This was the first time that a terrible mixture of chemical weapons had been used against a large civilian population. I wanted to see the nature and scale of the problems these people faced, and was concerned that in the 10 years since the attack no one, including the major aid agencies, had visited Halabja to determine exactly what the effects of these weapons had been. My medical specialty was particularly apt. My principal field of research is directed toward trying to understand the major causes of human congenital malformations, infertility and cancers including breast, ovarian, prostate and colon cancers. When these genes are disrupted or mutate, they have a number of effects.
Alterations lead to congenital abnormalities or pregnancy loss.
Their role after birth is to try to prevent cancers from forming. Later in life, loss or mutation may lead to infertility and cancers. I was particularly concerned about the effects on the women and children. I was worried about possible effects on congenital malformations, fertility and cancers, not just in women and children but in the whole population. I also feared that there might be other major long-term effects, such as blindness and neurological damage, for which there is no known treatment.