THE Ministry of Defence is to officially recognise Gulf War Syndrome following a 17-year campaign by ex-servicemen.
Defence Minister Lord Drayson made the admission in a `grovelling apology' to Manchester peer Lord Morris, who has led the way in highlighting problems faced by veterans of the 1990-91 conflict.
Lord Drayson said: "The issue of Gulf War Syndrome will be fully recognised by the Ministry of Defence and I accept on behalf of the MoD that this issue has not been handled well from the beginning.
"The department was slow to recognise the emerging ill- health issues and to put measures in place to address them. We have apologised for this and I repeat that apology today."
Some peers believe that what Lord Craig suggested was a `belated apology' was influenced by Gordon Brown who took a different view to his predecessor Tony Blair about the `undiagnosed' illnesses suffered by veterans.
Lord Morris, former MP for Wythenshawe, called for official recognition of the syndrome in the Lords, saying it was disquieting that 17 years on from the conflict wrangling with veterans over pensions still drags on, with no visible sign of closure.
He said it was deeply shaming that one Gulf War veteran, Terence Walker, had his pension slashed from 100 per cent to 40 per cent and died shortly after `in financial ruin'.
Lord Drayson said the MoD had written to veterans to tell them they can use the label Gulf War Syndrome and are now working with experts to develop a rehabilitation programme.
Lord Morris said later: "Nobody has ever before now said sorry to those veterans left in broken health and those bereaved after the most toxic war in British history."
Following a landmark ex-serviceman’s pension tribunal appeal in October 2005 the MoD has accepted gulf war syndrome as a "useful umbrella term" for conditions which are linked to the 1990/91 gulf conflict however they do not accept it exists as a separate disease.
An MoD spokesman said: "We have long accepted some veterans of the 1990/91 gulf conflict are ill and some of their ill health is related to their services."
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banksie, bolton (12/10/2007 at 14:02)
I recently went to a organised meeting which both the MOD attended. Mr Twigg explained a load of spin but accepted that we have to look after our veterans. I must addmit this is probably because of the way our soldiers returning from war zones are treated like caged pigs, and the public have seen what as far as I am concerned is a part of military life that has happened for years.
I have come to the conclusion that the goverment and the arrogant port drinkers in whitehall aand in the MOD should take the fingers out of their backsides and stop talking about how to save money and start treating soldiers how they would wanted to be treated if they were injured in the line of duty, how mucch is a hero worth, cause that is what they and veterans are! they fought for their country, on the front line and not behind their ego and decisions.
god bless the dead who cannot state the truth, no one can tell them the truth but atleast I can hopefully do them justice.
ace, manchester (12/10/2007 at 15:30)
Dosnt this just show people what contempt our government have for our armed forces .After america addmitted that the war syndrome existed britain still maintained it didnt exist. I dont blame any soldier wanting out of this excuse of a war we are in now after how we have treated our vets from the past wars. Well done and i hope all you lads and their families get what you all deserve.?
Dr Blockbuster, http://www.blockbusterbooks.co.uk/1.html (19/10/2007 at 23:49)
However ... pressure needs to be kept on Gordon Brown to implement the recommendations of The Lloyd Report (Nov 2004).
In January 2007, wartime forces sweetheart, Dame Vera Lynn called the legal wrangle over payments "a scandal".
In May 2007, a poll of MP's showed that 70% thought the treatment of veterans from Gulf War was very poor or inadequate.
Lord Craig (Lord Craig of Radley, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Chief of the Defence Staff throughout the Gulf War) said that the absence of closure after so many years was now indefensible. “A little magnanimity” was called for, and an “imaginative one-off approach”.
Time to act Mr Brown !!!