In 2000, Marleen Teugels wrote a series of articles exposing abuses within the Belgian army. However, these sensational pieces were not enough to tell the full story. That required a book — Met Stille Trom — and a year and a half of research. Marleen Teugels: 'The search for the possible causes of the blue helmets’ suffering led to the horrific experiences of their colleagues in the Gulf.'
There is mounting evidence that toxic factors are among the underlying causes of the illnesses affecting tens of thousands of sick Gulf War veterans and Iraqi civilians. Yet the US Department of Defense is refusing to investigate these links. It primarily funds research carried out by psychiatrists. A US congressional committee has therefore recommended that the investigation be taken out of the hands of the Department of Defense and placed under the remit of an independent, multidisciplinary research team within another government department.
“In the Balkans, too, civilians and military personnel fell ill long after the fighting had ended and the cameras had left. I thought it was worth investigating whether people had been exposed to toxic pollution during the Balkan Wars.”
Didn’t the Belgian army’s survey show that the ‘Balkan syndrome’ does not exist? “This survey was carried out in a very amateurish manner,” says Teugels. “Research into Balkan diseases has yet to begin, ideally led by independent scientists.”
Met Stille Trom is the story of an investigative journalist who infiltrates a closed, male-dominated world. Drawing on personal accounts, fieldwork, source research and interviews, Marleen Teugels describes the all-consuming power of the military apparatus. The book is a compelling plea against war and in favour of conflict prevention. With just a fraction of the defence budget, it would be possible to establish a European intervention force, a European agency for conflict prevention and a national peace institute alongside the army. This is essential. Technological progress only makes warfare in an industrialised world more toxic and destructive.
