11.   The villagers accused the victims of using a quick-acting magic powder to kill several children and adults who died suddenly after unexplained illnesses, the report said.

12.   The women had been accused of causing several unexplained illnesses in the village and local authorities claim to have found small vials of an unidentified chemical in their homes.

13.   Thousands of veterans have come down with unexplained illnesses since serving in the Gulf, fueling charges of a government cover-up of exposures to Iraqi chemical or biological weapons.

14.   Large epidemiological studies will be conducted early next year to compare the incidence of unexplained illnesses among the Persian Gulf veterans to the general population, he said.

15.   Suspicions of a Pentagon cover-up have run high among veterans, thousands of whom have reported coming down with unexplained illnesses since serving in the Gulf.