OTTAWA, ON, January 20, 1997 - In an appearance today before the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, The War Amps recommended the Canadian Government pay a basic minimum pension to Canadian military personnel who served in the Gulf and have medical problems. In a prepared brief, Cliff Chadderton, CEO of The War Amps, suggests that the veterans cannot wait for further studies.

He noted that a report submitted to the Department of National Defence on January 23, 1996 by Dr. A.B. Miller, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, cautioned against waiting for results of studies being undertaken in the United States.

The War Amps referred to a statement from National Defence, dated January 15, 1997, indicating that further surveys were being conducted.

Chadderton expressed criticism of any new initiative, noting that the U.S. officials had spent millions of dollars on studies that were inconclusive. He pointed out that the factors which affected American servicemen were the same as those experienced by Canadians, and that the Americans were still projecting that it would take at least another year to complete their current investigations, with still no indication that a solution could be found.

The War Amps noted a "strong parallel" between the situation of Gulf War veterans and that of Canada's Hong Kong veterans who developed many unidentified disabilities on returning from four years imprisonment during World War II. The Hong Kong veterans were eventually granted a basic 50% pension, although it took 25 years to convince the authorities that the conditions of imprisonment in the Far East were responsible for their medical problems.

Chadderton stated that the Canadian government finally admitted that, although disabilities existed in the Hong Kong veterans, they were of an undetermined type. Gulf War veterans face a similar situation arising out of their exposure to toxins and side effects of drugs about which medical authorities have little or no knowledge.

The War Amps suggested that the situation is urgent, noting that a delay in identifying special problems could result in deterioration and in some cases could be fatal. Recognition of the Gulf War Syndrome and an entitlement to a basic pension and medical treatment would avoid a repetition of the serious problems of our Far East prisoners of war from World War II.

The War Amps suggested that Canada could gain international recognition by awarding a basic pension and acknowledging the unusual circumstances of military service in the Gulf.

There are approximately 4500 Gulf War veterans, of whom an estimated 350 have reported illnesses. A basic 5% pension under the present legislation would result in compensation of $84 a month plus the right to special treatment. Veterans would be able to apply for additional pension if the extent of a disability warranted it.