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We began with a simple Yahoo! search on "Gulf War Syndrome" (using quotation marks around the phrase). There were several interesting results, including a Gulf War Syndrome category and a Full Coverage page on the subject. From the numerous articles and links on the Full Coverage page, we chose a New York Times article titled "Study of Ill Gulf War Veterans Points to Chemical Damage," which offered the following list of symptoms:
More than 100,000 American service members sent to the Persian Gulf in 1990 and 1991 have since reported experiencing a raft of maladies, including fatigue, muscle pain, memory loss and sleep disorders, which have collectively come to be known as gulf war syndrome. The cause of the illness, however, has yet to be determined and is surrounded by debate and conjecture. One of the articles from The Times (UK), states "... after spending $133 million on medical research, the US Defense Department is now considering 145 cases involving American war veterans." Further digging led us to Policy.com, where we found an article that raises questions
about the side effects of a drug called pyridostigmine bromide. "PB" was the edible tablet given to more than a third of the 700,000 military personnel during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. In 1990, the Pentagon convinced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the drug for troop use as a preventive measure against the deadly nerve gas soman, a potential Iraqi weapon of war. For a more in-depth look at the Gulf War Syndrome, check out Frontline's Last Battle of the Gulf War. Other interesting, yet sometimes one-sided, web sites exist in the Yahoo! Gulf War Syndrome category.
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