Justia criminal law nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and materials, and other weapons of mass destruction offenses involving national defense and weapons of mass destruction free legal information laws, blogs, legal services and more. Professional forum countering weapons of mass destruction. Weapon of mass destruction an overview sciencedirect topics. Chemical weapon weapons of mass destruction britannica. This report addresses the spread of three broad types of weapon meeting that criterion of killing more with less. Purpura, in security and loss prevention fifth edition, 2008. The department of homeland security works every day to prevent terrorists and other threat actors from using these weapons to harm. Section 2 transfer and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction the transfer and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction wmds, such as nuclear, biological and chemical nbc weapons, and ballistic missiles that deliver such weapons, have been recognized as a signifi cant threat since the end of the cold war. Recognizes the proponent change for global countering weapons of mass destruction operations responsibility from united states strategic command. Cirincione, joseph, jon wolfsthal, and miriam rajkumar. Biological, chemical and nuclear absence of mycoplasma contamination in the anthrax vaccine. Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, assessing the risk, office of technology assessment, us congress, otaisc559. Chemical weapon chemical weapon weapons of mass destruction. The german army initiated modern chemical warfare by launching a chlorine attack at ypres, belgium, on april 22, 1915, killing 5,000 french and algerian troops.
The three basic groups of biological agents that would likely be used as weapons are bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Weapons of mass destruction, as used in this chapter, are devices that can cause large numbers of casualties or extensive damage to facilities and systems, with particular emphasis on nuclear, radiological, chemical, and biological weapons. Israel is widely believed to possess weapons of mass destruction, and to be one of four nucleararmed countries not recognized as a nuclear weapons state by the nonproliferation treaty npt. Chemical and biological warfare, an investigative guide for official use only, us customs service, office of enforcement, washington, dc 20229. A weapon of mass destruction wmd is something capable of inflicting mass casualties andor destroying or rendering highvalue assets as useless. Pdf defining weapons of mass destruction researchgate. If north korea credibly commits to abandoning its nuclear. History and types of weapons of mass destruction online. Weapons of mass destruction international relations.
E n t f t e operations in chemical, biological, radiological. The term weapons of mass destruction wmd was first expressly defined by the united nations in 1948 as atomic explosive weapons, radioactive material weapons, lethal chemical and biological weapons, and any weapons developed in the future which have characteristics comparable in destructive effect to those of the atomic bomb or other weapons mentioned above defining. Weapons of mass destruction include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons plus radiological weapons and some others with potential for mass destruction fas 2001. Biological agents are organisms or toxins that can kill or incapacitate people, livestock, and crops. Nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons are weapons of mass destruction because they can kill many people.
The us administration gave priority to destroy any type of adventurism of iraq on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Contrary to the views of many pundits, there is an authoritative definition for wmd. Chemical weapons did not become true weapons of mass destruction wmd until they were introduced in their modern form in world war i 191418. The term weapons of mass destruction wmd, used to encompass nuclear nw, biological bw, and chemical weapons cw, is misleading, politically dangerous, and cannot be justified on grounds of military efficiency. Guidelines for mass casualty decontamination during an. Chemical and biological weapons international committee of. The united states faces a rising danger from terrorists and rogue states seeking to use weapons of mass destruction. Crucial information on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons from the diseased animal carcass hurled over the wall of a besieged castle to the nuclear suitcase bomb carried by a clandestine operative, the threat of unconventional weapons has always been a feature of warfare. The us congress office of technology assessment has recorded israel as a country generally reported as having undeclared chemical warfare capabilities, and an offensive.
Chemical weapons work mainly through toxicity, which is a chemical action on life processes that can cause death, temporary. Advances in science and technology raise concerns that restraints on their use may be ignored or eroded. From the ricin found recently in london to the nerve agent sarin used by japanese terrorists in their attack on the tokyo underground to saddam husseins fearsome arsenal of chemical and biological weapons, as well as the nuclear options, he reveals the awesome variety of weapons of mass destruction that are primed and ready today. Chemicalbiologicalradiological incident handbook october. Although chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons often serve as examples of wmd, many things. Nuclear, biological and chemical nbc weapons have been elevated as a major issue of international concern in the postcold war era. Like nuclear and biological weapons, chemical weapons are often classified as weapons of mass destruction. North koreas chemical and biological weapons programs.
Why weapons of mass destruction matter23 disarmament in disarray. International terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Dirty war is the first comprehensive look at the rhodesias top secret use of chemical and biological weapons cbw during their long counterinsurgency against native african nationalists. The united states is known to have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction. Todays danger comes mainly from the potential use of nuclear, biological. Weapons of mass destruction mass destruction is a relative term.
Weapons of mass destruction use and proliferation challenges 7 i. Weapons of mass destruction 163 michael walzer 9 christianity and weapons of mass destruction 168 nigel biggar 10 christian apocalypticism and weapons of mass destruction 200 martin l. Cbw chemical and biological weapons cd conference on disarmament cfe conventional armed forces in europe. The 1943 battle of changde saw japanese use of both bioweapons and chemical weapons, and the japanese conducted a serious, though futile, nuclear weapon program. Army edgewood chemical biological center ecbc published a report, guidelines for mass casualty decontamination during a hazmatweapon of mass destruction incident, volumes i and ii ecbcsp024 as an update to two previous reports.
I have worked since the 1950s on chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons. Beginning in the mid1930s, japan conducted numerous attempts to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction. Chemical weapon, any of several chemical compounds, usually toxic agents, that are intended to kill, injure, or incapacitate. Army edgewood chemical biological center ecbc published a report, guidelines for mass casualty decontamination during a hazmatweapon of mass destruction incident, volumes i and ii ecbcsp024 as. Chemical weapons improved response program playbook. A weapon of mass destruction wmd is something capable of inflicting mass casualties and or destroying or rendering highvalue assets as useless. Some people think that this range should be expanded to include electromagnetic pulse weapons emp, radioactive dirty bombs or recent developments like cyberwarfare, or sophisticated information operations. The us congress office of technology assessment has recorded israel as a country generally reported as having undeclared chemical warfare capabilities. An encyclopedia of worldwide policy, technology, and history, 2 volumes by jeff larsen, james wirtz, eric croddy abcclio 1851094954 online e book, see publisher the first accessible reference to cover the history, context, current issues, and key concepts surrounding biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. This had been pointed out previously by the author 1 and discussed in considerable detail in ref.
Status and trends summary the united states has long recognized the dangers inherent in the spread of nuclear, biological, and che mical nbc weapons, and miss iles. Weapon of mass destruction an overview sciencedirect. Weapons of mass destruction scholastic books for kids. The chemical weapons convention of 1993 and the biological weapons convention of 1972 banned the use of these types of wmds worldwide. Nov 22, 2001 the term weapons of mass destruction wmd, used to encompass nuclear nw, biological bw, and chemical weapons cw, is misleading, politically dangerous, and cannot be justified on grounds of military efficiency. Both chemical and biological weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction, or wmd. Defining weapons of mass destruction this paper rejects such arguments.
Chemical weapons are devices that use chemicals to inflict death or injury. Freeing the world of nuclear, biological and chemical arms 2006, by weapons of mass destruction commission, contrib. United states and weapons of mass destruction wikipedia. Nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and missiles. The us congress office of technology assessment has recorded israel as a country generally reported as having undeclared chemical warfare capabilities, and an offensive biological warfare program. Why are chemical and biological weapons considered worse. Lethal biological and chemical weapons capabilities are spreading around the world, even to terrorist organizations. Thus, a single weapon of mass destruction can do damage equivalent to that of hundreds or thousands of conventional high explosive or incendiary weapons. Most biological agents are difficult to grow and maintain. Weapons of mass destruction weapons of mass destruction wmd have three major types.
Chemical and biological weapons international committee. Nuclear, biological, and chemical nbc proliferation is recognized as a serious threat across the operational spectrumfrom. Chemical biological warfare is the term used to describe the use of chemical or biological agents as weapons to injure or kill humans, livestock, or plants. Biological and chemical weapons, agents, and proliferation.
Weapons of mass destruction international peace institute. The book mostly covers the development of nuclear bombswarheads and their delivery systems. Army soldier and biological chemical command sbccom domestic preparedness chemical team. Chemicalbiological warfare is the term used to describe the use of chemical or biological agents as weapons to injure or kill humans, livestock, or plants. While there is only one recorded wmd attack by the taliban, there is a long history of such methods being used. A weapon of mass destruction wmd is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous humans or cause great damage to humanmade structures e. Biological wmds were first used the united states in 1763 when british officers planned to distribute blankets with smallpox. Pdf controlling the risks posed by weapons of mass destruction wmdnuclear, chemical, and biological weaponshas been high on the agenda of the. This occasional paper explores the issue of defining weapons of mass destruction.
W eapon of mass destructiona wmd is any device, material, or substance. Todays danger comes mainly from the potential use of nuclear, biological, and chemical nbc weapons of mass. What makes them generally considered worse and banned, by all civilised countries is that their effects are even less controllable then for nuclear weapons. Wmd are those unconventional weapons that are capable of a.
Specifically, i class nuclear, biological, and cyber weapons as wmd, relegating chemical, highexplosive, and incendiary weapons to a lesser category. Nuclear, biological, and chemical nbc proliferation is recognized as a serious threat across the operational spectrumfrom the deployment of forces to posthostility activities. The scope and usage of the term has evolved and been disputed, often signifying more politically. Chemical and biological warfare overview, 2015 air university.
The international community banned the use of chemical and biological weapons after world war 1 and reinforced the ban in 1972 and 1993 by prohibiting their development, stockpiling and transfer. The 1943 battle of changde saw japanese use of both bioweapons and chemical weapons, and the japanese conducted a serious, though futile, nuclear weapon program since world war ii, the united states military based nuclear and chemical weapons. I do not anticipate that mcbw will replace the term weapon of mass destruction in common usage, but it is technically more descriptive of toxin weapons. The subtitle, the nononsense guide to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons today, is a bit of a misnomer. Chemical weapons improved response program cwirp playbook guidelines for responding to and managing a chemical weapons of mass destruction terrorist event november, 2000 prepared by. This report, which analyzes nbc weapons programs potential threat patterns around the globe, is updated as needed. Guidelines for mass casualty decontamination during an hazmatweapon of mass destruction incident. They are all identified by a pungent, acidic smell. In modern warfare, chemical weapons were first used in world war i 191418.
The department of homeland security works every day to prevent terrorists and other threat actors. Volumes i and ii open pdf 5 mb in april 2009, the u. Which of the following characteristics do chemical, biological, and radiological weapons of mass destruction share. Although chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons often serve as examples of wmd, many things can be used as a wmd.
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