The Use of Chemical Weapons

Chemical agents are typically fast-acting and symptoms develop within seconds to minutes of exposure. Even in the absence of protective detection systems, the use of chemical weapons will be immediately detected in the behavior of the troops on the held. 

According to the conclusions reached by some experts, terrorist acts apply a new strategy in the use of chemical weapons and other chemical agents, i.e. ... 

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an international treaty that bans the use of chemical weapons and aims to eliminate chemical weapons, everywhere in the world, forever. 

In the event of (a) the use of chemical weapons or riot control agents as a method of warfare, and/or (b) the threat of the use of chemical weapons, and/or (c) the threat of actions or activities prohibited for States Parties by Article I ... 

The Hague Conference did not prevent some nations from discussing the use of chemical weapons, and at least one country, France, experimented publicly with gas. The French Army tested a grenade filled with... 

In May 1936 the Italian Army completely routed the Ethiopian Army and, indeed, Italy controlled most of Ethiopia until 1941 when the British and other Allied troops re-conquered the country. Major Norman E. Fiske, an observer with the Italian Army, commented with regard to the role of chemical warfare that the Italians were clearly superior and victory for them was assured no matter what. According to Fiske, the use of chemical weapons was, however, nothing more than an experiment. 

On 30 March 1984, the United Nations Security Council issued a statement condemning the use of chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War. The same day the US government announced it was instituting a special licensing requirement for exports to Iran and Iraq of particular chemicals that could be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons. Other governments took similar steps. Following this statement, reports... 

The ban on the use of chemical weapons, as codified in the 1925 Geneva Protocol, was considered to constitute international law, applicable to all states. Yugoslavia had ratified the protocol and at no time indicated any desire to repudiate its treaty obligations. In earlier years certain countries, including the United States which used massive quantities of tear gas in the Vietnam War, maintained the protocol did not ban the use of riot control agents. However, incapacitating agents, like BZ, were not included in this apparent exception. 

Chemical weapon disarmament has progressed far since the first attempts were made a 100 years previously to outlaw the use of chemical weapons in war. The CWC still holds the best promise for reducing the threat of chemical warfare by building an environment of confidence and security. As well as instruments of verification and inspection, the CWC also possesses resort to aid and assistance in the area of chemical warfare defences in case of attack. In the final analysis, however, the overriding aim of the CWC continues to be the effective ban of all chemical weapons, complemented by the desire to promote the peaceful use of chemicals in industry. Whether such incentives will balance the pressure to acquire such weapons remains to be seen. 

Historical accounts of military conflicts since the First World War lead us to believe that the use of chemical weapons was non-existent for legal or ethical reasons, or for fear of retaliation. Matthew Meselson, a noted biochemist, stated, There have been only two instances of verified poison gas warfare since 1925. .. in Ethiopia and Yemen. 5 However, a preponderance of evidence exists to indicate that there have been numerous instances of chemical warfare use in military conflicts since 1918. In 1919, in India, stocks of phosgene and mustard gas were sent out from Britain for use on the frontier, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) is alleged to have used gas bombs against the Afghans in 1920. By 1925 the French and Spanish were employing poison gas in Morocco, and it had become clear that chemical warfare had found a new role, as a tool by which major powers could police rebellious territories. 

As part of a UN investigation into the use of chemical weapons in the Iraq-Iran war (17), sulfur... 

United Nations, Report of the Mission Dispatched by the Secretary-General to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq, Report No. S/17 911, 12 March, 1986. 

The use of chemical weapons by a State Party against its own citizens - a possibility that, based on historical precedence, cannot be ignored - would not establish such a right since chemical weapons will clearly not have been used against it . This, however, would not prevent the Organisation from deciding, for humanitarian reasons, to provide the victims with assistance. 

The use of chemical weapons, and the development, production, stockpiling, possession, retention, acquisition, assignment, import, export and transfer of such weapons, and selling or trading in them, are prohibited. 

It is forbidden to undertake any preparations for the use of chemical weapons, or to assist, encourage or induce any person in any manner to undertake any activity which is prohibited under this law. ... 

The provisions of the CWC itself, as with other aspects of the OPCW s work and mandate, provide the framework within which any elaboration of its universality must proceed. Although the word universality does not appear explicitly in the text, the first, sixth and final preambles to the CWC nevertheless make reference to progress towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control , to exclude completely the possibihty of the use of chemical weapons , and the complete and effective prohibition of. .. chemical weapons . Clearly, none of these aims can be fuUy realized without adherence by all states and fulfilment of the requirements to implement the CWC in and across all jurisdictions. This has been consistently recognized in decisions of successive sessions of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC and through the development of a plan of action, which is inspired by the objective of achieving universal adherence to the Convention ten years after its entry into force (i.e. by 2007). 

The terrorist threat differs fundamentally from the military threats of the past involving the use of chemical weapons. Essentially it is driven by the accessibility of the material - in stiU-existing stockpiles, or relevant precursor materials, or toxic industrial chemicals. Resolution 1540 explicitly calls upon all states to strengthen multilateral cooperation, including within the framework of OPCW, and to promote universal adoption of the CWC and its full implementation. 

A major event involving the use of chemical weapons would potentially result in chaos and panic, widespread social disruption, and significant morbidity and mortality. Nurses need to have an awareness of the challenges that would be encountered in caring for victims of a chemical attack, and where to locate guidelines for patient care and event management. 

True or false Multiple ill individuals with similar complaints seeking care at the same time is suggestive of the use of chemical weapons. 

Bajgar, J. (1968). Survey of chemicals for consideration as possible V agents (in Czech). Inf. Zpravodaj 9 5-17. Bajgar, J. (2006). The use of chemical weapons and negotiations on their han from historic to present time. NUCLEUS, Hradec Kralove, 180 pp. (In Czech)... 

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