Finance          Automotive          Computers          Health          Shopping          Sports         News          Reference           Print Facts in English - BCUZ.COMlos hechos en Español

Chemical warfare



For many terrorist organizations, chemical weapons might be considered an ideal choice for a mode of attack, if they are available: they are cheap, relatively accessible, and easy to transport. A skilled chemist can readily synthesize most chemical agents if the precursors are available.

The earliest successful use of chemical agents in a non-combat setting was in 1946, motivated by a desire to obtain revenge on Germans for the Holocaust. Three members of a Jewish group calling themselves Dahm Y'Israel Nokeam ("Avenging Israel's Blood") hid in a bakery in the Stalag 13 prison camp near Nuremberg, Germany, where several thousand SS troops were being detained. The three applied an arsenic-containing mixture to loaves of bread, sickening more than 2,000 prisoners, of whom more than 200 required hospitalization.

In July 1974, a group calling themselves the Aliens of America successfully firebombed the houses of a judge, two police commissioners, and one of the commissioner’s cars, burned down two apartment buildings, and bombed the Pan Am Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, killing three people and injuring eight. The organization, which turned out to be a single resident alien named Muharem Kurbegovic, claimed to have developed and possessed a supply of sarin, as well as 4 unique nerve agents named AA1, AA2, AA3, and AA4S. Although no agents were found at the time he was arrested in August 1974, he had reportedly acquired "all but one" of the ingredients required to produce a nerve agent. A search of his apartment turned up a variety of materials, including precursors for phosgene and a drum containing 25 pounds of sodium cyanide.[35]

The first successful use of chemical agents by terrorists against a general civilian population was on March 20, 1995. Aum Shinrikyo, an apocalyptic group based in Japan that believed it necessary to destroy the planet, released sarin into the Tokyo subway system killing 12 and injuring over 5,000. The group had attempted biological and chemical attacks on at least 10 prior occasions, but managed to affect only cult members. The group did manage to successfully release sarin outside an apartment building in Matsumoto in June 1994; this use was directed at a few specific individuals living in the building and was not an attack on the general population.

In 2001, after carrying out the attacks in New York City on September 11, the organization Al Qaeda announced that they were attempting to acquire radiological, biological and chemical weapons. This threat was lent a great deal of credibility when a large archive of videotapes was obtained by the cable television network CNN in August 2002 showing, among other things, the killing of three dogs by an apparent nerve agent.[36]

On October 26, 2002, Russian special forces used a chemical agent (presumably KOLOKOL-1, an aerosolized fentanyl derivative), as a precursor to an assault on Chechen terrorists, ending the Moscow theater hostage crisis. All 42 of the terrorists and 120 of the hostages were killed during the raid; all but one hostage, who was killed, died from the effects of the agent.

In early 2007 multiple terrorist bombings have been reported in Iraq using chlorine gas. These attacks have wounded or sickened more than 350 people. Reportedly the bombers are affiliated with Al-Qaeda in Iraq[37] and have used bombs of various sizes up to chlorine tanker trucks.[38] United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks as, "clearly intended to cause panic and instability in the country."[39]

[

See also

Weapons of mass destruction
WMD world map
By type

Biological warfare
Chemical warfare
Nuclear weapons
Radiological weapons

Treaties
By country
Albania Algeria
Argentina Australia
Brazil Bulgaria
Canada PR China
France Germany
India Iran
Iraq Israel
Japan Netherlands
North Korea Pakistan
Poland Russia
South Africa Syria
Taiwan (ROC) United Kingdom
United States
v • d • e

[

Further reading

  • Leo P. Brophy and George J. B. Fisher; The Chemical Warfare Service: Organizing for War Office of the Chief of Military History, 1959; L. P. Brophy, W. D. Miles and C. C. Cochrane, The Chemical Warfare Service: From Laboratory to Field (1959); and B. E. Kleber and D. Birdsell, The Chemical Warfare Service in Combat (1966). official US history;
  • Gordon M. Burck and Charles C. Flowerree; International Handbook on Chemical Weapons Proliferation 1991
  • L. F. Haber. The Poisonous Cloud: Chemical Warfare in the First World War Oxford University Press: 1986
  • James W. Hammond Jr.; Poison Gas: The Myths Versus Reality Greenwood Press, 1999
  • Benoit Morel and Kyle Olson; Shadows and Substance: The Chemical Weapons Convention Westview Press, 1993
  • Jonathan B. Tucker. Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda (2006)

[

Notes

  1. ^ Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. "Chemical Weapons Convention States Parties and Signatories". 
  2. ^ Classes of Chemical Agents, U.S. National Library of Medicine, September 30, 2004, <http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ChemWar.html> 
  3. ^ Irwin, Will (22 April, 1915), “The Use of Poison Gas”, New York Tribune, <http://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/1915/chlorgas.html> 
  4. ^ Johnson, Jeffrey Allan (1990), The Kaiser's Chemists: Science and Modernization in Imperial Germany, University of North Carolina Press 
  5. ^ Griffin Davis (May 24, 2006), “CBRNE - Chemical Detection Equipment”, eMedicine, <http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC924.HTM>. Retrieved on 22 October 2007 
  6. ^ US Department of Defense (2 June 2003), Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedure for NBC Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Protection (FM 3-11.4 / MCWP 3-37.2 / NTTP 3-11.27 / AFTTP(I) 3-2.46), FM 3-11.4, <http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/policy/army/fm/3-11-4/fm3-11-4.pdf>. Retrieved on 22 October 2007 
  7. ^ a b Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (09/12/2002), Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biologic, or Radiologic Attacks, <http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/441190>. Retrieved on 22 October 2007 
  8. ^ a b c d US Department of Defense (29 September 2000), Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedure for NBC Defense of Theater Fixed Sites, Ports, and Airfields (FM 3-11.34/MCRP 3-37.5/NWP 3-11.23/AFTTP(I) 3-2.33), <http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/policy/army/fm/3-11-34/fixedsites.pdf>. Retrieved on 22 October 2007 
  9. ^ Ciottone, Gregory R & Arnold, Jeffrey L (January 4, 2007), “CBRNE - Chemical Warfare Agents”, eMedicine, <http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC852.HTM>. Retrieved on 22 October 2007 
  10. ^ (1998) The New Chemical Weapons Convention - Implementation and Prospects. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 17. 
  11. ^ "The First World War" (a Channel 4 documentary based on the book by Hew Strachan)
  12. ^ Heller, Charles E. (September 1984), Chemical Warfare in World War I: The American Experience, 1917–1918, US Army Command and General Staff College, <http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Heller/HELLER.asp> 
  13. ^ [1], Libcom 1904-2003: History of Iraq
  14. ^ Nicolas Werth, Karel Bartošek, Jean-Louis Panné, Jean-Louis Margolin, Andrzej Paczkowski, Stéphane Courtois, The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression, Harvard University Press, 1999, hardcover, 858 pages, ISBN 0-674-07608-7
  15. ^ Y. Yoshimi and S. Matsuno, Dokugasusen Kankei Shiryô II, Kaisetsu, Jugonen Sensô Gokuhi Shiryoshu, 1997, p.27-29
  16. ^ Yoshimi and Matsuno, idem, Herbert Bix, Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan, 2001, p.360-364
  17. ^ Australian Military History Publications (Army History Unit), Chemical Warfare in Australia, <http://www.mustardgas.org/wheretobuy.htm> 
  18. ^ Schmaltz, Florian (2005), Kampfstoff-Forschung im Nationalsozialismus Zur Kooperation von Kaiser-Wilhelm-Instituten, Militär und Industrie", Wallstein Verlag 
  19. ^ Schmaltz, Florian (2006), “Neurosciences and Research on Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction in Nazi Germany”, Journal of the History of the Neurosciences: 186–209 
  20. ^ US Naval Historical Center, Naval Armed Guard Service: Tragedy at Bari, Italy on 2 December 1943, <http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq104-4.htm> 
  21. ^ Niderost, Eric, World War II: German Raid on Bari, HistoryNet.com, <http://www.historynet.com/wwii/blluftwaffeadriatic/> 
  22. ^ Infield, Glenn B. Infield. Disaster at Bari. 
  23. ^ Reminick, Gerald. Nightmare in Bari: The World War II Liberty Ship Poison Gas Disaster and Coverup. 
  24. ^ Korn, Benyamin, “Arab Chemical Warfare Against Jews--in 1944”, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, <http://www.wymaninstitute.org/articles/2003-03-chemical.php> 
  25. ^ a b c d Staff, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, US Senate (December 8, 1994), Is Military Research Hazardous to Veterans' Health? Lessons spanning half a century, 103d Congress, 2d Session - COMMITTEE PRINT - S. Prt. 103-97, <http://www.gulfweb.org/bigdoc/rockrep.cfm> 
  26. ^ Yevgenia Albats and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. The State Within a State: The KGB and Its Hold on Russia - Past, Present, and Future, 1994. ISBN 0-374-18104-7 (see pages 325–328)
  27. ^ Fedorov, Lev (27 July 1994), Chemical Weapons in Russia: History, Ecology, Politics], Center of Ecological Policy of Russia, <http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/cbw/jptac008_l94001.htm> 
  28. ^ Birstein, Vadim J. (2004), The Perversion Of Knowledge: The True Story of Soviet Science, Westview Press, ISBN 0-813-34280-5 
  29. ^ Federov, Lev & Mirzayanov, Vil (1992), “A Poisoned Policy”, Moscow News (no. weekly No. 39) 
  30. ^ Lafayette, Lev (July 26, 2002). "Who armed Saddam?". World History Archives. 
  31. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (October 27, 2002), “In Iran, grim reminders of Saddam's arsenal”, New Jersey Star Ledger, <http://www.nj.com/specialprojects/index.ssf?/specialprojects/mideaststories/me1209.html> 
  32. ^ Hughes, Paul, “It's like a knife stabbing into me”, The Star (South Africa), <http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=39470> 
  33. ^ Sciolino, Elaine (February 13, 2003), “Iraq Chemical Arms Condemned, but West Once Looked the Other Way”, New York Times, <http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0213-05.htm> 
  34. ^ Timmerman, Kenneth R. (1991). Death Lobby: How the West Armed Iraq. Houghton Mifflin. 
  35. ^ “T Is for Terror: A mad bomber who stalked Los Angeles in the ’70s could be the poster boy for the kind of terrorist the FBI fears today”, Newsweek Web Exclusive, 9 July 2003, <http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3070093> 
  36. ^ Robertson, Nic (August 19, 2002), “Disturbing scenes of death show capability with chemical gas”, Cable News Network, <http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/08/19/terror.tape.chemical/> 
  37. ^ Multi-National Force Iraq, Combined Press Information Center (20 April 2007), Chlorine Tanks Destroyed, Terrorists Killed in Raids, Press Release A070420a, <http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11530&Itemid=128> 
  38. ^ Multi-National Force Iraq, Combined Press Information Center (6 April 2007), Suicide Vehicle Detonates outside Police Checkpoint, Press Release 20070406-34, <http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11185&Itemid=128> 
  39. ^ Ban, Ki-Moon (19 March 2007), “Secretary-General Condemns Chlorine Attack in Iraq”, United Nations Radio, <http://www.un.org/radio/6542.asp> 

[

References

[

External links




BCUZ.com FACTS Encyclopedia content is licensed under the GFDL as approved by Wikipedia.
For more information review our copyright contact and privacy policy.
© 1996 - BCUZ.COM - We have all the FACTS you need about Small Business Financing, Behavior Disorder, Having Too Many Bills, Needing Cash Fast, Structured Settlements, Frequent Flier Programs, Top Steak Houses, The Mayan Indians, Norfolk and Suffolk England, Growing Longer Hair and a full reference English Encyclopedia and Spanish Encyclopedia.Privacy Policy