitions as containing chemical weapons. Having said all that, you would think that the symptoms associated with exposure to chemical agents (especially in Iraq) would have been one of the things the medical branch would have looked at more seriously.

 

[TheStripey1]

I'm wondering if there were two culprits here, Sarin gas and exposure to depleted uranium.

Well... I am of the belief that more of the problem was caused by exposure to exploded depleted uranium munitions than to sarin gas...

 

[CSM]

Well... I am of the belief that more of the problem was caused by exposure to exploded depleted uranium munitions than to sarin gas...

Not being a doctor I wouldn't venture a guess but I do think that the combination of the three elements mentioned earlier (sarin, DU, and PTSD) could sure add up to a lot of the symptoms being experienced by vets/soldiers.

 

[TheStripey1]

Are they trying to say that every single person who suffers from GWS were exposed to sarin gas from that munitions dump? all 300,000 of them? and none of the GWS problems come from DU?

what about all the Iraqi cancer patients? were they also exposed to the same sarin gas? that's a mighty big cloud... mighty big...

 

[TheStripey1]

Not being a doctor I wouldn't venture a guess but I do think that the combination of the three elements mentioned earlier (sarin, DU, and PTSD) could sure add up to a lot of the symptoms being experienced by vets/soldiers.

still too early during this conflict for the DU caused cancers to rear their ugly heads... and considering that they used DU in urban settings this time, they should be a lot more prevelent than they were after GW1...

 

[TheStripey1]

when was the last time y'all discussed Depleted Uranium?

 

[Truthmatters]

It was probably both the sarin and DU, These people should get every medical advantage to deal with the repercussions of this shit either way.

The best of possible care!

 

[CSM]

still too early during this conflict for the DU caused cancers to rear their ugly heads... and considering that they used DU in urban settings this time, they should be a lot more prevelent than they were after GW1...

Possibly and certainly worth tracking.

 

[TheStripey1]

I have a lot of info on exploded Depleted Uranium Munitions and how it affects both our troops and the civilian populations of the countries where it has been used...

when was the last time y'all discussed it?

 

[CSM]

I have a lot of info on exploded Depleted Uranium Munitions and how it affects both our troops and the civilian populations of the countries where it has been used...

when was the last time y'all discussed it?

To whom are you directing that question?

 

[TheStripey1]

To whom are you directing that question?

all y'all... I'm new here remember? It's been a while since I've discussed DUM, that's why I'm asking.