[CPEO-MEF] CHEMWEAPONS, GLOBAL: "Army Apologizes to Troops Exposed to US-Designed Chemical Weapons in Iraq"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Army Apologizes to Troops Exposed to US-Designed Chemical Weapons in  
Iraq


by Andrew Emett
Nation of Change
March 27, 2015

In response to a New York Times investigation, the undersecretary of  
the Army apologized this week for the military’s mishandling of more  
than 600 service members who reportedly suffered from chemical  
exposure in Iraq. After being exposed to potentially lethal amounts  
of sulfur mustard and sarin gas, US troops often received inadequate  
medical treatment, gag orders, and found themselves ineligible for  
Purple Heart medals. Due to the fact that many of the chemical  
weapons were American-designed artillery shells manufactured in  
European countries, the Pentagon neglected to inform the Senate  
Select Committee on Intelligence of the proliferation of dangerous  
chemical munitions being uncovered in Iraq.

On May 15, 2004, then-Staff Sgt. James Burns of the 752nd Explosive  
Ordnance Disposal Company and Pfc. Michael Yandell were exposed to  
sarin gas from a 152-millimeter binary sarin shell. After receiving  
substandard medical treatment, Sgt. Burns and Pfc. Yandell returned  
to the field and began suffering long-term symptoms of nerve agent  
exposure. Burns’ medical records from late 2004 described memory  
lapses, reading difficulties, problems with balance, and tingling in  
his legs.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/03/27/army-apologizes-to-troops- 
exposed-to-us-designed-chemical-weapons-in-iraq/

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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