Towards a new chemical warfare policy. Individual study project
Now that the stability of the cold war bipolar world has been ended, the world is likely to be more turbulent and the possibility that United States military forces will become involved in conflict seems more likely. Proliferation of chemical weapons in recent years has increased the likelihood of chemical warfare. Through-out history chemical weapons have proven to be logistically difficult to employ, highly dependent upon environmental factors of terrain and weather, and relatively easy to defend against. On a tactical and operational level chemical weapons have displayed only a minimal level of effectiveness. Nevertheless, the ominous specter of chemical weapons being unleashed upon unprotected civilian targets has created a strong and enduring political anathema against their use. In a chemical attack upon our cities, nuclear retaliation would be more punishing and thereby more appropriate than chemical retaliation. In an occurrence of a tactical chemical attack against our military forces, a conventional retaliation would be more punishing and thereby more appropriate than chemical retaliation. Our chemical defense capability is inadequate and should be improved. Our policy should be to completely repudiate the use of chemical weapons and destroy our stockpile because they offer us neither a worthwhile deterrence nor retaliatory capability. Our retention of chemical weapons gains us no military advantage and burdens us with a political albatross.
- Research Organization:
- Army War Coll., Carlisle Barracks, PA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5482569
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-233985/1/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
CHEMICAL WARFARE
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
MILITARY STRATEGY
NATIONAL DEFENSE
STOCKPILES
TARGETS
USA
WEATHER
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
NORTH AMERICA
WARFARE
WEAPONS
350000* - Arms Control- (1987-)
450600 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Chemical & Biological- (1990)