97535. DoD Says 98,910 Exposed to Low Levels of Nerve Agent

By Douglas J. Gillert
American Forces Press Service

        WASHINGTON -- Ten months after estimating 20,000 U.S. 
soldiers may have been exposed to Iraqi nerve gas during the 
Persian Gulf War, DoD revised the figure to 98,910. Despite the 
dramatic rise in numbers, however, officials said they still 
cannot link reported health problems to the sarin nerve agent.
        Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said July 24 there is no 
clinical evidence troops were exposed, and even if they had been 
exposed, long-term effects were unlikely. "Current medical 
evidence indicates that long-term health problems are not likely 
from brief low-level exposure to nerve agents," he said.
        The possibility of low-level chemical exposure occurred when 
soldiers demolished an Iraqi weapons cache at Khamisiyah, Iraq, 
March 10, 1991. Since announcing the Khamisiyah incident in June 
1996, DoD and the CIA have worked jointly to determine how far 
the plume of vaporized nerve agent produced by the weapons 
destruction traveled. They estimated prevailing winds would have 
carried the nerve gas cloud over a much larger area than was 
previously thought, primarily in a southerly direction into 
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Determining this area and the troops who 
were in it became known as the Khamisiyah plume analysis.
        Officials now conclude:
        o Soldiers destroyed about 500 of 1,200 unmarked chemical 
rockets in an open pit at Khamisiyah.
        o Only 18 percent of the nerve agent was released into the 
atmosphere.
        o Nerve agent released was composed of 1 percent that 
vaporized, 1 percent that was released as liquid droplets, 6 
percent that evaporated from soil and 10 percent that evaporated 
from wood.
        "We're confident of the accuracy of the analysis released 
[July 24] because of the rigor of the scientific research we've 
applied to better understanding this event," said Bernard 
Rostker, DoD special assistant for Gulf War illnesses.
        Just as they did for the 20,000, Rostker said, DoD officials 
will begin next week contacting the larger group of veterans for 
interviews and invite them to register in either the DoD or 
Department of Veterans Affairs clinical investigation programs.
        A VA scientist reiterated no U.S. units were close enough to 
the demolitions to experience any noticeable health effects at 
the time of the event. "As we understand it today, there were no 
risks or very low risks [to U.S. service members]," Susan Mather 
said. "At this point in time, we feel that these levels are very 
near where industrial workers would be exposed and not experience 
health problems."
        According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention calculations for the general population, 35 
milligram-minutes (the application of one milligram during one 
minute) of sarin per cubic meter will incapacitate an individual, 
and 100 milligram-minutes per cubic meter will produce 
fatalities. DoD officials calculate the dose of agent in the Gulf 
War was greater than the general population level of 0.01296 
milligram-minutes of sarin per cubic meter, but well below the 
noticeable health affects level of one milligram-minute per cubic 
meter. They estimated the range of exposure based on CIA computer 
models.
        Officials know the immediate effects of sarin exposure, but 
not what the long-term effects might be -- or if low-level 
exposure is behind the reported illnesses of thousands of Gulf 
War veterans. Backed by widespread government and private 
epidemiological research, Rostker's office is investigating and 
publishing reports on incidents that could shed light on the 
illnesses. Rostker also has opened a dialog with thousands of 
Gulf War veterans through meetings, telephone interviews and the 
Internet.
        "As the president has directed, we will leave no stone 
unturned in our investigation," Rostker told reporters at the 
Pentagon. "We have several investigations ongoing and welcome any 
information people have which will contribute to our efforts," he 
said. "Much of what we know about incidents like Khamisiyah is 
directly related to information we've received from Gulf War 
veterans." He urged veterans with information to contact either 
DoD at (800) 796-9699 or VA at (800) 749-8387.
        "The health of Gulf War veterans is extremely important to 
us," Rostker said. "DoD and VA are committed to providing the 
best possible medical care to all veterans and equally committed 
to gaining a full understanding of all the possible health 
effects of service during the war. As we learn more about the 
events during the Gulf War, we will continue to keep veterans 
informed."
        More information about Gulf War illness investigations is at 
DoD's "GulfLink" web site, http://www.gulflink.osd.mil.




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This map depicts a computer modeling of possible exposure to the nerve agent sarin by U.S. troops exploding Iraqi rockets in an open pit at Khamisiyah, Iraq, March 10, 1991. The darker area, where first noticeable effects would have been felt, is approximately 10 miles long by three miles wide.

This map depicts modeling of a computer analysis of the plume of vaporized nerve agent created when troops destroyed sarin-laced rockets in the Khamisiyah pit. Based on multiple Central Intelligence Agency computer models, the "low level exposure area" represents the estimated size and direction of the plume immediately following the destruction of weapons at Khamisiyah.