The use of chemical weapons. Conducting an investigation using survey epidemiology
H. Hu, R. Cook-Deegan and A. Shukri
Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
The use of chemical weapons in conflict represents a breach of
international law as well as a grave violation of human rights.
Investigating allegations of their use often is difficult. A basic tool is
the survey interview. Experience has shown that a rigorous epidemiologic
approach should be taken. A primary emphasis should be designing the study
so that consistency of responses can be analyzed to judge the validity of
the testimony. Only when the testimony can withstand this scrutiny is it
possible to surmise the possible identity of agents employed. Securing
samples of the putative agent is of obvious importance. Two recent
investigations are discussed herein, one conducted by US Army medical
researchers on allegations of chemical weapons use against the Hmong in
Laos and another mounted by us on allegations of poison-gas attack against
the Iraqi Kurds.
