Article 11 ‰¥ãå Anthrax: Nazi Medical Experimentation Revisited
Col. John Regner examines the illogical pursuit of the Pentagon's Anthrax
policy, which has already caused irreparable damage to trust in government
and to recruiting and retention of good troops. Col Regner is firing this
message off to his political representatives.
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By COL John C. Regner (ret)
I was at my local VA Clinic recently, and chanced to see a copy of The Stars
and Stripes, edition of May 7-20, 2001 (Vol. 124, No. 9). This issue
contained some interesting stories, two of which, on page 7, concerned the
on-going anthrax vaccine controversy.
The first story described how State Rep. Mary Rogeness of Massachusetts has
introduced legislation in the Mass. legislature to prohibit "the
administration of experimental drugs and vaccines to members of the Mass.
militia." This, after an ailing Capt. Jason Nietupski of the Mass. Air
National Guard told her of his severe reactions to the vaccine, which put
him in the hospital.
The other story involves Maj. Jon F. Irelan, an Army Ranger, who suffered
permanent damage to his organs after taking shot number four. In another
case, T/SGT Jefferey Moore, USAF, suffered short term memory loss, dizzy
spells, complete energy loss, and blackouts while driving.
USAF Capt. Jean Tanner of Dover AFB canvassed base personnel for statements
about the vaccine, and was reported to find that many suffered from adverse
symptomology, including continuing, multiple bad colds, heavy pain from
driving for one hour, ringing in ears lasting up to a couple of hours, and
numbness in fingers after getting a vaccine shot.
My understanding is that the current anthrax vaccine has not been licensed
or approved for general use by the US Food and Drug Administration, and is,
thus, experimental. The record shows that many service members have been
harmed to an unknown extent by administration of this experimental drug, yet
it continues to be administered.
The question boils down to: Do top military leaders have the unquestioned
right and authority to use lower ranking military members as guinea pigs
without their consent? I thought we found out that medical experimentation
with unwilling victims, such as in the WWII Nazi death camps, was a crime
against humanity. Are US military leaders so arrogant and effete that they
think they can do anything against their fellow citizens with impunity? I
don't think the US Constitution allows for that.
What is the current probability or likelihood that anthrax will be used
against US forces? å The whole irony of the anthrax vaccine is that, it is
reported to be effective only against one type of transmission, and not
against others, thus its effectiveness is limited.
In a larger sense, what is to prevent bio-terrorists or military enemies of
the US from forgetting about anthrax and simply developing another form of
biological warfare? Are we going to have to inoculate against a whole series
of possible bio threats, each one with its own severe side effects?
I feel that our top military leaders have done, and are doing, the US
military a grave injustice with the current anthrax vaccine. It shows
clearly that it has an unacceptable rate of harm to individual military
members that far outweighs its possible value against an undetermined
threat. It is appalling that many service members have had to pay a great
personal price of being dishonored and worse by their military services for
rightly refusing to jeopardize their future health and welfare over an
experimental drug.
Military leaders from the Joint Chiefs on down, who have enforced the
administration of this vaccine in the face of reasonable evidence of its
harm to many, are to be chastised for their stupidity and cowardice, placing
their own political and career welfare above the health and welfare of their
charges.
I know of fine young men who have decided against a tour or career in the
military just because of the possible effects of the anthrax vaccine on
their future health and welfare. They just can't afford to take the chance
of their personal health being sabotaged or permanently destroyed by
so-called benevolent leaders under the guise of military necessity.
In the Scriptures, it is said that, "in the End Days, much evil will be done
by people who think they are acting righteously" or words to that effect.
Any degree of intelligence or common sense would dictate that the
administration of the vaccine be stopped until full and complete tests be
conducted, and the vaccine be approved and licensed for use by the US Food
and Drug Administration. Apparently these traits are sorely lacking in the
Pentagon.
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