Weapons of Mass Destruction 9781591974215, 1591974216

Citation preview

Sheila Rivera

By Sheila Rivera

WORLD IN CONFLICT: THE MIDDLE EAST

V I S I T U S AT W W W. A B D O P U B . C O M Published by ABDO & Daughters, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company, 4940 Viking Drive, Suite 622, Edina, Minnesota 55435. Copyright ©2004 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States. Edited by: Cory Gunderson Contributing Editors: Paul Joseph, Chris Schafer Graphic Design: Arturo Leyva, David Bullen Cover Design: Castaneda Dunham, Inc. Photos: Corbis Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rivera, Sheila, 1970Weapons of mass destruction / Sheila Rivera. p. cm. -- (World in conflict. The Middle East) Includes index. Summary: Describes the history, development, and current threat of various types of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, as well as possible preventive measures. ISBN 1-59197-421-6 1. Weapons of mass destruction--Middle East--Juvenile literature. 2. Middle East--Armed Forces--Juvenile literature. 3. World politics--1989---Juvenile literature. [1. Weapons of mass destruction.] I. Title. II. World in conflict. Middle East.

U793.R58 2003 358’.3--dc21

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TA B L E

OF

CONTENTS

Overview of Weapons of Mass Destruction . . . . . . . .5 Chemical Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Biological Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Nuclear Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Eliminating Weapons of Mass Destruction . . . . . . . .34 Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Fast Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Web Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

3 Table of Contents

A fiery mushroom cloud rises into the sky after a nuclear test explosion.

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OV E RV I E W

OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

A

weapon of mass destruction is one that is capable of killing many people at one time. A weapon of such capability can take many different forms. On

September 11, 2001, four United States airplanes were turned into weapons of mass destruction. Al-Qaeda terrorists took control of these four planes. Two were deliberately slammed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York. Another plane smashed into the side of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Thousands of people died due to these attacks. Using airplanes as weapons of mass destruction had never been done before. Most weapons of mass destruction are created in labs by scientists. It can take decades for scientists to research and create a new weapon of mass destruction. Many nations, including the U.S., possess these types of weapons.

5 Overview of Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Nations around the world worry about the dangers of weapons of mass destruction. They are afraid that these weapons might be used against them. Some countries are concerned about which other countries may have weapons of mass destruction. These countries do not want their enemies to have these powerful weapons. There are three main types of weapons of mass destruction. These include chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The first type, chemical weapons, includes many kinds of poisonous gases. These gases are meant to attack the lungs, skin, or nervous systems of their victims. The use of chemical weapons by one nation against another is a real possibility. Many scientists and chemists have chemical knowledge. They could use that knowledge to help make such weapons. Also, it is relatively easy to get the initial chemical materials. These chemicals can be used to make chemical weapons. These chemical weapons pose a serious threat to the world. The second type, biological weapons, introduces a new pathogen to a group of people. A pathogen is a very tiny organism that causes disease. The victims of a biological attack are unable to fight off the pathogen’s negative effects. Sometimes the pathogen is too powerful. Other times victims had never been exposed to the pathogen before.

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A Saudi man wears a gas mask to protect himself from poisons used in chemical warfare.

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This means their body doesn’t know how to fight the pathogen. Biological weapons can cause the spread of disease to a group of people, making them infected. Victims often die from exposure to these diseases. Biological weapons have played a small, but brutal, role in past wars. Nuclear weapons are the third type of weapon of mass destruction. Nuclear bombs are sometimes called atomic bombs. They are believed to be the most dangerous weapon of mass destruction. Nuclear weapons cause powerful explosions that can kill thousands or even millions of people. Nuclear bombs also release radioactive material. Radiation can lead to various forms of cancer. This radioactive material can affect people many years after a bomb has been exploded. The radiation released from nuclear bombs can cause birth defects in children who are born years after the bomb exploded. Nations across the globe work to prevent nuclear attacks. In world history, only two nuclear attacks have ever taken place. The U.S. was responsible for both. It dropped atomic bombs on cities in Japan during World War II. These attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 200,000 people. Many countries fear that their nation might fall under a nuclear attack the way Japan did in 1945. Despite this fear, some

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nations still have nuclear weapons. Many nations that do not have nuclear weapons are trying to get them. These countries believe they might need these weapons in the future. They feel that these weapons are the only way they can protect themselves from other countries that have nuclear weapons. More nations have nuclear weapons now than ever before. Some have created even more powerful nuclear weapons. These weapons are called thermonuclear weapons. A thermonuclear bomb is 25 times more powerful than the first nuclear bombs. Fortunately, weapons of mass destruction have not been used very often. Nations who go to war seldom use them. If two nations were to use weapons of mass destruction against each other, all of their citizens could die. If enough weapons of mass destruction are used in a war, it is possible that the whole world could be destroyed.

9 Overview of Weapons of Mass Destruction

The city of Hiroshima, Japan, was destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II.

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CHEMICAL WEAPONS

C

hemical weapons are made from poisonous liquids and gases. They are released through missiles, explosives, or sprays. Chemical weapons can damage

a person’s body if they are breathed in by the victim. These weapons are divided into groups called agents. The five agents are blister, blood, choking, nerve, and psychotomimetic agents. Blister agents include any chemicals that burn the skin or make blisters. These blisters can become infected. Blister agents are very harmful to the eyes. The most common types of blister agents are Lewisite and mustard gas. Blood agents are usually breathed into a person’s lungs. These gases stop the body from turning oxygen into energy. Without oxygen, vital organs inside the body stop working. Organ failure will kill the victim in just 15 minutes. Some blood agent gases include cyanogen chloride and hydrogen cyanide.

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A third type of chemical agent is a choking agent. Choking agents attack the breathing system. They cause a victim’s lungs to swell. The lungs then fill with fluid. The victim can no longer breathe. Victims will eventually drown because their lungs are full of liquid. Some people do survive choking agent attacks. Those who survive will still suffer with life-long breathing problems. Some choking agents include trichloronitromethane, diphosgene, chloropicrin, and phosgene. The fourth type of chemical agent is a nerve agent. Nerve agents attack the victim’s nervous system. Nerve agents have no color or odor. They are some of the most powerful and deadly of all chemical weapons. Nerve agents restrict the movement of nerve impulses in the body. This makes people unable to control their muscles. They vomit and lose their ability to control their bladder. Victims lungs stop working and they lose their ability to breathe. They eventually die because they can’t get any air. The fifth type of chemical agent is a psychotomimetic agent. Psychotomimetic agents affect the person’s mind. They cause problems in the victim’s nervous system. This makes it difficult for victims to make decisions or move. Victims become disoriented and may hallucinate. Three types of psychotomimetic agents are 3-quinuclidinylbenzilate, Phencyclidine, and LSD.

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Nerve agents attack a victim’s nervous system usually causing death.

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Many countries have some or all of these types of agents. More nations have chemical weapons than biological or nuclear weapons. The U.S., Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France all have chemical weapons. So do Chile, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and North Korea. Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and India have chemical weapons, too. In the Middle East, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, and Syria have chemical weapons. Many countries that have chemical weapons have used them. Although Germany no longer has chemical weapons, it was the first country to use them in war. The first attack using poison gas happened during World War I. In April of 1915, Germany used chlorine and phosgene gases on its enemies. The Germans also used mustard gas later in the war. Mustard gas is a colorless, odorless gas. It causes skin blisters and lung burns in its victims. About one million people died from chemical attacks during World War I. The German gas attacks scared other nations. Other countries were afraid of this new weapon. They felt powerless without their own weapon of this kind. They feared this weapon would give the Germans an advantage in any war. Other nations began to make and collect their own supplies of chemical weapons. Many of these nations have used those weapons against other countries.

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The Japanese Imperial Army used blister, choking, and blood agents against China from 1937 to 1945. Italy used chemical weapons against Libya in the 1920s and against Ethiopia in 1935. The Nazis used poison gas to kill gypsies and Jews during World War II. Even the U.S. has used chemical weapons. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. dumped a chemical called Agent Orange on the dense jungles of Vietnam. This chemical was used to kill the jungle plants and force the North Vietnamese from their hiding places. Many people got sick or died from exposure to Agent Orange. Several Middle Eastern nations have also used chemical weapons. Egypt used chemical weapons against Yemen between 1963 and 1967. Iraq and Iran used chemical weapons against each other between 1983 and 1988. Libya used poisonous gas against the country of Chad in 1987, too. Some nations have even used poisonous gas against their own people. The Iraqi government used mustard gas and sarin to kill its Kurdish population in northern Iraq in 1988. More than 5,000 Kurds died in that attack. Many more were injured. The Middle Eastern nation of Sudan used poisonous gas against its own people during the late 1980s and into the 1990s.

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A U.S. plane sprays Agent Orange over Vietnamese jungles.

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Countries around the globe fear the power of chemical weapons. They worry that these weapons, and knowledge about how to make them, might fall into the wrong hands. These concerns have grown as the means of releasing chemical agents have improved. Terrorist groups around the world have tried to acquire chemical weapons. The governments of many countries try to make sure terrorists do not obtain these weapons. In 1995, a cult in Japan used chemical weapons against the people living there. The name of the cult was Aum Shinrikyo. Members of the cult released nerve gas into the Tokyo subway system. Twelve people died in the attack. More than 5,000 people were injured. Police raided the cult’s building two days later. They found enough chemicals in the building to kill more than 4 million people. In 1998, Aum Shinrikyo’s chemical factory was destroyed under the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention.

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BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

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hroughout history, diseases such as smallpox and influenza have made people very ill. These diseases are caused by tiny organisms called

pathogens. Sometimes people die from exposure to these pathogens. People have created biological weapons by managing the power of pathogens. A biological weapon was used in warfare long before any other weapon of mass destruction was created. The first biological weapons were used as far back as 1347. At that time, the Mongols were fighting against the Crimean people. The Crimeans were inside the city of Caffa, unwilling to come out. Rather than storm the city, the Mongols decided to use dead bodies as weapons. These dead bodies were infected with a sickness called the Bubonic Plague. The Mongols flung Bubonic Plague-infested bodies into Caffa. The Crimeans got the plague

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A medical researcher with a bottle of anthrax

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from these bodies. Hundreds of people died. Those who were lucky enough to survive the attack escaped to Europe by ship. Rats on the ship carried the plague with them, and Europeans got sick. The Bubonic Plague killed about 25 percent of the European population in the late fourteenth century. Since that time, a lot of research has been done on biological weapons. These weapons have become much more complex. Today there are about 60 kinds of pathogens that could be used for biological warfare. These pathogens include bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, protozoa, and fungi. Many of these pathogens kill the victims after only a few days. Biological attacks can be more deadly than chemical attacks. The diseases they cause can spread between victims. Biological weapons include several types of germ warfare. One powerful biological agent is anthrax. Anthrax was originally a blood-poisoning disease found in cattle. It is dangerous to human beings who breathe it in. Anthrax is not contagious, but it is often deadly. It can take between one and six days for symptoms of anthrax to appear in a victim. Symptoms of an anthrax infection include exhaustion, chest pain, fever, and breathing difficulty. Victims who are heavily exposed to anthrax can die within 24 to 36 hours. About 80 percent of people infected with anthrax die from it. Victims die because their

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respiratory systems fail. They can also develop toxic shock or bleed to death. Anthrax became a concern in the U.S. in 2001. Envelopes containing the anthrax bacteria were mailed to several politicians and members of the media. Five people died as a result of these attacks. Twenty-two others were infected and treated. Government officials never found those responsible for these attacks. A second and far more deadly type of biological agent is BTX. BTX stands for Type A Botulinal Toxin. BTX is 1,000 times more powerful than anthrax. It comes from the clostridium botulinum bacteria. This bacterium is the most deadly poison in nature. The poison must be breathed in or swallowed to take effect. If this happens, the victim will die. BTX is 10,000 times stronger than cobra poison. Eight ounces of BTX, not enough to fill a pop can, can kill every living creature on Earth. Another powerful biological agent is the Ebola virus. This virus is native to Africa. It has been found in both humans and monkeys. Ebola is passed from one person to another through blood or other body secretions. It is sometimes passed on in hospital settings, especially in Africa. It can be spread through the reuse of needles or medical equipment that has not been sterilized. Ebola causes its victims to bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and

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The Ebola virus under a microscope

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other body cavities until they finally die. Roughly 70 percent of the people infected with Ebola die. HIV is another illness that has been particularly deadly in Africa and around the world. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the first step that leads to the disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. This disease is also passed from one person to another through blood or body secretions. In Africa, AIDS is sometimes used as a biological weapon. Central African soldiers infected with AIDS sometimes use rape as a means of ethnic cleansing. This means the soldiers attempt to kill a certain group of people. About 50 percent of these soldiers are infected with HIV or AIDS. When they have sexual intercourse with others, they use themselves as biological weapons. Some biological weapons have advanced beyond infectious diseases. One new type of biological weapon is called a bioregulator. Bioregulators attack the victim’s nervous system. They can change a victim’s mood, or affect a victim’s mind. Bioregulators can kill people. They have been studied for use in political assassinations. A new development in biological weapons is the creation of genetically engineered organisms. If created properly, genetically

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engineered agents would be able to detect genetic differences between certain groups of people. These agents could be used to attack only people of a specific race or ethnicity. Scientists believe that such technology could be possible within 10 years. They fear that terrorist groups could use this technology for ethnic cleansing. In order to create a biological weapon, scientists must follow three steps. First, they need to choose the organisms they will use. Second, they must grow large amounts of the organism from small samples. Lastly, scientists must stabilize the organisms. This means that scientists must be able to control the growth of the organisms. They also need to keep them contained. This is very important, so that none of the scientists get sick. Scientists are making new biological weapons very quickly. Experts believe that anthrax, smallpox, botulism or the plague would most likely be used in a biological attack. Smallpox is a very contagious disease. Often called cowpox, it is carried by a virus called the variola virus. Smallpox was wiped out worldwide by 1977, but scientists held on to some samples of the virus. Some worry that smallpox could be used against people who have not been vaccinated against the disease.

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An African child infected with the smallpox virus

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Many nations around the world have biological weapons. World powers such as China, Russia, and the U.S. have biological weapons. Countries like Bulgaria, Cuba, India, Laos, North Korea, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam have them as well. The Middle Eastern nations of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, and Syria also have biological weapons. Since the Mongols first used biological warfare in 1347, this type of weapon has rarely been used. Many nations are getting rid of their biological weapons. This is because of the danger they represent to humanity as a whole. There is still fear that biological weapons research continues. People are afraid that these weapons may be used in the future.

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NUCLEAR WEAPONS

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n both August 6 and August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. These attacks were the concluding acts of the World War II struggle.

These were the first and only two nuclear bombs ever used in a war. The U.S. called the first bomb “Little Boy.” It exploded over the city of Hiroshima. It had the power of 20,000 tons of the explosive TNT. It destroyed 90 percent of the city of Hiroshima. Nearly 130,000 people died or disappeared after the explosion. The second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. This bomb killed or wounded 75,000 Japanese people. It destroyed more than 33 percent of the city. Japan surrendered soon after these attacks. The U.S. decided to use these nuclear bombs against Japan only after a lot of planning. They made the decision to use these weapons because they thought that using them would bring a quick end to the war.

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The mushroom cloud over Nagasaki, Japan, from the atomic bomb which ended World War II

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Seven years later, on November 1, 1952, U.S. scientists tested a new kind of nuclear bomb. This bomb was called a thermonuclear bomb. They code-named the 10.4-megaton bomb “Mike.” The U.S. military dropped it on the tiny island of Elugelab in the Pacific Ocean. The island was completely destroyed by the explosion. The atomic bomb is the world’s most powerful weapon of mass destruction. No world leader wants to see the type of destruction that occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki happen in their nation. There are two types of atomic bombs. The first is called a fission bomb. Fission bombs are made from the radioactive elements uranium or plutonium. The tiniest particles of these elements are called atoms. When these atoms are broken apart, they create energy. This energy gives the bomb its power. In a uranium bomb, two pieces of sub-critical mass are thrown around by a series of little explosions. Sub-critical means the mass is not strong enough on its own to release its energy. This is why the explosions are needed. These explosions make the two masses inside the bomb release their energy. Fusion bombs are also called thermonuclear bombs. They give off even more energy than fission bombs. A fusion bomb actually has a fission bomb inside of it. The fission bomb starts

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the reaction. The reaction activates hydrogen in the fusion bomb. The atoms then melt together. They give off large amounts of energy. Fusion bombs are extremely powerful. If a 20-kiloton nuclear fission bomb exploded over a crowded area, it could kill over one million people. Nuclear bombs are often attached to a missile in a container called a nuclear warhead. There are many kinds of nuclear warheads. The U.S. made 60,000 warheads between the years of 1945 and 1985. Within those 60,000 warheads, there were 71 different kinds. They could be used on 116 different types of weapons. Not many nations in the world have nuclear weapons. The U.S., France, and the United Kingdom all have them. Israel also has nuclear weapons. China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, and Russia have nuclear weapons as well. Some nations do not have nuclear weapons but would like to have them. A few of them are Algeria, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Serbia, South Africa, and the Ukraine. The rest of the world is concerned about any of these nations getting nuclear weapons. They know that nuclear weapons are a huge responsibility. Nuclear weapons pose a great threat to others.

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This atomic blast completely destroyed Elugelab Island in 1952.

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The U.S. is the only nation that has used nuclear weapons against another nation. But it is not the only country to test nuclear weapons. The U.S. performed the first nuclear test on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico. The Soviet Union was next to test a nuclear weapon. It performed its first test on August 29, 1949. Other countries began to conduct nuclear tests as well. Britain’s first test was on October 3, 1952. France conducted its first nuclear test on December 3, 1960. China’s first test was October 16, 1964. India conducted a nuclear test on May 18, 1974. Most of these countries have run several more nuclear weapons tests throughout the years. Many nuclear tests have been done for peaceful purposes. These nuclear tests are called peaceful nuclear explosions. Some peaceful uses include creating underground storage areas and withdrawing gas or oil from the ground. Other nuclear explosions have been used to put out gas and oil fires. Peaceful nuclear explosions still create tension around the world. Other countries feel unsure that those tests are done for peaceful purposes only. They also feel that the tests are damaging to the environment.

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ELIMINATING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

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eapons of mass destruction pose a serious threat to people everywhere. The United Nations, or UN, as well as several countries, have worked to reduce the number of weapons of mass destruction in existence. They have also worked to ensure that the weapons that do exist are not distributed to more countries. The UN has tried to control weapons of mass destruction by making rules and guidelines regarding their use. The organization does this through the formation of treaties. Many countries have signed weapons treaties. These agreements make rules regarding weapons of mass destruction that all countries must follow. In the past, larger world nations have tried to set an example for smaller nations. They have voluntarily reduced the number of weapons they have. These nations also signed agreements that discourage the use of these weapons. They believe that if smaller countries feel less threatened, those countries may also sign

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Middle Eastern foreign ministers meet in Turkey to discuss disarmament demands with Iraq.

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similar treaties. The goal of these treaties is to create a peaceful society for everyone. The first international weapons agreement was called the Geneva Protocol. It was created in 1925 and came into force in 1928. The Protocol was sponsored by the League of Nations, which existed before the UN. The Geneva Protocol has prohibited the use of chemical or biological weapons. While this prohibition is important, the Protocol has serious limitations. The Protocol has no rules that stop countries from continuing to develop these weapons. It fails to apply legislation barring the hoarding of these weapons. Even after the signing of the Protocol, chemical and biological weapons production continued to increase. An international treaty was signed in 1993. This treaty was designed to tighten the 1925 Geneva Protocol. This treaty banned the use of chemical weapons. It also banned production and collection of these weapons by the year 2007. This treaty went into effect in 1997. It was signed by 143 different nations, and a special committee was formed. This committee’s job was to make sure that the nations who signed the treaty were meeting its requirements. This committee is called the Chemical Weapons Convention, or CWC. World nations also believe there are too many biological weapons in the world. In 1972, a treaty called the Biological Weapons Convention, or BWC, was introduced. The BWC said

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countries could not make or use biological weapons. The BWC was signed on April 10, 1972. It went into force on March 26, 1975. Unfortunately, there were limitations in the treaty that restricted its power. The treaty failed to install a monitoring group to ensure that its guidelines were being met. In 1991, a group called Verification Experts, or VEREX, was created at the BWC’s Third Review Conference. This group would decide how to monitor the actions of member nations. Group members looked at scientific and technical tools that measured how well members were following the treaty’s guidelines. In September 1994, another group was formed to enforce the measures created by the VEREX group. This group was known as the Ad Hoc Group. The Ad Hoc Group had to define the terms and goals of the international treaty. They wanted to build trust between member nations. This way, countries would be willing to work together for improved results. The Ad Hoc Group encouraged member nations to follow the treaty’s rules. They were also responsible for making sure that member nations cooperated and shared information on peaceful bacteriological activities. This sharing included information on medical activities. There are prevention groups for nuclear weapons as well. In the 1960s, world nations gathered to begin a crackdown on nuclear weapons. They created the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT. The NPT treaty was signed in 1968. It went into effect in 1970. This treaty was signed in 37 Eliminating Weapons of Mass Destruction

Nuclear power is often used for peaceful purposes.

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accordance with previous UN guidelines. It authorized the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, to make sure the guidelines were met. One way they do this is by performing weapons inspections. The IAEA conducts inspections of member countries it believes are violating the laws of the treaty. In 2002, the IAEA worked with the UN. They looked for nuclear weapons in Iraq. The NPT’s goal was to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. It encouraged world nations to get rid of their nuclear weapons. NPT also wanted to promote the positive uses of nuclear energy. On May 11, 1995, member nations voted to extend the treaty. They decided not to specify a year in which the treaty would end. Today, 188 nations have signed the NPT treaty. Five of the countries that signed the treaty have nuclear technology. More countries have signed this treaty than any other weapons-limiting treaty. Another treaty was created to ban nuclear weapons testing. At the Conference on Disarmament, or CD, a nuclear-test-ban treaty was created. The CD used the framework outlined by the Ad Hoc Committee. A final draft of this nuclear-test-ban treaty was presented in 1996 to the Ad Hoc Committee. On November 19, 1996, the members who signed the treaty created a monitoring group. The name of the group was the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization, or CTBTO. It included all of the people who signed the treaty and the Provisional Technical 39 Eliminating Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Secretariat. The group’s job was to review the rules of the treaty. It also made sure that those rules were being enforced. Conclusion In 2003, the threat of weapons of mass destruction guided politics around the globe. The U.S. charged that Iraq and its leader, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction. Iraq was not allowed to have these types of weapons. This was because of events that took place during and after the Persian Gulf War. During that war, Iraq invaded its neighbor Kuwait. Both countries had oil wells underneath their shared border. Iraq wanted to punish Kuwait. It felt Kuwait took too much oil from this shared reserve. After the Gulf War, Iraq signed a treaty saying that it would only have certain weapons. Restrictions were placed on how powerful Iraq’s weapons could be. The UN also said Iraq’s weapons could only travel 150 kilometers (93 miles). The U.S. believed that Iraq had broken that treaty. It felt Iraq had more powerful weapons than it was allowed. The U.S. demanded that Iraq get rid of these weapons. The UN sent weapons inspectors to Iraq. Their job was to see whether or not Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Iraq said it had destroyed all of its illegal weapons. The U.S. government did not believe Iraq. It felt Saddam Hussein couldn’t be trusted. On March 17, 2003, U.S. President George

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UN inspectors in Baghdad, Iraq

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W. Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq. If Saddam did not leave, Bush said that the U.S. would attack. Saddam Hussein chose not to leave. The U.S. attack began on March 19, 2003. North Korea also drew a lot of attention from other countries. It was thought that its government might have weapons of mass destruction. This was because North Korea had restarted one of its nuclear power plants. North Korea also withdrew itself from the NPT. There was a standoff between North Korea and the U.S. and its allies, Japan and South Korea. North Korea wanted the U.S. to make an agreement that it would not attack them. The U.S. wanted North Korea to shut down its nuclear power plant. It believed North Korea was trying to make nuclear weapons. UN inspectors were inside of North Korea. They were looking for nuclear weapons. They left in December 2002, after North Korea told them they were no longer welcome. In both cases, the UN and the IAEA played active roles. They wanted to see peace established between the countries without war. The UN wanted these countries to meet and talk about their problems. The UN hoped these matters could be handled peacefully. The UN would never want any country to use weapons of mass destruction against another country. Hopefully, peaceful solutions can be found in both cases. Yet, the possibility of unleashing weapons of mass destruction still exists.

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TIMELINE 1347

Mongols launch Bubonic Plague-infested bodies into the city of Caffa. This leads to the spread of the Bubonic Plague throughout Europe.

1928

Geneva Protocol is signed. The Protocol bans the use of chemical weapons.

1938

Nuclear fission is discovered in Germany. British scientists develop a theory to explain atomic bombs in 1941.

1945

United States uses first and second nuclear bombs in war against Japan. The bombs explode over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 people.

1962-1973

United States uses Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The chemical is used to destroy the jungle tree cover. Many people are killed from exposure to it.

1983-1988

Iraq and Iran use chemical weapons against each other.

1988

Saddam Hussein uses mustard gas on the native Kurd population living in northern Iraq.

1990

United States and Soviet Union agree to cut chemical weapons arsenals by 80 percent.

1993

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) treaty is signed. It is the first disarmament treaty calling for the elimination of an entire class of weapons.

2001

Al-Qaeda terrorists use airplanes as weapons of mass destruction in attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

2003

On March 19, the U.S. and its allies attack Iraq. Iraq is believed to have weapons of mass destruction.

43 Timeline

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FA S T FA C T S • The people of Caffa, infected with the Bubonic Plague, fled to Europe. The plague followed and would eventually kill more than 25 percent of the European population. • North American traders created a smallpox epidemic in Pennsylvania in 1754 by giving infected blankets to the Native American people. • Scientists believe the Ebola virus is native to the African continent. • Blood agents stop the body from turning oxygen into energy. This stops the body’s inner organs from working. • More nations have chemical weapons than nuclear or biological weapons. • The first chemical weapons attacks occurred during World War I. The Germans used mustard, chlorine, and phosgene gases. These gases were released on the opposing allied troops. • Some scientists believe that biological weapons could be more powerful than nuclear weapons. • Nuclear weapons were first used in war August 6 and August 9 of 1945. The United States dropped atomic bombs on two cities in Japan during World War II. • The Japanese terrorist cult Aum Shinrikyo’s weapons factory, “Satian No. 7,” was destroyed by the United Nations. It was the first chemical weapons facility destroyed by the United Nations. • U.S. citizens were victims of anthrax attacks in 2001. Letters containing the poison were sent to politicians and members of the media.

44 WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

WORLD IN CONFLICT: THE MIDDLE EAST

WEB SITES W W W. A B D O P U B . C O M Would you like to learn more about Weapons of Mass Destruction? Please visit www.abdopub.com to find up-to-date Web site links about Weapons of Mass Destruction and the World in Conflict. These links are routinely monitored and updated to provide the most current information available.

Nuclear and chemical warfare survival guide and gear

45 Web Sites

WORLD IN CONFLICT: THE MIDDLE EAST

G L O S S A RY agent: A force or substance that causes a change. atom: A unit of matter, the smallest unit of an element. biological: Relating to life or a living thing. bladder: The organ in the body responsible for holding urine. Botulinal Toxin: A rod-shaped bacteria that does not need oxygen. botulism: A severe, sometimes fatal, food poisoning caused by ingestion of food containing botulin. Bubonic Plague: A contagious, often fatal, epidemic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia. Transmitted from person to person. chemical: A specifically created substance that is produced by or used in a chemical process. ethnicity: Aspects regarding character, background, or affiliation. genetic: Relating to, or influenced by the origin or development of something.

46 WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

WORLD IN CONFLICT: THE MIDDLE EAST

genetically engineered: The use of various methods to manipulate the genetic material in cells to change traits or produce biological products. immunodeficiency: The body’s immune system when it is unable to fight off disease. Mongols: Nomadic people from Mongolia. nuclear: Of or relating to atomic energy. organism: An individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protista, or fungus. radiation: To give off energy in rays or waves. smallpox: An acute, highly infectious and often fatal, disease caused by a poxvirus. thermonuclear: The use of atomic weapons based on fusion, rather than those based on fission. Toxic Shock Syndrome: Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is an uncommon, but serious illness that was first recognized in the late 1970s. TSS is caused by a toxin, also called a poison. United Nations (UN): A group of nations formed in 1945. Its goals are peace, human rights, security, and social and economic development. Vietnam War: 1954-1975. A long, failed attempt by the United States to stop North Vietnam from taking over South Vietnam.

47 Glossary

WORLD IN CONFLICT: THE MIDDLE EAST

INDEX A Ad Hoc Group 37, 39 Anthrax 20-22, 25, 44 Aum Shinrikyo 18, 44 B Biological warfare 21, 27 Biological Weapons Convention 36 Bioregulators 24 Blister agents 12 Blood agents 12, 16, 44 Botulinal Toxin 22 Bubonic plague 19, 21, 43, 44 C Chemical Weapons Convention 18, 36, 43 Chloropicrin 13 Choking agents 13 Cyanogen chloride 12 D Diphosgene 13 E Ebola Virus 22, 23, 44 Elugelab 30, 32 F Fission bombs 30 Fusion 30, 31

G Geneva protocol 36, 43 Germ warfare 21 Germany 15, 43 H Hiroshima 10, 28, 30, 43 HIV 24 Hydrogen cyanide 12 I Influenza 19 International Atomic Energy Agency 39 J Japan 8, 10, 18, 28-29, 42-44 L Lewisite 12 M Mongols 19, 27, 43 Mustard gas 12, 15, 16, 43 N Nagasaki 28-30, 43 Nerve agents 13-14 Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons 37 P Pathogens 19, 21 Phosgene 13, 15, 44

48 WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Plutonium 30 Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) 39 T Thermonuclear weapons 9, Trichloronitromethane 13 U United Nations (UN) 18, 34, 36, 39-42, 44 United States 5, 16-18, 28, 30, 31, 33, 40, 42-44 Uranium 30 V VEREX 37 Vietnam 15-16, 27, 43 W World Trade Center 5 World War I 15, 44 World War II 8, 10, 16, 28-29, 44