Veterans sue U.S. over military experiments

updated 4:59 p.m. ET Jan. 7, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO - Six veterans who claim they were unwittingly exposed to dangerous chemicals and germs during government-sponsored Cold War experiments have sued the CIA, Department of Defense and other agencies.

The vets volunteered for military experiments they say were part of a program started in the 1950s to test nerve agents, biological weapons and mind-control techniques. They allege in their federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Francisco that they are in poor health today because of the experiments. They are demanding health care and a court ruling that the program was illegal.

The organization Vietnam Veterans of America is also part of the lawsuit, which seeks class action status on behalf of all participants who were allegedly exposed to unhealthful experiments without their knowledge.

More from msnbc.com Red Tape: Facebook to overhaul privacy structure  Amid recession, meth menace rages  |   Video Party crashers' e-mails gush with gratitude Williams marks 5 years as Nightly News anchor Blacks hard-hit by loss of middle-class jobs On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM U.S. NEWS

U.S. news Section Front

How will Congress pay for the Afghan surge? Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases Amid recession, meth menace rages A new field of inquiry: Salahis' polo cup Official: Crashers told ‘no’ to state dinner FDIC: Minorities struggle to access banks Demjanjuk trial pushed off due to illness Judge declares mistrial in ‘Junior’ Gotti case Victim's dad: Thanksgiving killings preplanned Troops, families mixed over Afghan surge   U.S. news Section Front   Add U.S. news headlines to your news reader: