Chemical Warfare the Twentieth Century Research Paper

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Some of the nerve agents such as VX and Tabun are also highly persistent in that their effects last in the field for longer periods of time. [Wisconsin Project, (2010)]

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

The 1925 Geneva protocol prohibited the use of poisonous gases in warfare but flagrant violations of the accord by various nations is clearly evident when we glance through the wars that took place in the previous century. Starting with the Second World War, the Vietnam War, and the more recent Gulf wars, the use of chemical weapons has continued in sheer violation of the Geneva treaty. [Geneva Protocol, (1925)] The loopholes and the reservations in the Geneva protocol implied that the threat of chemical warfare was always looming large. It is only pertinent here to point out that not only the so called rogue states (Iran, Iraq, Korea) engaged in chemical warfare but also the U.S. engaged in chemical warfare. The Infamous Vietnam war and the indiscriminate use of defoliants such as 'Agent Orange' and 'Agent Blue' have not only destroyed the vegetation in South Vietnam but have also drastically affected the health of Vietnamese. Scientific evidence has confirmed that the blood levels of Dioxin (the toxic compound in Agent orange) in South Vietnamese population is up to 135 times higher compared to people from other parts of the nation not exposed to the chemical spraying. The consequences are severe health defects and deformities among babies, high prevalence of various forms of cancers in the areas that were sprayed with the harmful herbicide.

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[Anne Maria Nicholson]

In view of the largescale destruction and the lingering health effects of chemical warfare, the United Nations called upon all the nations to accede to the CWC. The convention entered into force in 29 April 1997 and it totally prohibited the development, stockpiling, transfer and the use of chemical weapons. The convention also included detailed verification protocol and total disarmament of chemical weapons from all signatories. As of Dec 2007, 183 nations have acceded to the CWC and more than 38% of the declared chemical weapons had been destroyed. [Johan de Wittlaan, (2010)]

Conclusion

The insanity of war has seen men bent upon destruction using the most fiendish methods. Chemical warfare is one of the crude and deadliest forms of warfare. No rules of engagement could justify the use of this brutal form of mass destruction that not only kills the military force but also leaves lingering health effects on the civilian population. Just as the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revealed to the world the destructive potential of nuclear warfare, the two World wars and the ravages of Vietnam bear witness to the horrors of chemical warfare. The Chemical Weapons convention is a huge step forward in the right direction and it is hoped that more and more countries ratify the convention......

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