NATIONAL GULF WAR RESOURCE CENTER, Inc.
1224 M Street NW
Washington, D.C.  20005
(202) 628-2700 ext. 162
(202) 628-6997 fax
www.ngwrc.org      hq@ngwrc.org
PRESS ADVISORY
NGWRC

NGWRC Endorses Doggett Amendment

Bill allows claims by Gulf War veterans against more than $1 billion in Iraqi assets

For Immediate Release
September 10, 1999
Contact: Paul Sullivan
(800) 882-1316, ext. 162

Washington - The National Gulf War Resource Center (NGWRC), a coalition of 60 Gulf War veteran support groups, called upon House and Senate conferees today to retain language allowing claims by disabled Gulf War veterans against more than $1 billion in seized Iraqi assets.
"The NGWRC thanks the House of Representatives for adopting Rep. Lloyd Doggett's amendment, the "Gulf War Veterans' Claims Protection Act of 1999" (HR. 618). The NGWRC endorses the amendment," said NGWRC President Chris Kornkven. The House voted 427 to zero on July 21, 1999 to add H.R. 618 to the "Embassy Security Act" H.R. 2415).
"By 1999, the U.S. Government confirmed more than 100,000 veterans are ill, and some are dying, as a result of their Gulf War service. As a matter of fairness and equality, ill veterans and their families must be allowed to file claims against seized Iraqi assets under the control of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission," Kornkven added.
"The NGWRC urges veterans to call and write Congress immediately and request that Rep. Doggett's amendment be included in the final conference bill," Kornkven said

Background: The two bills under negotiation by House and Senate conferees over the next two weeks are the 'Embassy Security Act" (H.R. 2415) and the "State Department Authorization Act" (S. 886).
In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. froze and then seized an estimated $1.3 billion in Iraqi assets in the U.S. In order for the assets to be distributed, Congress and the President must agree upon a distribution plan. The seized Iraqi assets remain under the control of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, part of the Treasury Department.
There is strong legal and historical precedent dating back to the late 1700s for the distribution of seized assets to veterans from wartime enemies. Shortly after the Revolutionary War, land and assets seized from Royalists supporting England were handed over to U.S. soldiers.
In another example, the U.S. seized the assets of Japan and Germany during World War II. Since those two nations violated international laws by mistreating U.S. prisoners of war, the seized assets were distributed to former U.S. prisoners of war.
During the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991, Iraq, a known violator of international law concerning the use of chemical warfare agents, repeatedly threatened to use them against U.S. and Coalition troops. As a result, the U.S. and Coalition were forced to destroy large stockpiles of Iraqi chemical weapons.
Low levels of poisons drifted into U.S. military positions. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Defense admitted as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were exposed due to the explosions at Khamisiyah alone. The Pentagon admits low level detections were "reliable and credible" after U.S. airplanes began bombing Iraqi chemical manufacturing and storage facilities in self-defense.

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September 10, 1999, Page Two

A distribution of seized Iraqi assets to Gulf War veterans, based on claims for actual damages such as death or disability, is a one-time event with no future reliance upon a foreign government.
The distribution of seized Iraqi assets to Gulf War veterans may also serve as a deterrent against other nations who may consider violating international law. This is a growing concern, given the proliferation of chemical warfare agents.
Gulf War veterans and others who suffered losses may still register a claim against Iraq, according to the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. For further information, please contact:

lraq Registration Program
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
600 E Street NW, Suite 6002
Washington, DC 20579
(202) 616-6985

For names and phone numbers of Gulf War veterans with claims, please call Gary Pitts, an attorney in Houston, Texas, at (800)269-6345. Mr. Pitts represents more than 2,000 veterans.

Here is a List of those involved in the House-Senate conference for H.R. 2415 and S. 886:

Senate Conferees:
Sen. Jesse Helms R-NC (202) 224-6342
Sen. Joseph Biden D-DE (202) 224-5042
Sen. Richard Lugar R-IN (202) 224-4814
Sen. Paul Coverdell R-GA (202) 224-3643
Sen. Paul Sarbanes D-MD (202) 224-4814
Sen. Christopher Dodd D-CT (202) 224-2823

House Conferees:
Rep. Benjamin Gilman R-NY (202) 225-3776
Rep. Sam Gcjdenson D-CT (202) 225-2076
Rep. William Goodling R-PA (202) 225-5836
Rep. James Leach R-IA (202) 225-6576
Rep. Henry Hyde R-IL (202) 225-4561
Rep. Christopher Smith R-N3 (202) 225-3765
Rep. Douglas Bereuter R-NE (202) 225-4806
Rep. Howard Berman D-CA (202) 225-4695
Rep. Tom Lantos D-CA (202) 225-3531

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