Porter Goss: “when the Secretary of Energy announced her intention to open all records on secret Government radiation tests involving…”

“when the Secretary of Energy announced her intention to open all records on secret Government radiation tests involving unwitting victims, Americans understood that a terrible wrong had been committed and Government has an obligation to attempt to make things right. That simple understanding of justice holds equally true for the victims of secret Government World War II mustard and lewisite gas tests on U.S. military personnel. After nearly 50 years of denial and bureaucratic inaction, in 1991 the Government admitted its responsibility for conducting these secret tests without the full, informed consent of its subjects. Federal agencies, including the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, have finally begun to assist victims suffering from long-term health problems. In fact, just last week the Department of Veterans Affairs, under the leadership or Secretary Jesse Brown, issued proposed regulations to make good on its promise to help many of these veterans. Today, there is a pretty clear picture of what happened to hundreds-- and possibly thousands--of men during World War II.”