Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
The Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI)
released
today an information paper on inhibited red fuming nitric acid - a
missile
fuel oxidizer used by the Iraqi military to propel its Scud, Guideline,
Silkworm and Kyle missiles.
This latest OSAGWI release provides a basic
understanding of inhibited red fuming nitric acid - "IRFNA" - and
identifies
where and how Gulf War veterans may have been exposed to the fuel.
During the Gulf War, Iraq used the oxidizer in combination with kerosene
to
create the thrust needed to launch a rocket or missile. When a SCUD
broke-up, impacted or was intercepted by coalition weapons, the missile
fuel
and IRFNA combination could have exposed some troops to the hazards of
nitric acid and nitrogen dioxide which some may have mistaken for a
chemical
or biological warfare agent exposure.
This report as well as others concerning potential environmental
exposures
during the Gulf War are posted on DoD's website, GulfLINK
Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
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