Pentagon sources: Up to 100,000 troops exposed to Iraqi gas

But levels believed extremely low

July 23, 1997
Web posted at: 9:04 p.m. EDT (0104 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pentagon sources say large numbers of U.S. troops -- perhaps as many as 100,000 -- were exposed to small amounts of the nerve gas sarin after Iraqi chemical weapons were destroyed at the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

But officials also say the exposures probably are unrelated to mysterious maladies, collectively known as Gulf War Syndrome, reported by some of the war veterans.

The Pentagon is scheduled to announce on Thursday another estimate of the number of troops exposed to the chemicals.

"It's a big number," said one official. "But the real point is that the exposure levels were extremely low, so low as to be almost immeasurable."

Officials said the number of troops exposed was tens of thousands more than the 20,000 previously estimated, but they were uncertain of the exact figure.

The exposure is believed to have occurred on March 10, 1991, when U.S. troops destroyed sarin-filled 122 mm rockets in an open pit at the Khamisiyah ammunition storage facility in southern Iraq.

The new estimate of those exposed to the gas was based on data gathered from simulations, computer models and interviews with troops. Indications are now that the chemical plume extended well beyond a 30-mile circle around the site.

Not the solution for Gulf War illness

The Pentagon, working with the CIA, has found no clear link between the chemical exposures and the unexplained illnesses, but many veterans still believe chemical or possibly biological weapons are to blame.

Many of the veterans have complained of medical problems such as fatigue, sleep disorders, headaches and pain in the joints and muscles.

For more than five years after the war, the Pentagon strongly denied there was any evidence that American troops had been exposed to chemical weapons.

But in June 1996, the Pentagon acknowledged that the demolition of the Khamisiyah ammunition depot in southern Iraq in March 1991 had resulted in the release of toxic chemical agents in the vicinity of American troops. Pentagon officials said, however, they didn't know the degree of exposure or the number of troops affected.

Last month, the Pentagon said it had established the exact whereabouts of U.S. forces on the day of the demolition, and just last week it estimated that about 500 chemical-filled 122 mm Iraqi rockets had been blown up at Khamisiyah.

Sources say it is unlikely that the incident will account for the Gulf War illnesses, because many sick veterans were not in the area, and many who were are not sick.

Also, they say, the exposure levels were too low for the sarin to be a factor. They say the exposure level for most troops is 0.01296 milligram minutes per cubic meter, while the standard for pesticide workers is 1.0 milligram minutes per cubic meter.

Pentagon expects more criticism

The Pentagon still sides with the conclusion of a report by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, which found no link between the illnesses and chemical exposure.

"This will not solve the mystery of the Gulf War illness," said one official.

Nevertheless, the Pentagon also expects heavy criticism from Congress and veterans' groups who dispute the committee's conclusions and fault the Pentagon for being slow to admit what evidence has shown for years.

Correspondent Jamie McIntyre and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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