Reuters!--But they are wrong about the IOM report, which said there is no evidence one way or the other on anthrax and bot tox vaccine and long term symptoms.

[Guest guest]

http://news.24.com/News24/Health/Health_News/0,1113,2-14-660_957763,00.html

22/12/2000 10:42 - (SA)

'Gulf War Syndrome report a cover-up'

Suzanne Rostler

New York - A panel ordered by

President Bill Clinton to oversee the

Pentagon's investigation into Gulf War syndrome has

found that stress

may be a primary cause of the headaches, memory loss,

nervous

system disorders, chronic fatigue and other

unexplained symptoms

described by thousands of veterans of the war.

But in a three-page dissent, Dr Vinh Cam, one of the

board's seven

members, called the conclusion " a blatant

misrepresentation " . And a

veterans group called the conclusion " the biggest

cover-up of the

century " , likening the finding to " criminal and

medical negligence " as

well as " treason " .

" The Department of Defence has made a fatal error in

relegating these

diseases to the stress of a 100-hour war. The vets

know they and

their families are sick as a result of biological

warfare or experimental

vaccines, " said Joyce Riley, a spokesperson for the

American Gulf War

Veterans Association.

" This is the biggest cover-up of the century. It is

not only the spoilage

of records, it is criminal and medical negligence. We

are aiding and

abetting the enemy by not caring for these soldiers,

and this is defined

as treason, " she said.

The 90-page report released this week concludes that

" stress is likely a

primary cause of illness in at least some Gulf War

veterans. "

It also found that that the Defence Department " worked

diligently " to

investigate potential causes of the mysterious illness

and has not

deliberately withheld information from the general

public or from

veterans. Rather, the Department " has made an

extraordinary effort to

publicise its findings through the publication of

reports and newsletters,

public outreach meetings, briefings to veterans and

active duty service

members, " and the creation of a toll-free hotline and

a website.

Veterans' groups have charged that the government is

hiding

information about Iraqi chemical warfare agents to

which veterans of

the 1991 war may have been exposed. An estimated $300

million has

been spent to investigate possible causes for the

syndrome, including

vaccinations, chemical and biological weapons, oil

well fires, desert

sand and anti-nerve agent tablets.

So far, no specific cause for these symptoms has been

identified. In

September, the Institute of Medicine issued a report

concluding there

is no scientific evidence that long-term health

problems suffered by

Gulf War veterans can be linked to exposure to such

chemicals and

vaccines as the nerve agent sarin, the drug

pyridostigmine bromide,

depleted uranium, and anthrax and botulism vaccines.

This week's report called for more research into the

mysterious

syndrome.