The Gulf Conspiracy Read Online Free PDF

behind us.’
    ‘ Good. All’s well that ends well eh? I take it no embarrassing questions were ever asked at Porton and you cleaned up behind you, so to speak?’
    Crowe cleared his throat as if taken by surprise by the question. ‘The project was abandoned and everything destroyed as you directed,’ he said. ‘No questions were asked.’
    ‘ What about the people on your team?’ asked Gardiner.
    ‘ Dr Sebring had great difficulty in coming to terms with the accident. He felt responsible – as indeed he was.
    Gardiner diverted his eyes momentarily from Crowe to hide his distaste at Crowe once again distancing himself from blame.
    ‘ He had to seek medical help,’ Crowe continued. ‘He was on sick leave for some considerable time and when he eventually did return he decided that he no longer wanted to do the same kind of work and left our employ. It was probably for the best really.’
    ‘ And the others?’
    ‘ One other man left; the remaining two have been reassigned to different projects.’
    ‘ I take it they all understood the full implications of the Official Secrets Act?’
    Crowe was about to offer assurances when Mowbray interrupted. ‘I don’t think we need have any worries on that score. Low-level surveillance has been kept on them ever since the break-up but everything seems fine. Sebring has been taken on as a lecturer at the University of Leicester. Michael D’Arcy is currently employed by a pharmaceutical company here in Kent while Lowry and Rawlings are, of course, still at Porton.’
    ‘ Working on malaria,’ added Crowe.
    ‘ Good,’ said Gardiner.
    ‘ Obviously, there may be financial implications for HMG if the numbers of sick veterans continues to grow,’ said Rupert Everly, adopting his grave concern expression. ‘That in itself might well keep this so-called Gulf War Syndrome in the public eye.’
    ‘ Cries for compensation, you mean?’ said Gardiner sourly. ‘Let’s hope HMG takes a strong line on that. Give it to one and they’ll all be after something for nothing.’
    ‘ Come, that’s a bit harsh, James,’ said Warner. ‘After all that went on in the Gulf, some of these soldiers are genuinely ill.’
    ‘ The state already makes provision for people who are genuinely ill,’ retorted Gardiner. ‘There’s no need to recognise a whole new syndrome, especially one that doesn’t actually exist. When you take the Queen’s shilling, you take your chances. That’s the way it’s always been.’
    ‘ When the guns begin to shoot, my lad, when the guns begin to shoot,’ said Warner. ‘Mind you,’ he added, smoothing his moustache with thumb and forefinger, ‘We usually just had to fight the other side . . .’
    ‘ We’ve just been assured that there will be no lasting effects from this damned thing,’ snapped Gardiner, bristling at the remark.
    ‘ I sincerely hope and believe that to be the case,’ said Crowe, realising with some obvious concern that he was the source of assurance Gardiner was referring to. ‘Of course, there’s no way of being absolutely sure . . .’

THREE
     
    Downing Street
    London
    February 1997
     
    ‘ It is almost six years since the Gulf War ended,’ declared the Prime Minister with an obvious sense of frustration. ‘And yet Gulf War Syndrome is still an issue. Why hasn’t this matter been resolved long ago?’
    ‘ With respect, Prime Minister,’ replied one of those present from the Department of Health, ‘It’s a much more complicated than it seems. It has of course, been the government’s position all along that no such syndrome exists – a decision only taken after extensive consultation with the medical authorities, I have to say - and yet the number of people claiming that there is and seeking recompense keeps on growing.’
    ‘ What numbers are we dealing with here?’ asked the PM.
    ‘ Estimates put the figure at approximately fifteen percent of the returning allied forces having complained of health problems, which