thedrifter
11-12-02, 10:05 AM
<A HREF="http://www.foxnews.com/">FOXNews.com</A>
Gulf War Vets Discuss Iraq
Monday, November 11, 2002
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
WASHINGTONÂ —Â As another war in Iraq appears imminent, somee of the nation's
original Persian Gulf War veterans offered mixed sentiments on Veterans Day
about how much the country should support another war.
"It's a frustrating feeling -- we should have stayed there and done the job
the first time around," said Ret. Maj. Denise Nichols, who was a nurse in the
Gulf War and now heads the Desert Storm Veterans of the Rocky Mountains.
Nichols' complaint is common among military types: The U.S. was given a
limited mandate that did not allow them to depose Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
when they had the chance.
"When I left in 1991 in June, there wasn't one person in my unit who did not
think we would be back -- it was just a matter of when," said Steve
Robertson, Gulf War vet and national legislative director for the American
Legion.
The Persian Gulf War was instigated by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August
1990. For months, the United Nations kept up an economic embargo on Iraq
until President George H.W. Bush asked the U.N. Security Council in November
1990 for a tough resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not
withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991.
Saddam missed the deadline and two days later U.S.-led troops began an air
campaign against Iraq.
Operation Desert Storm, the official name of the military battle, was fought
from Jan. 17 until Feb. 28, 1991. The land war lasted approximately 100 hours.
The United States sent 400,000 soldiers to bases in Saudi Arabia and a host
of coalition partners sent 200,000 more. When the action was over, 240 troops
-- 148 of whom were U.S. soldiers -- were killed in action and 776 soldiers
-- 458 of whom were American -- were wounded.
Since the start of the conflict, the United Nations has passed 16 resolutions
demanding Iraq comply with orders to disarm. U.S. and British air forces have
maintained a no-fly zone above two areas of Iraq in order to prevent Saddam
from attacking his own people.
On Friday, the U.N. Security Council passed a 17th resolution, demanding the
return of weapons inspectors and the immediate disclosure and disarmament of
weapons of mass destruction. This resolution, however, leaves open the
possibility that individual nations can force compliance if Saddam does not
volunteer cooperation.
"We achieved that limited mission of liberating Kuwait, and then the next
mission was maintaining the no-fly zone," Robertson said. "Now we are looking
at a new mission and that will probably put a lot more troops over there to
defend the country."
That doesn't bother Scott VanDerheyden, a Marine Corps Gulf War veteran who
works with the National Veterans Service Fund in Connecticut. VanDerheyden
said he's in full support of finishing the mission.
"Absolutely, we should go -- absolutely 100 percent. They were supposed to be
doing X, Y, Z, and they aren't doing X, Y, Z," VanDerheyden said, referring
to the previous U.N. resolutions. "I think [Saddam] should be removed from
power."
But then there are veterans who say the government has yet to live up to its
responsibility for thousands of sick Gulf War veterans, and that gives them
pause about supporting another invasion.
It took 10 years, but the Pentagon has finally admitted that more than
100,000 of the 550,000 troops in the Persian Gulf were exposed to deadly
sarin, mustard and cyclosarin gases during the destruction of an Iraqi
weapons depot in 1991. Three years ago, the Pentagon also admitted that the
protective gear given to the troops may have been faulty and may not have
protected the troops from harm.
Scientists, doctors and veterans groups have tied that exposure -- and
speculated that a mix of untested vaccinations given to the troops before
entering the theater also contributed -- to the mysterious Persian Gulf
illnesses of which thousands of veterans have complained since returning
home. Symptoms range from chronic fatigue syndrome and disorientation to a
rare form of Lou Gehrig's disease.
Not everyone agrees that chemical exposure and vaccinations are directly tied
to the illness, but in December 2001, after a decade-long fight by veterans
advocates, Congress approved a bill that would significantly expand the
access vets suffering from these undiagnosed illnesses have to government
health benefits.
Regulations have yet to be written, and thousands of claims are still being
denied, leading Stephen Robinson, executive director of the National Gulf War
Resource Center in Maryland, to argue that President Bush hasn't given the
American people a compelling reason to go back.
"Veterans who fought in the last war and are ill think it's a big mistake to
go back," Robinson, a staff sergeant during the war, said.
"Having been there, seeing the last 11 years and how the veterans have been
treated, I feel differently. I'm not sure it's worth the risk," he said. "In
my opinion, I think Saddam's a bad guy, he is certainly a threat. But I think
this can be dealt with by world pressure -- not by U.S. pressure alone."
Nichols, who worked hard for last year's bill to pass Congress, agrees.
"I'm very concerned about the protection of our troops," she said. "As a
veteran, you feel for the next group -- are we sending in another group to
get ill?"
VanDerheyden says he understands the sentiments, but for himself, he was
aware of the risks when he joined up.
"I was willing to live with those consequences," he said.
Robertson said he too understands the complaint of sick and neglected
veterans, but "if we operated under that premise, we would never have an
independent country," adding that with the exception of WWII, veterans from
every war were treated negligently by the government.
"The most important part of this war is going to be the American people," he
said. "They have to make sure, whether they agree or oppose the plan for
going in, they have to support the soldier. They are doing what every
American should be doing, serving their country. Never, ever forget that."
©Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Standard & Poor's
FOX News Network, LLC 2002. All rights reserved.
Sempers,
Roger
Gulf War Vets Discuss Iraq
Monday, November 11, 2002
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
WASHINGTONÂ —Â As another war in Iraq appears imminent, somee of the nation's
original Persian Gulf War veterans offered mixed sentiments on Veterans Day
about how much the country should support another war.
"It's a frustrating feeling -- we should have stayed there and done the job
the first time around," said Ret. Maj. Denise Nichols, who was a nurse in the
Gulf War and now heads the Desert Storm Veterans of the Rocky Mountains.
Nichols' complaint is common among military types: The U.S. was given a
limited mandate that did not allow them to depose Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
when they had the chance.
"When I left in 1991 in June, there wasn't one person in my unit who did not
think we would be back -- it was just a matter of when," said Steve
Robertson, Gulf War vet and national legislative director for the American
Legion.
The Persian Gulf War was instigated by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August
1990. For months, the United Nations kept up an economic embargo on Iraq
until President George H.W. Bush asked the U.N. Security Council in November
1990 for a tough resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not
withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991.
Saddam missed the deadline and two days later U.S.-led troops began an air
campaign against Iraq.
Operation Desert Storm, the official name of the military battle, was fought
from Jan. 17 until Feb. 28, 1991. The land war lasted approximately 100 hours.
The United States sent 400,000 soldiers to bases in Saudi Arabia and a host
of coalition partners sent 200,000 more. When the action was over, 240 troops
-- 148 of whom were U.S. soldiers -- were killed in action and 776 soldiers
-- 458 of whom were American -- were wounded.
Since the start of the conflict, the United Nations has passed 16 resolutions
demanding Iraq comply with orders to disarm. U.S. and British air forces have
maintained a no-fly zone above two areas of Iraq in order to prevent Saddam
from attacking his own people.
On Friday, the U.N. Security Council passed a 17th resolution, demanding the
return of weapons inspectors and the immediate disclosure and disarmament of
weapons of mass destruction. This resolution, however, leaves open the
possibility that individual nations can force compliance if Saddam does not
volunteer cooperation.
"We achieved that limited mission of liberating Kuwait, and then the next
mission was maintaining the no-fly zone," Robertson said. "Now we are looking
at a new mission and that will probably put a lot more troops over there to
defend the country."
That doesn't bother Scott VanDerheyden, a Marine Corps Gulf War veteran who
works with the National Veterans Service Fund in Connecticut. VanDerheyden
said he's in full support of finishing the mission.
"Absolutely, we should go -- absolutely 100 percent. They were supposed to be
doing X, Y, Z, and they aren't doing X, Y, Z," VanDerheyden said, referring
to the previous U.N. resolutions. "I think [Saddam] should be removed from
power."
But then there are veterans who say the government has yet to live up to its
responsibility for thousands of sick Gulf War veterans, and that gives them
pause about supporting another invasion.
It took 10 years, but the Pentagon has finally admitted that more than
100,000 of the 550,000 troops in the Persian Gulf were exposed to deadly
sarin, mustard and cyclosarin gases during the destruction of an Iraqi
weapons depot in 1991. Three years ago, the Pentagon also admitted that the
protective gear given to the troops may have been faulty and may not have
protected the troops from harm.
Scientists, doctors and veterans groups have tied that exposure -- and
speculated that a mix of untested vaccinations given to the troops before
entering the theater also contributed -- to the mysterious Persian Gulf
illnesses of which thousands of veterans have complained since returning
home. Symptoms range from chronic fatigue syndrome and disorientation to a
rare form of Lou Gehrig's disease.
Not everyone agrees that chemical exposure and vaccinations are directly tied
to the illness, but in December 2001, after a decade-long fight by veterans
advocates, Congress approved a bill that would significantly expand the
access vets suffering from these undiagnosed illnesses have to government
health benefits.
Regulations have yet to be written, and thousands of claims are still being
denied, leading Stephen Robinson, executive director of the National Gulf War
Resource Center in Maryland, to argue that President Bush hasn't given the
American people a compelling reason to go back.
"Veterans who fought in the last war and are ill think it's a big mistake to
go back," Robinson, a staff sergeant during the war, said.
"Having been there, seeing the last 11 years and how the veterans have been
treated, I feel differently. I'm not sure it's worth the risk," he said. "In
my opinion, I think Saddam's a bad guy, he is certainly a threat. But I think
this can be dealt with by world pressure -- not by U.S. pressure alone."
Nichols, who worked hard for last year's bill to pass Congress, agrees.
"I'm very concerned about the protection of our troops," she said. "As a
veteran, you feel for the next group -- are we sending in another group to
get ill?"
VanDerheyden says he understands the sentiments, but for himself, he was
aware of the risks when he joined up.
"I was willing to live with those consequences," he said.
Robertson said he too understands the complaint of sick and neglected
veterans, but "if we operated under that premise, we would never have an
independent country," adding that with the exception of WWII, veterans from
every war were treated negligently by the government.
"The most important part of this war is going to be the American people," he
said. "They have to make sure, whether they agree or oppose the plan for
going in, they have to support the soldier. They are doing what every
American should be doing, serving their country. Never, ever forget that."
©Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Standard & Poor's
FOX News Network, LLC 2002. All rights reserved.
Sempers,
Roger