Against All Enemies (Library of Contemporary Thought)
Editorial Reviews
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Were American soldiers serving in the Persian Gulf conflict exposed to chemicals that caused them to come down with "Gulf War syndrome"? Or are they experiencing symptoms of extreme psychological stress? Seymour Hersh, the investigative journalist who alerted Americans to the My Lai massacre and the bombing of Cambodia, can't answer those questions definitively. What he can do--and ably does--is demonstrate two simple facts: (1) military officials, either through a lack of knowledge or deliberate concealment, did not fully inform the government--and more importantly its own troops--about the risks of biochemical exposure in combat against Iraq; and (2) whatever the causes of "Gulf War syndrome," the government has done far too little to help the sick veterans. Other unsettling questions with no easy answers emerge from Hersh's reportage. Why have the so-called heroes of the Persian Gulf, retired generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, seemingly distanced themselves from the plight of troops under their former command? Why did it take so long for Congress to even acknowledge that there might be a problem? Against All Enemies is a brief but disturbing exposé of institutional neglect from one of the media's most tenacious government watchdogs. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
"Why did the system fail the Gulf War veterans? Did national heroes such as Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, who were known during their careers for taking care of their troops, have an obligation to speak out on behalf of the veterans--as many sick GIs believe--and demand that America's military hospitals stop turning them away? The unsettling fact is that the Gulf War was far more costly to the United States than the Pentagon and its former leaders are willing to acknowledge. The ninety thousand or so victims of Gulf War syndrome are friendly-fire casualties just as surely as if they had been fired upon by their fellow soldiers. The military's inevitable dilemma is profound: Can it protect our soldiers and sailors in future wars if it was unable to do so in the Gulf War?"
--from AGAINST ALL ENEMIES
Against All Enemies (Library of Contemporary Thought)
Against All Enemies (Library of Contemporary Thought),Seymour M. Hersh,Ballantine Books,0345427483,Government - U.S. Government,History,History - Military / War,History: American,Medical care,Military - General,Military - Persian Gulf War,Military - United States,Military History - Persian Gulf War,Persian Gulf War, 1991,Persian Gulf syndrome,Political aspects,United States,Veterans,History / Military / Vietnam War
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