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The Telegraph Newspaper, London, UK
An "urgent" review of troop locations started in July will not be finished for another few months because of difficulties in tracking down records of where units were when the cloud was released.
The MoD's credibility on Gulf health matters was compromised last year when it was admitted that officials had repeatedly given out incorrect information concerning toxic pesticides.
The review was ordered after American officials changed their assessment of a cloud of fumes created when rockets containing Sarin gas were accidentally blown up during a routine demolition of an arms dump at Khamisiyah in Iraq.
Initially the Americans said the cloud covered a "footprint" with a radius of 30 miles which did not include British positions but after more analysis they said the cloud moved 190 miles south-east - over some British units.
Scientists have said consistently that the Sarin concentration would have been too low to pose a significant health threat but activists seeking compensation for so-called Gulf War Syndrome want full disclosure of all relevant information.
John Reid, Armed Forces minister, said the review showed that of the 53,000 British personnel who served in the Gulf "several thousand" may have been affected by the cloud.
"We do not believe this constituted a health hazard," he said. "But as part of my pledge to deal honestly and openly with Gulf veterans, I am placing as much information about the Gulf war as possible in the public domain. In doing so I must make sure that what we publish is fully verified so that veterans can rely on it."
The nearest units to the arms dump explosion were the 16th/5th Lancers and 4 Regiment Army Air Corps, about 75 miles away, but most of the British forces were out of danger in Kuwait. However, a number of troops were involved in driving trucks and other vehicles up and down the road from Al Jubayl.
"This is just one example of why it is so difficult to know if people were in the area at the time," said Dr Reid. "We are checking the records of all the units who may have been beneath that extended plume and while we do not believe there is a health hazard the veterans have a right to know."
The cloud was created by American forces destroying Iraqi military facilities on March 10 in the aftermath of the ending of the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. The delay to the report disappointed the Gulf War Syndrome campaigners because exposure to Sarin is one of the possible causes of the various illnesses suffered by some veterans.
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