Field Management of Chemical Casualties Handbook, Second Edition
Abstract
With the end of the Soviet Union as a global superpower the world as we knew it ended and a long drawn-out turning point in world history began. We first witnessed this moment in 1990 with the formal reunion of East and West Germany through Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm Operations Restore Hope in Somalia and the United States (U.S.) involvement in the Balkans Conflict. This historic shift will persist well into the next century. The ability and will to wage war on a large scale have not diminished only shifted to new players. Former Soviet subjects have taken new and unpredictable directions. Strident nationalism and long suppressed ethnic rivalries have emerged with vicious bloody warfare the end result. The disarray and economic upheaval inside Russia have allowed the sale of Russian weaponry and technology to perpetuate. The so-called third world nations have also taken advantage of the new world order to challenge what was once thought unchallengeable. Economic investment and economic power have given military muscle to nations who even ten years ago were struggling just to feed their people. In some cases this newfound power has also taken on nationalistic fervor. As a consequence of the unprecedented world challenges the threat spectrum faced by the U.S. into the next century has broadened. It now includes formerly democratic governments members of regional cooperation alliances and terrorists of all persuasions. Let's narrow our gaze somewhat and look at examples of threats within the chemical and biological (C/B) threat spectrum.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA435209
Entities
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense