Whistleblower: VA Withheld Data Linking Gulf War Vets' Sicknesses to Toxic Exposures

[Keith Millea]

Published on Thursday, March 14, 2013 by Common Dreams

Whistleblower: VA Withheld Data Linking Gulf War Vets' Sicknesses to Toxic Exposures

"Anything that supports the position that Gulf War illness is a neurological condition is unlikely to ever be published," Steven Coughin told lawmakers on Wednesday

- Andrea Germanos, staff writer

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs withheld data showing links between Gulf War veterans' illnesses and toxic environmental hazards they were exposed to such as burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, a whistleblower told a House hearing on Wednesday.



Dr. Steven Coughlin testifying Wednesday in front of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Charging the accusations was Dr. Steven Coughlin, who worked as a senior epidemiologist at the VA's Office of Public Health for over four years until December when he resigned "because of serious ethical concerns."

"If the studies produce results that do not support Office of Public Health's unwritten policy, they do not release them," Coughlin told the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

"This applies to data regarding adverse health consequences of environmental exposures, such as burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, and toxic exposures in the Gulf War. On the rare occasions when embarrassing study results are released, data are manipulated to make them unintelligible," he said.

On research Coughlin was involved with that looked at data of veterans' exposure to pesticides and oil well fires among other things, he said that "The Office of Public Health has not released these data, or even the fact that this important information on Gulf War veterans exists."

"Anything that supports the position that Gulf War illness is a neurological condition is unlikely to ever be published."
[URL="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/13/whistleblower-alleges-veterans-affairs-cover-up/1979839/"]
USA Today[/URL] adds:

In 2010, Coughlin participated in a study of recent veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan that linked exposure to burn pits to greater incidences of asthma or bronchitis. His request to see their medical records was denied, Coughlin said, and the results of the study were never published.
"I was very concerned they were withholding data or misleading people," he told USA TODAY. "I don't want to speculate about why."

Coughlin told Fox News in an interview, "I was told two or three times in the second half of 2012 by my immediate supervisor not to look at data." When he said he didn't want to work on the project with those limitations, Coughlin said that his supervisor threatened him.

If Coughlin's allegations prove true, a leading veterans' advocate told the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), the conduct by the VA "would be a total breach of trust with all veterans and their families."

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/03/14-4

[Jan Klimkowski]

I saw some of this manipulation.

I was actively researching Gulf War Syndrome in the 1990s and early 2000s. Essentially, the medical reearch was deliberately sabotaged through:

i) lack of testing on veterans
ii) highly limited testing on veterans
iii) lack of access to GP records of veterans
iv) restriction of scientific funding to military or government approved researchers
v) commissioning of long term, mass scale, epidemiological studies - which would take years and be capable of near total manipulation of the data set

There are several threads on this on DPF.

David Guyatt's original research into Operation Black Dog can be seen here.

[Jim Hackett II]

It means a lot to me.

This demonstrates the difference between GWBush asshole chickenhawk's idea of supporting the troops
and the real efforts to support the troops.
A stark contrast.

I thought I was over this feeling in 1992...
war never changes.
government corrupted never changes by choice.
angryfire
How can it be a surprise when wrath rises from the former ranks?
It was a nasty battle 1970 - 1980, gains made only to be closed by RReagan.
"Outreach Clinics" spread and coverups began but that time over Agent Orange,
not Gulf War Syndrome.
Money spoke and the Vets were screwed again. Gainesville Show Trial....
I remember the VVAW and the bad jacketing. Activism teaches quickly.
It is all being repeated with different faces for roles in the play.
Anybody want my ticket?

[Peter Lemkin]

The anti-Vietnam movement really didn't get 'going' until the Vietnam Vets joined in. While the USG treats its 'finest' as just so much cannon-fodder once they are injured or killed; if enough Vets from all conflicts and periods get together and get angry....watch out Uncle Sam! Health effects from vaccinations and chemicals used on the battlefield have effected soldiers from all wars - and increasingly so! They are often used as guinea pigs for new medicines and vaccines - or given the only one available that )they think maybe) works, even thought it is known to be unsafe [or never was tested for safety]. Now Depleted [sic] Uranium and phosphorous are two new lethal battlefield elements - and while they harm the population most, the invading soldiers are not immune to it. The greatest harm, however, for most is the trauma of War - seeing what killing is really about and how often they are ordered to do things that kill non-combatants or break the rules of War. Seeing all that death and carnage by their pals [and the opponents] takes a toll few recover from and many are destroyed from for the rest of their lives. If the politicians and banksters want the wars so much, THEY should go and fight them! Old rich men start all wars; young poor ones mostly fight and die/are maimed in them. It has to end. Peace is possible if you just don't start offensive wars!