Back in the United States, the Veterans Affairs Department has announced plans to review the disability claims of thousands of Gulf War veterans suffering from ailments as a result of their service in the 1991 attack on Iraq. The US government has long denied the existence of “Gulf War syndrome” despite growing evidence and claims by veterans. In 2008, a congressional-mandated report affirmed it’s a legitimate condition primarily caused by overexposure to pesticides and a drug given to troops to protect against nerve gas in the 1991 invasion. The Veterans Affairs review could open the door to disability payments to thousands of Gulf War veterans long denied medical claims.