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 | Today Programme Report - Text Only Version ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 |
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| Tuesday 8th June 2004 Gulf War Hunger Strike The Ministry of Defence has always denied the existence of 'Gulf War Syndrome' - a disorder that some veterans of the 1991 conflict claim they are suffering. For over a decade a group of British soldiers claim they became ill following their service in the Gulf War conflict of 1991. They believe the concoction of vaccines administered to the soldiers may be the root cause of their medical disorders. So far the British government has refused to hold a public inquiry into this issue. There is a variety of scientific opinion on whether such a condition even exists. One British army veteran is so angry with the government's response that he began a hunger strike six weeks ago. He says he will not stop until a public inquiry into Gulf War Syndrome begins. Alex Izett was given a series of vaccinations in quick succession for the 1991 Gulf War. Two years ago Today reported that a Pension Tribunal ruled the Osteoporosis he developed on leaving the military was caused by that concoction of drugs. The MOD refused to accept this finding. Mr Izett lives just down the road from British army barracks in Osnabruck .. Where he was once stationed in the Royal engineers. I arrive at his house at a difficult time, his family's trying to eat lunch - it's been 5 and a half weeks since food passed Alex Izett's lips. So far he's lost over two stones in weight. A pension tribunal ruled the concoction of drugs Mr Izett received for the gulf war of 1991 caused his osteoperosis, he hoped it would show the existence of gulf war syndrome, the MOD says it doesn't , that it merely showed the MOD couldn't prove that ill health was not caused by the injections .. the MOD says independent research has found no single cause for the illnesses that some gulf war veterans suffer . For 10 years Mr Izett has lived with a range of illnesses including depression, ulcers, fatigue and osteoperosis. He has a 70% war disability pension but he says it's not enough and worries that because it's not 80% if he dies his wife won't be entitled to get a widows pension. A couple of weeks ago, some time into his hunger strike he received a letter from the MOD urging him to reconsider his action. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is not responsible for external websites |
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