Weapon of mass destruction an overview sciencedirect topics. History and types of weapons of mass destruction online. 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. 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. The department of homeland security works every day to prevent terrorists and other threat actors from using these weapons to harm. In modern warfare, chemical weapons were first used in world war i 191418. Purpura, in security and loss prevention fifth edition, 2008. 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. Specifically, i class nuclear, biological, and cyber weapons as wmd, relegating chemical, highexplosive, and incendiary weapons to a lesser category. 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. Nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons are weapons of mass destruction because they can kill many people. This report addresses the spread of three broad types of weapon meeting that criterion of killing more with less.
Weapons of mass destruction international peace institute. 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. Wmd are those unconventional weapons that are capable of a. Pdf controlling the risks posed by weapons of mass destruction wmdnuclear, chemical, and biological weaponshas been high on the agenda of the.
Biological and chemical weapons, agents, and proliferation. Chemical weapon weapons of mass destruction britannica. 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. Chemical weapons did not become true weapons of mass destruction wmd until they were introduced in their modern form in world war i 191418. 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. Why are chemical and biological weapons considered worse. The united states faces a rising danger from terrorists and rogue states seeking to use weapons of mass destruction. Volumes i and ii open pdf 5 mb in april 2009, the u. Biological, chemical and nuclear absence of mycoplasma contamination in the anthrax vaccine. Aug 14, 2018 the united states faces a rising danger from terrorists and rogue states seeking to use weapons of mass destruction. A weapon of mass destruction wmd is something capable of inflicting mass casualties andor destroying or rendering highvalue assets as useless. Guidelines for mass casualty decontamination during an. The term is integral to the international communitys longstanding disarmament dialogue. A weapon of mass destruction is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device that is intended to harm a large number of people.
The us congress office of technology assessment has recorded israel as a country generally reported as having undeclared chemical warfare capabilities. 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. Weapons of mass destruction include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons plus radiological weapons and some others with potential for mass destruction fas 2001. Nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and missiles. As early as 9 february 1989, president george bush claimed that the spread and even use of sophisticated weaponry threatens global security as never before. Weapons of mass destruction mass destruction is a relative term. A future weapons of mass destruction threat, maj larry small, 86 pages. They are all identified by a pungent, acidic smell. 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.
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. Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, assessing the risk, office of technology assessment, us congress, otaisc559. Nuclear, biological, and chemical nbc proliferation is recognized as a serious threat across the operational spectrumfrom the deployment of forces to posthostility activities. Thus, a single weapon of mass destruction can do damage equivalent to that of hundreds or thousands of conventional high explosive or incendiary weapons. Which of the following characteristics do chemical, biological, and radiological weapons of mass destruction share. A weapon of mass destruction wmd is something capable of inflicting mass casualties and or destroying or rendering highvalue assets as useless. Lethal biological and chemical weapons capabilities are spreading around the world, even to terrorist organizations. 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. Chemical and biological warfare overview, 2015 air university. 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. Although chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons often serve as examples of wmd, many things. Todays danger comes mainly from the potential use of nuclear, biological.
The united states is known to have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction. Professional forum countering weapons of mass destruction. Cbw chemical and biological weapons cd conference on disarmament cfe conventional armed forces in europe. Chemical weapons are devices that use chemicals to inflict death or injury. Allied fire bomb attacks on dresden during world war ii killed between,000 and 200,000 people with 1,400 aircraft sorties over 2 days. Defining weapons of mass destruction this paper rejects such arguments. 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. Todays danger comes mainly from the potential use of nuclear, biological, and chemical nbc weapons of mass. The chemical weapons convention of 1993 and the biological weapons convention of 1972 banned the use of these types of wmds worldwide. Criminal law nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and. 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. While there is only one recorded wmd attack by the taliban, there is a long history of such methods being used. Both chemical and biological weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction, or wmd. This report, which analyzes nbc weapons programs potential threat patterns around the globe, is updated as needed.
Chemicalbiologicalradiological incident handbook october. 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. 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. I have worked since the 1950s on chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons.
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 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 scholastic books for kids. Chemical weapon, any of several chemical compounds, usually toxic agents, that are intended to kill, injure, or incapacitate. This had been pointed out previously by the author 1 and discussed in considerable detail in ref.
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. Contrary to the views of many pundits, there is an authoritative definition for wmd. 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. United states and weapons of mass destruction wikipedia. Weapons of mass destruction weapons of mass destruction wmd have three major types. Chemical and biological weapons international committee of. This occasional paper explores the issue of defining weapons of mass destruction.
Biological agents are organisms or toxins that can kill or incapacitate people, livestock, and crops. Advances in science and technology raise concerns that restraints on their use may be ignored or eroded. 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. North koreas chemical and biological weapons programs. The scope and usage of the term has evolved and been disputed, often signifying more politically. Biological wmds were first used the united states in 1763 when british officers planned to distribute blankets with smallpox. If north korea credibly commits to abandoning its nuclear. Clinton, book iii, october 12, 2000january 20, 2001 wash. 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 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. Chemical weapons improved response program playbook.
The us administration gave priority to destroy any type of adventurism of iraq on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. 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. Weapons of mass destruction use and proliferation challenges 7 i. Chemical and biological warfare, an investigative guide for official use only, us customs service, office of enforcement, washington, dc 20229. Most biological agents are difficult to grow and maintain. Nuclear, biological and chemical nbc weapons have been elevated as a major issue of international concern in the postcold war era. 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. W eapon of mass destructiona wmd is any device, material, or substance. Recognizes the proponent change for global countering weapons of mass destruction operations responsibility from united states strategic command. Defining weapons of mass destruction wmd center national. Chemical weapon chemical weapon weapons of mass destruction. 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. Like nuclear and biological weapons, chemical weapons are often classified as weapons of mass destruction.
Chemical weapons work mainly through toxicity, which is a chemical action on life processes that can cause death, temporary. 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. The three basic groups of biological agents that would likely be used as weapons are bacteria, viruses, and toxins. E n t f t e operations in chemical, biological, radiological. The department of homeland security works every day to prevent terrorists and other threat actors.
Why weapons of mass destruction matter23 disarmament in disarray. Weapon of mass destruction an overview sciencedirect. Weapons of mass destruction international relations. The subtitle, the nononsense guide to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons today, is a bit of a misnomer. Although chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons often serve as examples of wmd, many things can be used as a wmd. 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. What makes them generally considered worse and banned, by all civilised countries is that their effects are even less controllable then for nuclear weapons.
Beginning in the mid1930s, japan conducted numerous attempts to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction. Chemical and biological weapons international committee. Army soldier and biological chemical command sbccom domestic preparedness chemical team. International terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Pdf defining weapons of mass destruction researchgate.
The book mostly covers the development of nuclear bombswarheads and their delivery systems. The us congress office of technology assessment has recorded israel as a country generally reported as having undeclared chemical warfare capabilities, and an offensive. Freeing the world of nuclear, biological and chemical arms 2006, by weapons of mass destruction commission, contrib. Guidelines for mass casualty decontamination during an hazmatweapon of mass destruction incident. Cirincione, joseph, jon wolfsthal, and miriam rajkumar. Having declared its independence from great britain in 1965, the governmentmade up of european settlers and their descendantsalmost immediately faced. Nuclear, biological, and chemical nbc proliferation is recognized as a serious threat across the operational spectrumfrom.
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