MoD silenced witness of nerve gas death - UK

[dArKeR]

A witness of the death by nerve gas of a serviceman during military experiments was silenced with the threat of jail, according to The Observer.

Alfred Thornhill said he watched his colleague Ronald Maddison die after Ministry of Defence scientists used him as a guinea pig to test the nerve agent Sarin.

Although the 20-year-old Royal Air Force engineer died in 1953, ministry scientists continued testing nerve agents on some 3,000 servicemen until 1989.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/24by7panews/page.cfm?objectid=13457052&method=full&siteid=50143

[moof]

1. How is this not a crime against humanity?

If nerve agents are against the Geneva conventions then how do the various terrorist nations get away with having these WMDs on hand.

[tlcandie]

2. Because they volunteered? Because the services 'OWN'

you while you are within their realm? :shrug: :puke: Many Americans have lost their lives or quality of life at minimal due to experiments as well.

[leesa]

5. Because the military grunts are not regarded as human beings?

Just a guess. The reason terrorists groups like the US military get away with having WMDs is because we the people allow them to do things like exempt our military from the rules of war and humanitarian concerns

[hussar]

3. I knew guys who volunteered for Porton Down

back in the mid 70's, they came back with horror stories of being pricked with some strange substance and having huge blisters appear.

The military used money as an incentive to volunteer and I think it was considered I cushy number.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. I know experimental drugs were used in Vietnam.

The entire 1st Cav was an experimental group for a new anti-malaria drug. We had to take it every day--no opportunity to volunteer or decline it--and didn't think much about it. It was only a pill after all...