Congressman Gives Evidence at Gulf 'syndrome' Inquiry

Unlocking the secrets of illnesses suffered by veterans of the first Gulf war - which have been described by some as a "syndrome" - could help to thwart a chemical terror attack, a US congressman said today.

Bernie Sanders, an independent congressman for Vermont, also claimed research into the illnesses may help millions who suffer with ailments connected to exposure to large numbers of chemicals.

Mr Sanders is part of a US delegation that is this week giving evidence to Lord Lloyd of Berwick's Gulf war illnesses independent inquiry, which is in its third week. The former US presidential candidate, Ross Perot - a fierce critic of the 1991 conflict - will give evidence tomorrow.

In his evidence, Mr Sanders explained how, initially, US soldiers had been branded "malingerers and liars" when they reported the symptoms of "Gulf war syndrome" following the 1991 conflict.

In a statement, he said: "From 100,000 to 125,000 US service members are affected out of a total of some 700,000 that served in theatre."

He also referred to the findings of a US body, the general accounting office (GAO), which has stated that techniques used by British and US authorities to estimate levels of troop exposure to chemicals were flawed.

The GAO report refers to the bombing and demolition of Iraqi facilities in the first Gulf war, which resulted in the release of plumes of smoke containing chemical agents. The bombing in question took place in Khamisiyah, and its effects included the destruction of weapons containing nerve agents such as sarin.

In June 1996, the US Department of Defence (DoD) estimated that just 300-400 US troops had participated in the demolition of the Khamisiyah Bunker 73.

However, using results based on computer modelling, the US government had, four years later, revised its estimate to suggest that 101,752 of its troops had potentially been exposed.

"I understand that the British Ministry of Defence used the American models to estimate how many of your [British] soldiers were exposed when it determined that the total number of troops as 'definitely' within the path of the plume was about 3,800," Mr Sanders said in his statement.

"In addition, they found that, of 53,500 British troops deployed, at least 44,000 were estimated as 'definitely not' within the path of the plume."

He added: "However, since the MoD relied exclusively on the DoD's modelling, it is clear that the number of British troops exposed is also an open question and likely to be much higher than officially estimated."

Of the wider implications of potentially finding out the causes of the alleged syndrome - which the MoD has never accepted exists - he said: "In our modern society, all of us are exposed to a large number of chemicals, and those chemicals may be connected to diseases for which we currently have no treatment, like chronic fatigue syndrome. So this research may have some broader relevance for the civilian sector."

Discussing a potential terrorist attack, he added: "We need to know how to treat such exposures before we are confronted with potentially hundreds of thousands of affected civilians.

"The same research should lead to the development of therapeutic substances that could prevent the lethal effect of these agents in the event of a chemical war attack."

Earlier, at a news conference, Mr Sanders said he had spoken to "hundreds" of veterans from his own state of Vermont who were suffering "serious illnesses".

He compared the situation to that of second world war veterans who had been exposed to radiation, and those hit by agent orange in Vietnam.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Perot said troops who had been close to Saddam Hussein's ammunition dumps when they were destroyed during the first Gulf conflict were more likely to fall ill.

"There is a fascinating correlation between proximity of the troops and the way the wind was blowing - there is a high incidence close to the bunkers," he said.

The billionaire Texan ran in the 1992 presidential elections, earning 19% of the popular vote to make him the most successful third-party candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Analysts argued he tipped the election for the Democratic party's successful challenger, Bill Clinton.

Dr Keith Rhodes, one of the US experts, rejected suggestions that veterans were simply suffering from stress. "Stress does not yield physiological changes in the brain," he said.

The Lloyd inquiry follows the government's refusal to grant an official public inquiry into the issue. Lord Lloyd, a 75-year-old former Lord Justice of Appeal, was asked to head an inquiry by Lord Morris of Manchester, an adviser to the British Legion which has, for many years, called for an inquiry.

The inquiry has been held in public and has already heard from veterans, medical and science expert, MPs and peers. The Conservative party's defence spokesman, Nicholas Soames, was also among those giving evidence today.