Israeli soldiers ill after anthrax tests

Some Israeli soldiers have reportedly gotten tumors and infections after being used in tests by the Israeli military to develop an anthrax vaccine.

A report, aired on Israel's Channel 2 on Monday, said that some of the 700 soldiers who voluntarily tested the vaccine are having health problems. Giora Martinovich, former chief medical officer for the Israeli military, confirmed that these tests were performed from 1998 to 2006 and that some of the volunteers have suffered from side-effects. Martinovich told Israel Radio that the vaccine program was developed because of the fear that Saddam Hussein, then Iraq's president, would mount an anthrax attack; also, foreign-made vaccines were not readily available.

"It seemed clear that the Iraqis would use it against us," he said. "It is not possible to buy abroad a large quantity of vaccine, which exists only in the United States or in England.

"Therefore, the state of Israel had to develop its own vaccine."

The Israeli defense ministry said that the anthrax research was conducted in order to protect Israel's populace against germ warfare. The United States has long required troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea to be vaccinated against anthrax.