World IN BRIEF : BRITAIN : Gulf War Illness Studies Ordered

Britain’s Ministry of Defense ordered new studies of illnesses suffered by Gulf War veterans and their children. Veterans say a “cocktail” of immunizations to protect them against chemical and biological warfare was the likely cause of their symptoms, which include chronic fatigue, asthma and skin complaints. Some veterans are now confined to wheelchairs. French troops, who were not immunized, have not reported any veterans suffering such symptoms. In the United States, the Pentagon concluded after studying more than 10,000 veterans that there was no such unique ailment as Gulf War syndrome.