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	Religion can never justify terrorism or killing of innocents by UN News   Nov 2008   A high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly today decried the use of religion to justify the killing of innocent people and terrorist acts and voiced concern that serious instances of intolerance, discrimination and harassment persist between people of different faiths and cultures.   The two-day “Culture of Peace” gathering, convened on the initiative of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, called for mutual understanding through dialogue, and respect for human rights among proponents of various faiths, cultures, and civilizations.   “Concerned about serious instances of intolerance, discrimination, hatred expressions, and harassment of minority religious communities of all faiths, participating States underlined the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding, and tolerance among human beings, as well as respect for all their diverse religions, cultures and beliefs,” according to a declaration read out at a news conference by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the meeting concluded.   “Participating States affirmed their rejection of the use of religion to justify the killing of innocent people and actions of terrorism, violence and coercion, which directly contradict the commitment of all religions to peace, justice and equality,” it added. Mr. Ban said the challenge now was to move beyond “powerful, positive words” to “dialogue that delivers.”   In the declaration, the General Assembly reiterated its call for “promoting a culture of tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue, and supporting the initiatives of religious leaders, civil society, and states seeking to entrench the culture of peace, understanding, tolerance, and respect for human rights among the proponents of various faiths, cultures, and civilizations.”   Participating States expressed their commitment to strengthening existing mechanisms within the United Nations for “promoting tolerance and human rights, preserving the institution of the family, protecting the environment, spreading education, eradicating poverty, and fighting drug abuse, crime and terrorism, noting the positive role of religions, beliefs and moral humanitarian principles in tackling these challenges.”   Mr. Ban commended the Saudi leader. “King Abdullah"s initiative has come at a time when the need for dialogue among religions, cultures and civilizations has never been greater. It has brought together people who might not otherwise have a chance to interact. Along with other initiatives, it will contribute to building a more harmonious world.
	Gulf War Syndrome is real and caused by Toxins, report States by PBS Online Newshour USA   Nov 2008   Seventeen years after the first Gulf War, a congressionally mandated panel released a report Nov. 17 that concluded an illness suffered by US veterans exposed to certain toxins during the war is real. The government previously did not consider the illness a physical condition separate from shell shock or war stress.   Many returning veterans complained of a wide range of health problems. Complaints typically included persistent memory and concentration problems, chronic headaches, widespread pain, gastrointestinal problems and other chronic abnormalities.   On Nov. 17, the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans'' Illnesses released findings that the symptoms were caused by exposure to chemical toxins during the war.   Nearly one quarter of returning troops -- more than 175,000 veterans -- suffer from the illness.   Almost none of the veterans have improved in the 17 years since the armed conflict, committee Chairman James Binns told the NewsHour. The committee found that only “8 percent in this large study said that they had some improvement, but 15 percent were worse," he said.   Causes of the illness   "PB pills," designed to protect soldiers against a nerve gas attack, were found to be at least part of the cause of Gulf War Illness. The illness was caused by two toxic exposures either working together or by themselves: the ingestion of pyridostigmine bromide, PB pills -- which were provided to the troops to protect against nerve gas attack-- and pesticides, which were used to protect the troops from disease-carrying insects, according to the report.   While the Food and Drug Administration never approved the use of the PB pills, the federal agency waived informed consent to the Department of Defense because of the circumstances surrounding their use.   The report did not rule out gasses from smoking oil fields, depleted uranium munitions and anthrax vaccines as other causes of the illness, but said the evidence pointed to the pills and pesticides.   The Persian Gulf War was not the first time that U.S. soldiers have been exposed to toxins during war. Vietnam War veterans fought for many years to have the Pentagon recognize that their post-war illnesses were due to exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used to remove trees and bushes from the battlefield.   Anthony Hardie, a Gulf War veteran and member of the committee, called the report “huge” but also "a bittersweet victory, because this is what Gulf War veterans have been saying all along. Years were squandered by the federal government ... trying to disprove that anything could be wrong with Gulf War veterans." Visit the related web page
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