Gulf War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gulf War - Essay Example Today there are reports that US administration deceived the rest of the world, because the suppressed photographs of Russian network showed that there was absolutely no danger to oil supply by the Iraqi forces. The truth of this statement is yet to be established beyond doubt, although this war became the inception of the present Gulf War. Iraq had the world's 4th largest army with the elite 'Republican Guard'. It was widely assumed that Iraq used chemical weapons against Kurds and Iran. The contagious bacteria connected with the chemical weapons became a threat to the region. Even though now we are in the throws of another Gulf War, it should not be forgotten that the first Gulf War has left behind a trail in the form of Gulf War Syndrome. Most of the forces returned by the spring of 1991 to their home countries with apparent good health, other than the injuries of a few soldiers. Slowly self-reported, real or assumed health symptoms started emerging out. American, Canadian and British soldiers who served in the first Gulf War seemed to have developed certain common ailments after the war, which are generally termed as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). The symptoms are varied, but if looked into, there is a common thread running in all of them. "These veterans "These veterans have been exposed to a variety of damaging or potentially damaging risk factors including environmental adversities, pesticides such as organophosphate chemicals, skin insect repellents, medical agents such as pyridostigmine bromide (NAPS), possible low-levels of chemical warfare agents, and multiple vaccinations in combinations, depleted uranium, and other factors" says a University Neurology Department paper of NHS Glasgow," http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgicmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9638279&dopt=Citation Many researches were conducted, findings of the clinical epidemiological studies were codified and now we have a remarkable knowledge of this syndrome that has bothered soldiers, their families and their physicians for a long time. With every new patient, old records were reviewed diligently. There were many studies that have tried to link them together so that one clear picture could emerge out of the entire problem. Soldiers were exposed to toxins, drugs, environmental hazards and many more risk factors and physicians feel that they have left behind strong negative affects on genetic and biological factors. Many of the researches have tried to find out the far reaching implications, including psychological affects left behind by the war. Some of them have questioned the safety level of the drugs used on soldiers as pain killers, or while treating the wounded soldiers. Some of the reviews have highlighted the importance of a combined approach, psychological as well as clinical while treating the problem. Emerging picture still is confusing and of little cohesion. It is also referred as "Chronic Multisystem Illness" according to Keiji Fukuda, in JAMA, Vol. 280, No. 11, September 16, 1998 (981-988). He had conducted well designed cross sectional survey of characters and symptoms with clinical evaluations, and research and he has arrived at the following conclusions: "Among currently active members of 4 Air Force populations, a chronic multisymptom condition was significantly associated with deployment