I'm not an expert so I don't know if you are right or the links are right. It seems to me that if it were as harmless as some people say, it wouldn't be banned for warfare by the Paris treaty that the U.S. is a party to. But the government has done dumber things so I’m not sure what to believe about the gas.
The stuff makes you really want to be somewhere else, and is demonstrably worse in enclosed spaces, but is a nonlethal agent. Lots of Freepers have had to deal with it in the service. Probably lots of DUers too- from having the cops shoot it at them :-)
Basically what happenes on exposure is that your eyes hurt and water, your sinuses produce yuck like you've never experienced before, and it gets in your mouth and lungs. You cough and it causes a burning sensation in the lungs. Anyplace that is moist or sweaty on your body will have a burning sensation- especially the mucous membranes. When you get out of the cloud, it is important to keep from rubbing your eyes with your hands- which will be covered in it. I found that I had eyelashes that were thick enough at the time that I could squint through them and keep my eyes free of most of the stuff. Being able to see seemed to go a long way toward warding off the panicky reaction that some people have in it.
It's an annoyance when you're young and in good shape. If your lung capacity is diminished for some reason, you're very young or old, or you are sick, I can see that it might have a more pronounced effect.