Chemical Warfare, Terrorism, and National Defense

Abstract

The United States must improve its ability to defend its citizens and property against potential terrorist or 'rogue state' attack with chemical weapons. As a military weapon, gas has been effective at causing casualties but has never been a 'war winner'. History shows that chemical weapons are most effective when used against an unprepared enemy that cannot retaliate in kind. The 1995 nerve agent attack in Tokyo was a 'wake up call' for the United States to come to grips with the serious asymmetric threat from either rogue states or terrorists who could launch a devastating chemical attack on our homeland. This paper will trace the military history of chemical weapons and assess programs necessary to prevent, protect, and respond to a chemical WMD attack on the United States of America.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 10, 2001
Accession Number
ADA390526

Entities

People

  • James P. Larsen

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artillery Ammunition
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Civil War
  • Economic Sanctions
  • Employment
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • Military History
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Phosgene
  • Second World War
  • Treaties
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies