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November 7, 2014

Report: Pentagon Failed to Act After 600 U.S. Troops Reported Chemical Exposure in Iraq 
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A new probe finds the Pentagon has failed to act on claims by more than
600 U.S. servicemembers who have reported being exposed to chemical
weapons in Iraq since 2003. The numbers came to light through an
internal Pentagon review after a New York Times report last month found
the Bush administration concealed the discovery of chemical weapons in
Iraq that had been developed with U.S. support in the 1980s — and
then denied medical care to the wounded U.S. soldiers involved. The
initial report put the number of injured soldiers at 17, but the
Pentagon's own records now reveal that 629 servicemembers described
suspected exposure to chemical agents on post-combat health surveys.
According to the Times, after years of failing to properly track or
treat the victims, the Pentagon will now launch outreach efforts,
including a hotline.

 

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