Vets’ chemical exposure suit proceeds minus some claims

Vets’ chemical exposure suit proceeds minus some claims

Vietnam Veterans of America et al. v. Central Intelligence Agency et al., No. 09-0037, 2011 WL 2149356 (N.D. Cal. May 31, 2011).

A federal judge has dismissed some claims against the CIA but allowed others to proceed against the federal government in a class action brought by military members allegedly exposed to chemical and biological weapons during medical experiments.

However, Judge Wilken let the medical care claims continue against the Department of Defense. Furthermore, the plaintiffs did not object to the dismissal of claims against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

According to the complaint, the government used at least 7,800 armed services personnel in the human experimentation program from the 1950s through the 1970s at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland alone. Subjects were administered as many as 400 chemical and biological agents, including LSD and benzilate, the suit says.