Towards a New Chemical Warfare Policy
Abstract
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.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 15, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA233985
Entities
People
- Cortez D. Stephens
Organizations
- United States Army War College