United States General Accounting Office

GAO Report to the Ranking Minority Member,

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, House

of Representatives

October 1997 GULF WAR

ILLNESSES

Public and Private

Efforts Relating to

Exposures of U.S.

Personnel to Chemical

Agents

GAO/NSIAD-98-27

GAO United States

General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

National Security and

International Affairs Division

B-278006 

October 15, 1997

The Honorable Lane Evans

Ranking Minority Member

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Evans:

As you requested, we have developed information related to the

Department of Defense’s (DOD) custody and disposition of information on

the possible use of chemical weapons by Iraq during the Persian Gulf War.

Specifically, this report provides information as of September 1997 on the

extent to which federal government agencies and private organizations are

examining (1) the potential exposure of U.S. military personnel to

chemical warfare agents in the Persian Gulf and (2) the circumstances

surrounding gaps in the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Desk Log

maintained by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) during the war.

Background Approximately 700,000 U.S. servicemembers served in the Persian Gulf

during some point from August 1990 to June 1991. According to DOD, the

majority of these personnel returned from the war healthy and remain fit

for duty today. However, many of these servicemembers are reporting a

wide array of health complaints and disabling conditions, including

fatigue, muscle and joint pain, memory loss, and severe headaches. In

response to concerns about the servicemembers with these symptoms and

the potential health effects resulting from Gulf War service, both DOD and

the Department of Veterans’ Affairs established programs through which

Gulf War veterans could receive medical examinations and diagnostic

services. Nearly 100,000 of these servicemembers have participated in

clinical evaluation programs established by these two agencies after the

war. According to DOD officials, medical research studies with comparison

groups of both deployed and non-deployed Gulf War veterans are designed

to clarify whether certain medical conditions may be more common

among Gulf War veterans. In addition, DOD and several federal agencies, as

well as a number of private organizations, are studying whether

servicemembers may have been exposed to chemical agents during the

war.

According to CENTCOM headquarters staff, the Command began maintaining

operational logs upon its arrival in the Persian Gulf on August 8, 1990, until

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B-278006 

April 13, 1991, when the last major element of CENTCOM headquarters left

the Persian Gulf, for a total of 249 days. The purpose of these logs was to

provide a chronological record of key events that occurred each day. In

addition to the operational logs, the Command’s Nuclear, Biological, and

Chemical officer began maintaining an NBC Desk Log in late August 1990.

We were told that the NBC Desk Log was maintained on a daily basis

except for the periods at the beginning and the end of the deployment. The

officials said that it is not known with certainty how many daily entries

were made in the NBC Desk Log.

Results in Brief As of September 1997, 14 federal and private organizations had efforts

underway examining potential exposure of U.S. servicemembers to

chemical agents and 1 federal organization was examining gaps in the NBC

Desk Log maintained by the U.S. Central Command. Relative to potential

exposures to chemical agents, 8 federal and 6 nonfederal organizations

were involved in this effort.1

 Concerning gaps in the NBC Desk Log,

officials from DOD’s Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses

said that about 200 pages of log entries may have been produced during

the Gulf War. However, thus far, that office has only been able to locate 37

pages. Officials from that office believe the remaining log pages were

destroyed as part of an office clean out. Nevertheless, the DOD Inspector

General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service has an investigation

underway to examine these gaps. Five veterans’ organizations have also

been tracking this log issue as part of their overall efforts to gather data on

Gulf War illnesses. Table 1 summarizes the efforts various organizations

have underway to address these issues.

1

Numerous other federal and private organizations have conducted medical research into the potential

causes of the symptoms being reported by Gulf War Veterans. Many of these organizations are

identified in our report entitled Gulf War Illnesses: Improved Monitoring of Clinical Progress and

Reexamination of Research Emphasis Are Needed (GAO/NSIAD-97-163, June 23, 1997).

Page 2 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

Page 3 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

Table 1: Organizations Studying Gulf War Illnesses

Federal groupsa

Issues OSAGWI PAC

Senate Veterans’

Affairs Committee GAO ATSD(IO) Army IG CIA IG

CIA PGW

Illness Task

Force DOD IG

Identifying chemical

exposure incidents

Identifying incidents in

which U.S. personnel were

exposed X X X X X X X X

Examining methods for

identifying and reporting

such incidents X X X X X X X

Disclosing chemical

exposure incidents to the

public X X X X X

Complying with laws

governing classified

information

Analyzing laws governing

the handling of classified

information X X

Assessing responsibility

for any legal violations X X

Custody of information

Examining the custody of

information concerning

chemical weapons X X X

Assessing changes to

improve the custody X X

Investigating gaps in

chemical logs

Disclosing CENTCOM

procedures in place to

record incidents in NBC

logs X X

Identifying instances of

noncompliance with

procedures

Determining changes for

reporting NBC incidents

Contacting personnel

responsible for

maintaining records on

chemical weapon incidents X X X

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B-278006 

Private groupsa

National Gulf War

Resource Center

Desert

Shield/Storm

Association b VetCenter

Northwest Vets for

Peace

Desert Storm Justice

Foundation GulfWatch

X

X X X X X

X X X X

X X X X X

X X

X X

X X X X

X X X

X

X X

X X X X

X X X

X X X X

(continued)

Page 5 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

Federal groupsa

Issues OSAGWI PAC

Senate Veterans’

Affairs Committee GAO ATSD(IO) Army IG CIA IG

CIA PGW

Illness Task

Force DOD IG

Analyzing procedures for

archiving information on

possible exposure to

chemical agents X

Identifying lessons

learned for reporting and

archiving information on

chemical incidents

Reconstructing gaps in

chemical incident reporting

Expected Reporting Date TBDc 10/97 3/98 TBD TBD 10/97 10/97 TBD TBD

Page 6 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

Private groupsa

National Gulf War

Resource Center

Desert

Shield/Storm

Association b VetCenter

Northwest Vets for

Peace

Desert Storm Justice

Foundation GulfWatch

X X

X X X

X X X X

TBD N/Ad TBD TBD TBD TBD

Note: OSAGWI, Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses; PAC, Presidential Advisory

Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses; GAO, General Accounting Office; ATSD(IO), Assistant

to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight; IG, Inspector General; CIA, Central

Intelligence Agency; PGW, Persian Gulf War; CENTCOM, U.S. Central Command; NBC, nuclear,

biological, and chemical.

aThe level of effort among the various groups studying Gulf War illnesses issues varies. Federal

organizations, for the most part, have studies or investigations of these issues. For the most part,

veterans groups are collecting and analyzing information, making Freedom of Information Act

requests, and collecting media information in their role of keeping veterans informed of pertinent

developments.

bThe Association did not provide detailed information on the specific issues it was reviewing.

cTo be determined.

dThe Association does not plan to issue a report.

Examinations of the

Potential Exposure of

U.S. Service

Personnel to

Chemical Warfare

Agents

Eight federal entities and six veterans organizations have been involved in

examining the potential exposure of U.S. service personnel to chemical

warfare agents. In the federal sector, examinations are underway by DOD’s

Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, the Assistant to the

Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight, the U.S. Army Inspector

General, and Director of the Central Intelligence’s Persian Gulf War

Illnesses Task Force. Some of the activities of these federal organizations

are being monitored by four additional organizations: the Presidential

Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, the Central

Intelligence Agency Inspector General, the Senate Committee on Veterans’

Affairs Investigative Team, and the General Accounting Office. Some of

these efforts are scheduled to be completed in 1997 while others will take

longer. The efforts included reviews of records maintained during the Gulf

War to identify potential chemical exposure incidents; evaluations of the

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B-278006 

adequacy of the federal government’s response to information on potential

exposures to chemical agents, assessments of the models being used for

studies of chemical incidents, and evaluations of any reported differences

in exposures and illnesses between U.S. and other allied forces that

participated in the Gulf War.

Of the 26 organizations representing veterans we contacted, 6 veteran

organizations were conducting examinations as a part of their efforts to

represent the best interests of veterans. As such, these examinations are

done on a continuing basis with no established completion dates and

generally include the collection and analysis of information from a variety

of sources such as contacts with individual Gulf War veterans

experiencing health problems, Freedom of Information Act requests made

to DOD agencies from other organizations, and media information on the

exposure of veterans to chemical weapons.

Examinations Related

to Gaps in

CENTCOM’s NBC

Desk Log

In March 1997, the DOD Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative

Service was tasked by the Deputy Secretary of Defense to lead the effort

to determine the circumstances related to gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log.

The Service was directed to follow all leads that can be developed on the

location of the original log or copies of it. If the Service cannot locate a full

copy of the log, it was expected to determine the reasons. The Service’s

study had not yet been completed, and the DOD Inspector General declined

to comment on the details of this investigation to avoid jeopardizing the

investigative effort and protect the privacy of the parties involved.

DOD’s Army Inspector General and the Office of the Special Assistant for

Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI) began efforts to determine the status of the log

but discontinued their work once the Defense Criminal Investigative

Service took responsibility for this matter. Five veterans organizations are

also examining gaps in the NBC Desk Log as part of their overall efforts to

gather Gulf War illness information.

To date, OSAGWI has located 37 pages of the NBC Desk Log covering 26

nonconsecutive days from January 17, 1991, through March 12, 1991.

OSAGWI officials said that it is not known with certainty how many daily

entries were made in the NBC Desk Log. OSAGWI officials stated that, in their

opinion, about 200 pages of log entries might have been prepared. Thus,

DOD has a hard copy of less than 20 percent of the log pages that may have

been prepared to record reported nuclear, biological, or chemical events

occurring during the Gulf War. Based on discussions with CENTCOM

Page 8 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

officials, OSAGWI officials believe that the remaining pages might have been

destroyed as part of an office clean out.

Agency Comments We obtained oral comments on a draft of this report from DOD and the

federal and private groups that provided information contained in the

report. While DOD concurred with our findings, it provided several

technical comments, including that we clarify DOD’s position on the

number of Gulf War veterans experiencing health problems and on the

maintenance and disposition of NBC Desk Log pages. We revised the draft

to reflect DOD’s comments. The groups also provided technical comments

which we incorporated as appropriate.

Scope and

Methodology

To develop a list of examinations of possible exposures to chemical agents

and gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log as well as obtain information on each

examination’s objectives and scope, we focused our search for ongoing

examinations on three types of organizations located in the United States:

federal entities, research organizations such as RAND, and veterans

organizations. We did not attempt to evaluate the quality or cost of the

examinations being conducted or to identify gaps in or duplication of,

efforts among the examinations. To avoid jeopardizing the Defense

Criminal Investigative Service’s ongoing investigation related to the NBC

Desk Log, we limited our examination to general discussions with Service

personnel on the objectives of their investigation.

We searched Internet databases, contacted organizations with highly

publicized efforts, and asked their representatives about other

organizations potentially doing examinations.

We obtained information from the following 18 federal entities about their

efforts, if any, in conducting examinations: the Presidential Advisory

Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses; DOD’s Office of the Special

Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses; the Senate Committee on Veterans’

Affairs; the General Accounting Office; the Department of Veterans Affairs;

the Department of Health and Human Services; the Central Intelligence

Agency Persian Gulf War Illness Task Force; the Defense Intelligence

Agency Persian Gulf Focus Group; the Assistant to the Secretary of

Defense for Intelligence and Oversight; the Institute of Medicine; and the

Gulf War Illness Directorate of the National Security Council. We also

contacted the Inspector General offices at the Departments of Defense,

the Army, Navy, and the Air Force; the Marine Corps; the Joint Chiefs of

Page 9 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

Staff; and the Central Intelligence Agency to determine if they were

performing active examinations or other activities. In addition, we

contacted the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq, which has been

conducting on-site investigations of Iraq’s chemical and biological

capabilities.

We also contacted 10 research organizations that have previously done

analyses of defense policy and national security issues to determine

whether they had any efforts in the two areas of interest. We contacted the

MITRE Corporation; the American Enterprise Institute; the Brookings

Institution; the Army War College Strategic Studies Institute; the Cato

Institute; the Center for Defense Information; the Center for National

Policy; the Center for Strategic and International Studies; the Heritage

Foundation; and the RAND Corporation.

To identify veterans organizations examining chemical exposures and the

gaps in the NBC Desk Log, we searched several Internet databases,

obtained a list of national veterans’ service organizations from the

Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and identified additional veterans

organizations by asking representatives of organizations we contacted

about other organizations that might be doing examinations. We also

asked officials in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military

services, the DOD legislative liaison offices, and defense agencies that

administer Freedom of Information Act requests to identify organizations

receiving documents pertinent to these topics under the act. We

subsequently contacted 26 veterans organizations that we identified and

inquired about any examinations that they were conducting regarding the

possible exposure of personnel to chemical weapons and/or gaps in

CENTCOM’s the NBC Desk Log.

We conducted our work from May to September 1997.

As agreed with your staff, unless you publicly announce this report’s

contents earlier, we plan no further distribution until 7 days after its issue

date. At that time, we will send copies of this report to the Chairman,

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Chairmen and Ranking Minority

Members, Senate and House Committees on Appropriations; the

Secretaries of Defense, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force; and the

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Copies will also be made available to

others on request.

Page 10 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
B-278006 

Please contact me at (202) 512-5140 if you or your staff have any questions

concerning this report. Major contributors to this report are listed in

appendix II.

Sincerely yours,

Mark E. Gebicke

Director, Military Operations

 and Capabilities Issues

Page 11 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Contents

Letter 1

Appendix I 

Examinations of

Exposure of U.S.

Personnel to

Chemical Warfare

Agents During the

Gulf War and Gaps in

CENTCOM’s NBC

Desk Log

14

Examinations Conducted by Federal Entities 14

Examinations Conducted by Veterans Organizations 23

Appendix II 

Major Contributors to

This Report

28

Table Table 1: Organizations Studying Gulf War Illnesses 4

Abbreviations

ATSD(IO) Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Intelligence

Oversight)

CENTCOM U.S. Central Command

CIA Central Intelligence Agency

DOD Department of Defense

NBC nuclear, biological, and chemical

OSAGWI Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses

Page 12 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Page 13 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Appendix I 

Examinations of Exposure of U.S. Personnel

to Chemical Warfare Agents During the Gulf

War and Gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log

A total of 15 federal and private organizations were examining the

potential exposure of U.S. personnel to chemical or biological warfare

agents and the gaps in U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) Nuclear,

Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Desk Log. The objectives, methodology,

and completion dates for each examination are described below.

Examinations

Conducted by Federal

Entities

Nine federal entities had efforts underway either involving the potential

exposure of U.S. personnel and/or were examining gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC

Desk Log. Two of these organizations (the Office of the Special Assistant

for Gulf War Illnesses and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee) were

examining both issues.

Office of the Special

Assistant for Gulf War

Illnesses

The Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses was established

by the Deputy Secretary of Defense in November 1996. The Office’s

mission is to ensure that (1) Gulf War veterans are appropriately cared for,

(2) the Department of Defense (DOD) is doing everything possible to

understand and explain Gulf War illnesses, and (3) DOD puts into place all

required military doctrine and personnel and medical policies and

procedures to minimize any future problem from exposure to biological

and chemical agents and other environmental hazards. As the scope of the

Office’s tasks became more defined and the amount and complexity of

work increased, the Office’s original staff of 20 employees was increased

to its present level of 190. The 190 staff members consist of 18 DOD

servicemembers, 9 DOD civilians, and 163 contractor personnel. Almost

one-half of the staff members are part of the Investigation and Analysis

Directorate, whose mission is to identify what happened before, during,

and after the Gulf War as it relates to various potential causes of illnesses

and to potential future force impacts. The remainder provide

administrative, analytic, and automation support; technical management

and administration of the website GulfLINK; database and security

management; public affairs services; document control and archiving;

support to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’

Illnesses; legal services, legislative affairs, veterans liaison, and health and

medical benefits support; correspondence and electronic mail response

services; and notification of potential exposure mailings.

The Office is, among other things, encouraging veterans to participate in

DOD’s Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program and the Department of

Veterans’ Affairs Gulf War Registry Examination Program. To satisfy its

other missions, the Office receives information on potential exposure

Page 14 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Appendix I 

Examinations of Exposure of U.S. Personnel

to Chemical Warfare Agents During the Gulf

War and Gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk

Log

incidents from a variety of sources, including the military services, the

intelligence community, and unified commands such as CENTCOM and the

Special Operations Command. The Office also conducts searches of

archives and record depositories and conducts interviews with subject

matter experts, military and civilian officials, and veterans. The Office

participates in government interagency deliberations and oversight of

government research of Gulf War illnesses to ensure information sharing

and coordination of activities across the executive branch. We did not

evaluate the effectiveness of this activity.

At the time we completed our fieldwork, the Office was examining 44

incidents. Of these incidents, 22 involved potential exposures to chemical

and biological warfare agents, and 22 concerned potential environmental

and occupational exposures and medical issues relating to immunizations,

preventive drug treatment, stress, infectious agents, and other potential

causes of illness. The Office has issued 10 reports—8 case narratives, 1

information paper, and 1 status report. Of the eight narratives, five are

associated with potential chemical exposures at the Khamisiyah

ammunition site in Iraq, the port of Al Jubayl in Saudi Arabia, and Camp

Kuwait. The other narratives discuss the analysis of a piece of metal

alleged to be from a Scud missile, Marine Corps’ forces movement through

minefields on the Iraqi border, and suspected exposure of a veteran to a

mustard agent. The information paper deals with the capabilities and

performance of the Fox chemical and biological agent detection vehicle. A

status report was provided to the DOD Inspector General that discusses the

generation, transportation, storage, and disposition of CENTCOM’s NBC Desk

Log. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Institute for Defense

Analysis have issued companion reports to the Office’s case narratives on

the Khamisiyah incident.

The Office views case narratives as interim reports that contain

information about the incidents. The narratives are not final products; as

the Office receives additional information on an incident, it intends to

refine the respective narratives. As an example of its ongoing investigative

process, the Office has issued two separate versions of its case narrative

on the Khamisiyah incident in February and July 1997. During April, the

February narrative was refined to facilitate retrieval of supporting

documents through GulfLINK. Work is still underway, and there is no

scheduled completion date for the Office’s operations.

Page 15 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Appendix I 

Examinations of Exposure of U.S. Personnel

to Chemical Warfare Agents During the Gulf

War and Gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk

Log

Presidential Advisory

Committee on Gulf War

Veterans’ Illnesses

In December 1996, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War

Veterans’ Illnesses issued its final report, culminating 16 months of work.1

The Committee’s study covered a wide range of Gulf War illness issues,

including medical care being provided to veterans of the Gulf War;

chemical and biological warfare agent examinations; and coordination of

research programs for Gulf War illnesses among government agencies. In

January 1997, the President extended the duration of the Committee for an

additional 10 months. One of the two principal roles assigned to the

Committee at that time was to oversee the ongoing Office of the Special

Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI) examination into possible

chemical or biological warfare agent exposures during the Gulf War. In

February 1997, the President tasked the Committee to evaluate the

adequacy of the government’s response to the implications of recently

declassified documents associated with chemical munitions at the

Khamisiyah storage depot. Specifically, the President asked the Committee

to concentrate on (1) when the U. S. intelligence and military communities

knew that chemical munitions were present at Khamisiyah and that U.S.

forces may have been exposed to chemical agents and (2) whether the

government’s response was sufficient once this information was known.

The Committee issued its Supplemental Letter Report in April 1997. The

letter report reiterated a conclusion made in the final report that the

evidence of a chemical agent release at Khamisiyah was overwhelming.

The letter report also stated that (1) substantial mismanagement and lack

of communication among elements of the military and intelligence

committees existed, (2) evidence existed before the initiation of war

fighting that constituted reasonable cause for concern that Khamisiyah

was an ammunition storage facility that contained chemical munitions,

(3) executive branch departments and agencies made no serious effort to

examine the possibility of chemical warfare agent exposure to U.S. troops

at Khamisiyah until late 1995, and (4) DOD’s consistent denials until

June 1996 of the possibility of exposure of U.S. troops to chemical warfare

agents cannot be justified.

Regarding its oversight of OSAGWI’s examination into possible chemical or

biological warfare agent exposures during the Persian Gulf War, the

Committee’s supplemental letter report addressed three issues: (1) the

modeling used for plume analysis of chemical agents and other debris

released into the atmosphere after destruction of the Khamisiyah

1

Final Report: Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses (December 31, 1996).

We reviewed the work of the Committee in a recent report: Gulf War Illnesses: Improved Monitoring of

Clinical Progress and Reexamination of Research Emphasis Are Needed (GAO/NSIAD-97-163, June 23,

1997).

Page 16 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Appendix I 

Examinations of Exposure of U.S. Personnel

to Chemical Warfare Agents During the Gulf

War and Gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk

Log

ammunition storage area, (2) the Committee’s access to information held

by DOD, and (3) standards for evaluating detection or exposure incidents.

In its April 1997 Supplemental Letter Report, the Committee stated that

there were no insurmountable obstacles to completing the modeling for

the Khamisiyah site and barriers raised to date by CIA and DOD did not

warrant continued delays in completing this project.

The letter report also criticized the criteria used by OSAGWI for determining

the credibility of reported detection or exposure incidents, stating that

OSAGWI used an inappropriately high standard of proof for these matters.

The Committee stated that DOD should move quickly toward making

conclusions about the incidents under examination.

Since the time of its extension, the Committee has convened public

hearings in Salt Lake City, Utah; Charleston, South Carolina; Memphis,

Tennessee; Buffalo, New York; and Alexandria, Virginia. The Committee’s

final report is due to the President in October 1997.

Senate Committee on

Veterans’ Affairs Special

Investigative Unit on

Persian Gulf War Illnesses

The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, created its Special

Investigative Unit in February 1997. The Unit’s work is focusing on three

major areas: (1) DOD and other agency actions taken before, during, and

after the Gulf War that may relate to the current health problems of Gulf

War veterans; (2) Department of Veterans’ Affairs compensation, claims

processing, and health treatment issues; and (3) review of current

scientific research, environmental risks, treatment options, and potential

preventive actions connected with veterans’ health.

The Unit is assessing such efforts as the adequacy of DOD’s preparedness

for and intelligence on Iraqi nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare

capabilities; the models being used for plume analyses of potential

chemical exposures incidents, such as the destruction of the Khamisiyah

storage facility; and its record-keeping activities during and after the Gulf

War, including chemical weapons logs and medical records. In carrying

out these tasks, the Unit is assessing the efforts of DOD, the Department of

Veterans’ Affairs, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War

Veterans’ Illnesses, and others.

The Unit has about 20 full-time personnel, including detailees from other

federal agencies, as well as a number of consultants. The Unit expects to

complete its work and issue a Committee report in March 1998.

Page 17 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Appendix I 

Examinations of Exposure of U.S. Personnel

to Chemical Warfare Agents During the Gulf

War and Gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk

Log

General Accounting Office Including this report, we have issued six reports since 1995 on DOD’s ability

to protect and treat its forces from chemical and biological agents and

operate its facilities should they become contaminated by agents.2

 In

March 1996, we reported that DOD’s emphasis given to chemical and

biological defense matters was insufficient to correct problems that

surfaced during the Gulf War. We reported that equipment, training, and

medical shortcomings persisted and were likely to result in needless

casualties and a degradation of U.S. war-fighting capabilities. In May 1997,

we reported that while DOD’s medical surveillance capabilities had

improved somewhat since the Gulf War, DOD continued to experience

problems in the Bosnia deployment. Specifically, DOD had not

(1) established an accurate system to track all personnel who deployed,

(2) given required postdeployment medical assessments to all personnel,

and (3) maintained accurate medical records to identify medical visits

during deployment and documentation of personnel receiving the

tick-borne encephalitis vaccine. We have also issued three classified

reports involving chemical and biological agent defense.

Besides our completed work, we recently began two efforts involving

potential exposures of personnel to chemical and other agents during the

Gulf War that may be contributing to Gulf War illnesses. In one effort, we

are evaluating the experiences of allied forces that participated in the Gulf

War and their reported incidence of illnesses, if any. In the second effort,

we are evaluating the adequacy of current U.S. policies, procedures, and

technologies to (1) defend against single, repeated, or sustained exposure

to low levels of chemical warfare agents and (2) identify, prepare for, and

defend against the possible adverse effects of chemical warfare agent

exposure in combination with other compounds found on the battlefield.

We have not established a timefame for completing this work.

Assistant to the Secretary

of Defense for Intelligence

Oversight

In September 1996, the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the Assistant

to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight to (1) investigate

what information concerning Khamisiyah and similar chemical warfare

sites in Iraq was available to DOD prior to the destruction of the

Khamisiyah facility by U.S. forces, (2) ascertain what DOD did with that

information, and (3) determine whether any procedure for handling such

information should be changed.

2

In addition to this report, also see Chemical and Biological Defense: Emphasis Remains Insufficient to

Resolve Continuing Problems (GAO/NSIAD-96-103, Mar. 29, 1996); Defense Health Care: Medical

Surveillance Improved Since Gulf War, but Mixed Results in Bosnia (GAO/NSIAD-97-136, May 13,

1997); and three classified reports on the defense of Korea, biological agent defense, and protection of

critical ports and airfields.

Page 18 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
Appendix I 

Examinations of Exposure of U.S. Personnel

to Chemical Warfare Agents During the Gulf

War and Gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk

Log

Because of the large number of documents relevant to the examination,

DOD awarded a $2.5 million contract to the MITRE Corporation in

December 1996 to organize and analyze the documents and produce an

independent study. The purpose of the study was to determine what

information concerning Iraqi chemical warfare weapons, doctrine, units,

sites, intentions, uses, and events was known or not known within DOD and

how the information was used or not used during the period from the Iraq

invasion of Kuwait to the withdrawal of all forces from Iraq and Kuwait.

MITRE staff are reviewing millions of documents at all security

classifications from several government sources, including the Defense

Intelligence Agency; National Security Agency; Departments of State, the

Army, the Navy, and the Air Force; CIA; DOD’s Gulf War Declassification

Project; and CENTCOM. In addition, MITRE conducted about 30 interviews

with individuals from DOD and the national security and intelligence

communities to obtain information. MITRE’s final report will be classified.

A final report will be provided to the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense

for Intelligence Oversight, who will then provide it and his own findings

and recommendations to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Army Inspector General In September 1996, the Secretary of the Army directed the Army Inspector

General to determine the facts surrounding the demolition of ammunition

at Khamisiyah, Iraq in March 1991 by U.S. Army forces. The Inspector

General’s inquiry was to focus on whether (1) the presence of chemical

munitions was detected at the time the ammunition was destroyed,

(2) such information was reported, and to what level, and (3) appropriate

force protection measures were taken during demolition operations.

In October 1996, the Secretary of the Army issued a supplemental directive

to the Army Inspector General. The Inspector General was directed to

determine (1) the weapons that were destroyed; (2) the personnel who

participated in the destruction; (3) the potential exposure of those

personnel to chemical agents; (4) other personnel who may have been

exposed to chemical agents due to the possible chemical agent release,

considering applicable weather patterns at the time; (5) any other

significant events pertaining to this incident; and (6) whether similar

operations were conducted elsewhere.

For the inquiry, a team of four Army Inspector General officers gathered

information and documents from the Gulf War Declassification Project (on

intelligence, health policy, and operations); the Investigation and Analysis

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Directorate, Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses; various

Army commands and agencies; CIA; the Defense Intelligence Agency; and

individual soldiers, veterans, and civilians. The team collected over 2,000

documents, 300 photographs, 4 video tapes, and 1 audio tape. In addition,

the team conducted approximately 700 interviews with active duty

servicemembers, veterans, retirees, and civilians. About one-half of the

interviews were sworn and recorded. The remainder were documented

with memoranda for the record.

The Army Inspector General team has completed the inquiry and is

currently in the final stages of writing the report, analyzing and

cross-referencing available data, and coordinating possible results and

conclusions with the appropriate agencies and individuals. It is anticipated

that a report will be approved for release in October 1997.

CIA Inspector General In October 1996, the Director of Central Intelligence requested that the CIA

Inspector General assess the allegations made by two former CIA

employees concerning the handling of information about the possible

exposure of U.S. forces to chemical weapons during the Persian Gulf War.

The allegations were that (1) the CIA had hidden, and continues to hide,

evidence of the exposure of U.S. forces to chemical weapons during the

Gulf War; (2) CIA officials tried to hinder the former employees’ inquiry

about this exposure; (3) CIA employees avoided reviewing the evidence

uncovered concerning the exposure; and (4) the careers of the two former

employees were effectively destroyed because of their insistence on

pursuing an inquiry about the exposure of U.S. forces to chemical

weapons during the Gulf War. The allegation that CIA hid information

related to Gulf War Illnesses was based on three specific concerns: (1) that

the CIA was not releasing relevant documents in a timely fashion, (2) that

CIA managers had directed the removal of documents from an Internet

website on Gulf War illnesses run by DOD, and (3) that the CIA had not

provided one of the former employees with documents requested under

the Freedom of Information Act.

In addition, in February 1997, the President asked the Presidential

Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses to address several

questions regarding the Khamisiyah ammunition storage depot. As a result

of the President’s directive to the Committee to take full account of

evidence disclosed by the CIA Inspector General’s ongoing review, a CIA

Inspector General assessment team specifically focused on CIA’s handling

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of information related to Khamisiyah in order to contribute to resolution

of the President’s questions.

A nine-person assessment team has reviewed over 6,000 documents and

interviewed over 175 individuals. As of September 1, 1997, two draft

reports, one concerning the allegations of the two former employees and

another on the handling of information related to Khamisiyah, had been

distributed to CIA components so that they may provide comments. Final

reports are expected to be issued by October 31, 1997.

Director of Central

Intelligence Persian Gulf

War Illnesses Task Force

The Task Force, established in February 1997 by the Acting Director of

Central Intelligence, was chartered to provide intelligence support to the

various U.S. government entities that are examining Gulf War illnesses.

The Task Force staff of 50 personnel are from the intelligence

community—the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National

Security Agency, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and DOD’s

Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses. As the Task Force

completed some of its initial efforts, many intelligence community

personnel returned to their respective components; however, they

continue to be principal points of contact to the Task Force for specific

issues. The Task Force is now composed of personnel from CIA, the

National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and the Office of the Special

Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses. Responsibilities of the Task Force include

(1) reviewing previous search criteria and conducting additional searches

as required; (2) managing and accelerating current and ongoing document

declassification efforts; (3) ensuring that DOD and others can retrieve

related classified information quickly; (4) supporting ongoing CIA modeling

efforts; (5) providing analyses of relevant information; and (6) developing

a comprehensive strategy for communications with DOD, the National

Security Council, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War

Veterans’ Illnesses, appropriate congressional committees, the media, and

the public.

According to the Special Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence

for Persian Gulf War Illnesses Issues, to meet its responsibilities, the Task

Force has reviewed previous search criteria on Gulf War illnesses,

conducted broader searches, and ensured that classified material was

passed to DOD and others. The broader approach was designed, in part, to

discover any evidence about the potential exposure of U.S. forces to

chemical weapons and other hazards. The Task Force’s search efforts

captured over 1 million documents. The Task Force used an analytical

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team to prepare three public papers: Khamisiyah: A Historical Perspective

on Related Intelligence, April 1997;” Update on Potential Mustard Agent

Release at Ukhaydir Ammunition Storage Depot, September 1997; and

Modeling the Chemical Warfare Agent Release at the Khamisiyah Pit,

September 1997.

In its April 1997 paper, the Task Force focused on determining what the

intelligence community knew about Iraqi storage of chemical weapons,

particularly the storage of such weapons at the Khamisiyah ammunition

site. Questions pursued included (1) what and when did the intelligence

community know about the possibility of chemical weapons at this site

and (2) what did the intelligence community, and when, do internally and

externally, with the information collected and analyzed. Its paper provides

details about the intelligence community’s knowledge of Khamisiyah

before, during, and after the war. Key issues include problems with

multiple databases; limited sharing of sensitive, but vital, information; and

incomplete searches of files while preparing lists of known or suspected

chemical warfare facilities. The Task Force is also conducting analyses

related to potential causes of Gulf War illnesses, including biological,

chemical, radiological, environmental factors, and foreign-reported

illnesses.

The Task Force has been working with DOD to produce the

plume-modeling results. The Task Force was expected to complete its

work by April 1997; however, as of October 1997, its work was still

ongoing.

DOD Inspector General In its efforts to identify the causes of a number of illnesses being suffered

by Gulf War veterans, the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War

Illnesses learned that not all of the pages of the NBC Desk Log maintained

in CENTCOM’s J-3 Operations Center during the war could be found. The

Office has located 37 pages of the log, covering 26 nonconsecutive days of

operations from January 17 to March 12, 1991. DOD estimated that

approximately 200 pages of the log could be expected to exist. Thus, DOD

has paper copies of only a small portion (less than 20 percent) of the pages

of the Central Command NBC Desk Log that could have been generated

during the Gulf War.

On March 3, 1997, the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the DOD

Inspector General to take over this inquiry and carry it to conclusion.

Specifically, the Deputy Secretary directed the Inspector General’s office

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to follow all leads that could be developed on the location of the original

log or copies, in either electronic or hard copy versions, and gather all

originals and copies that can be located. If a full copy of the log cannot be

located, the Inspector General is to explain why.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service of DOD’s Inspector General’s

office is currently examining this issue. The examination is being directed

by headquarters staff, and the examination team consists of senior

investigators supported by a staff of auditors and investigative support

personnel. The team’s efforts generally included collecting and analyzing

the investigative record created by the Office of the Special Assistant for

Gulf War Illnesses, including numerous transcribed interviews with watch

officers assigned to man the headquarters NBC Desk during the war;

interviews of other persons who may have had access to the log after the

war; and many telephone and written requests for information from

sources throughout DOD. The team also conducted over 185 interviews

with available witnesses who were involved in the creation of the CENTCOM

NBC Desk Log in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and those in possession of the log at

CENTCOM in Tampa, Florida, after the conclusion of the Gulf War. The team

also reviewed over 700,000 pages of documents at the National Archives,

22,000 pages at CENTCOM, and over 100 computer disks.

This effort was designated as the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s

top priority and was to be completed as quickly as possible without

sacrificing the thoroughness of the examination.

Examinations

Conducted by

Veterans

Organizations

We identified six veterans organizations that were reviewing issues

relating to the exposure of U.S. military personnel to chemical agents or

gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log. Five groups were reviewing both issues.

While the federal organizations have performed extensive studies or

inquires, the veterans organizations for the most part are collecting and

analyzing information, making Freedom of Information Act requests, and

collecting media information in their role of keeping veterans informed of

pertinent developments.

National Gulf War

Resource Center, Inc.

In 1995, the National Gulf War Resource Center, a nonprofit organization

located in Washington, D.C., was founded to support the efforts of 24 grass

roots Gulf War veterans organizations in the United States and Great

Britain working to assist veterans affected by the war. The Center serves

as a clearinghouse receiving information from veterans; the Center’s

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member and veteran service organizations; government agencies; and the

media. It then disseminates the information to member organizations and

interested groups to assist them in their efforts to assist veterans.

Starting in 1995, the Center began researching and documenting chemical

warfare agent detection, exposure, and injury incidents during the Gulf

War as well as the issue of the missing, misplaced, or destroyed chemical

logs. The Center’s objectives are to locate, obtain, and review documents,

such as chemical logs, relevant to the exposure of U.S. service personnel

to chemical warfare agents. This work was intended to provide Gulf War

veterans with evidence of chemical agent exposure, if any, so that they

could obtain appropriate health care and compensation and offer

suggestions on how to improve chemical warfare agent detection and

protection.

To achieve these objectives, the Center receives eyewitness accounts from

veterans to determine which units may have been exposed to chemical

warfare agents and then sends requests for relevant documentation under

the Freedom of Information Act to the appropriate commands and units.

In addition, the Center reviews other documentation obtained from

Congress, the media, DOD, and other sources to obtain additional

information about potential exposures and the location of relevant

corroborating documentation.

According to a representative of the Center, its work has resulted in the

public release of previously classified information that contradicted

information previously released by DOD. The representative also said that,

as a result of the Center’s work, (1) DOD confirmed that Gulf War

personnel were potentially exposed to chemical warfare agents, (2) DOD

and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs have begun to offer some limited

medical screening for potential toxic exposures experienced during the

Gulf War, and (3) DOD and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs have

launched new medical studies following up on private sector studies

showing a causal link between chemical exposures and illnesses among

Gulf War veterans. The Center’s examination is an ongoing effort with no

established completion date.

Operation Desert

Shield/Desert Storm

Association

The Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Association, located in Odessa,

Texas, was formed in November 1990 to collect and archive any and all

information related to the Gulf War, including the exposure of service

personnel to chemical warfare agents and the circumstances surrounding

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gaps in the CENTCOM NBC Desk Log. The Association was formed to attempt

to prevent a recurrence of the problems that occurred during the Vietnam

War with the government’s handling of exposures of military personnel to

Agent Orange. The founding members believed that the major problem

with the Agent Orange situation was that no entity outside the government

kept any documentation during the Vietnam War.

The Association’s mission is accomplished through obtaining government

and private documents from worldwide sources, identifying and collecting

newspaper and magazine articles, and recording television and radio

presentations related to the Gulf War. The Association plans to continue

its examination into all Gulf War issues, including the use of, and exposure

to chemical and biological weapons in the Persian Gulf and gaps in

CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log. Negotiations are underway to build a permanent

archival, research, and museum facility to provide information resources

on all aspects of the Persian Gulf War to anyone requesting such

information.

In 1991, from its contacts with sick veterans, the Association determined

that there were five areas of concern affecting the health of service

personnel: human changes to the normal environment in the Gulf,

chemical and biological weapons exposure, radiation exposure, parasitic

infections, and the use of investigational drugs and vaccines. Since 1992,

Association representatives have testified at U.S. and overseas meetings

and hearings pertaining to the Gulf War illnesses. Also, in January 1992,

the Association co-sponsored the first “mystery illnesses” conference.

The VetCenter In February 1994, the VetCenter located in Patchogue, New York, was

formed to determine why many Gulf War veterans became ill after the war.

More specifically, the VetCenter is examining the possible exposure of

U.S. personnel to chemical warfare agents, including identifying incidents

where personnel were exposed and disclosing this information to the

public.

With respect to CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log, the VetCenter has been

examining the chain of custody and instances of noncompliance with

incident recording procedures. This is being accomplished through the

correlation of units, locations, and the extent of illnesses experienced by

veterans in various areas. Information is collected primarily from veterans

who served in the Gulf War through the use of surveys posted on the

VetCenter’s Internet site and through mailings. This information is

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subsequently reviewed and followed up on through telephone calls,

electronic mail, and letters for validation. Veterans are asked to back up

their statements by submitting photos and other documentation. This

information is made available to organizations such as congressional

committees and individuals who are examining the issue. This work is an

ongoing effort with no established completion date.

The Northwest Veterans

for Peace

The Northwest Veterans for Peace, located in Portland, Oregon, began

helping Gulf War veterans and their families obtain medical care because

the organization believed that the government was not promptly attending

to veterans returning to the United States. In 1993, as a result of a

congressional request, the organization began testing saliva and urine of

veterans and their families from an Oregon National Guard unit that

deployed to the Gulf. In addition, the organization asked veterans and their

families to complete a questionnaire covering their illnesses and their jobs,

locations, and time periods in the Gulf. The questionnaire also asked about

any incident occurring in the Gulf that they believed was either a chemical

or biological incident. In the summer of 1997, the organization sent

follow-up questionnaires to the veterans to identify any changes in their

health or the health of their families. The organization is still receiving

questionnaire responses from the veterans. The organization has not

established a completion date for this effort.

Desert Storm Justice

Foundation

In February 1994, the Desert Storm Justice Foundation, located in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was created as a nonprofit organization to

provide support to sick veterans and their families. The Foundation also

serves as a clearinghouse for information from both government and

private sources about the possible exposure of U.S. personnel to nuclear,

biological, and chemical warfare agents during the war, widely

disseminating the information to interested groups and individuals. The

Foundation’s efforts also include gathering information on gaps in

CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log. This is an ongoing examination with no

established completion date.

GulfWatch In March 1991, GulfWatch, located in Hannibal, Missouri, was created to

provide information and documentation to the public regarding what

happened before, during, and after the war on a variety of topics, including

the possible exposure to U.S. personnel to nuclear, biological, and

chemical warfare agents and gaps in CENTCOM’s NBC Desk Log. The

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organization received information from sources in intelligence agencies,

from interviews with individuals who served in the war, radio call-in

programs, and filing requests for documents under the Freedom of

Information Act. The organization disseminates the information obtained

to researchers and the media with the objective of providing information

on what actually happened during the Gulf War. The overall goal of the

organization is to obtain medical care for sick Gulf War veterans and to

prevent a recurrence of such problems. The investigative efforts of

GulfWatch are ongoing with no established completion date.

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Appendix II 

Major Contributors to This Report

National Security and

International Affairs

Division, Washington,

D.C.

Carol R. Schuster

Donald L. Patton

Rodney E. Ragan

William J. Rigazio

Raymond G. Bickert

Karen S. Blum

Norfolk Field Office Steve J. Fox

William L. Mathers

(703200) Page 28 GAO/NSIAD-98-27 Gulf War Illnesses
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