http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule106/nov99/11-16-99/ngwr.htmTestimony of Paul Sullivan (now executive director Veterans for Common Sense which is presently suing the VA)
Executive Director
Before the
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee
Subcommittee on Health & Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
November 16, 1999I. Introduction
Chairman, members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the National Gulf War Resource Center regarding the adverse health effects of pyridostigmine bromide, an investigational new drug (IND) given to as many as 250,000 U.S. soldiers during the Gulf War in 1991.
Each time humans engage in warfare, almost everyone suffers, even some who at first may appear to have survived without visible injury or illness. Amid the chaos of gunfire since the start of the Gulf War in 1990, some laws regarding human rights and medical experimentation have fallen short, fallen silent, or been disregarded. In hindsight, the history of Gulf War may show the well-intended use of PB pills backfired.
Similarly, the demolition of Iraqi chemical warfare agent stockpiles, the use of depleted uranium ammunition, and the presence of other toxins could very well represent the world’s largest friendly fire incidents all rolled into one never-ending conflict.Today, the NGWRC urges Congress, based on new information released by the Department of Defense (DoD), to reexamine the utility of current research and benefits laws that have failed to adequately address Gulf War veterans’ illnesses.
The mission of the NGWRC is very narrow: request our government to determine why so many of our comrades are ill and disabled, to provide medical treatment to those in need, to provide compensation to the disabled, and to learn from mistakes made in the Gulf War so that future toxic exposures and illnesses may be reduced or prevented.
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Led by Senator John Rockefeller, the panel’s staff reached a firm conclusion that
… pyridostigmine bromide pretreatment makes individuals more vulnerable to other nerve agents, such as VX and Sarin.
Sarin, cyclosarin, and mustard agents were released into the air as a result of post-cease fire demolitions efforts by U.S. troops, including two such incidents at Khamisiyah, Iraq on March 4 and March 10, 1991. Many others remain under DoD investigation.Shortly after Senator Rockefeller’s report was released, the DoD and VA began additional medical research into the PB pills, with total appropriations of $20 million since 1994. This is commendable, yet DoD failures between 1990 and 1994 cost years of precious time for Gulf War veterans seeking answers and treatment.
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