Coalition Servicemen Suffer from Gulf War Syndrome

Servicemen may even sue the defense ministry

Four British servicemen may sue the US Defense Ministry in connection with the Gulf War syndrome. The British newspaper The Times reported that symptoms of the Gulf War syndrome first appeared in 1991. The syndrome is connected with the vaccination that is meant to protect servicemen from biological weapons. Several coalition soldiers in Iraq suffer from the same symptoms currently, their ailments range from depression to eczema and breathing problems. Solicitor Mark McGhee, who represents four unidentified servicemen, said that he had personally dealt with 400 veterans of the first Iraqi campaign. "The symptoms which these individuals are experiencing are identical to those of the individuals I represent in relation to the first Gulf War conflict," he said.

A spokesman for the US Defense Ministry stated that the ministry did not have any information of those certain incidents. An official also emphasized that all soldiers that return home from Iraq undergo a detailed medical examination.

Charles Plumridge, of the Gulf Veterans and Families Association said that four servicemen complained of the Gulf War syndrome, and two of them had not even been sent to Iraq on account of serious vaccination consequences. Another soldier had to return from Iraq ten days after he had been dispatched there. Plumridge also said that doctors made five injections to every serviceman, and then repeated the anti-anthrax vaccination five or ten days later. Charles Plumridge urged the government to reconsider the vaccination policy.