"Questions about the Pentagon's ability to objectively study Gulf War illness have dogged the department for years and spawned numerous conspiracy theories. Removing those doubts has proven difficult. Just 6 weeks ago, an independent panel reported that the Pentagon had worked "diligently … to leave no stone unturned." But that conclusion was spoiled by nasty disputes among panel members and staff, some of whom charge that its review was flawed and anything but independent." [Enserink M. Medicine: Restoring Faith in the Pentagon. Science 2001;291(5505):816.]