- Types of chemical weapons
- Defense against chemical weapons
- Chemical weapons in history
- Proliferation and detection of chemical weapons programs
- Chemical weapons and terrorism
In civilian defense
While most military forces have at least some defense against chemical attack, this is not the case for most civilian populations, which typically have no individual protective equipment (masks, overgarments, boots, or gloves) or collective protection shelters. One notable exception is Israel, which has been at war numerous times since its independence in 1948. Israeli citizens are assigned their own gas masks, and new buildings in Israel must contain a reinforced shelter. Israel also conducts civil defense exercises on a regular basis in order to prepare its citizens for attack.
A further problem for almost every country is the presence in most urban centres of storage or manufacturing facilities that contain toxic industrial chemicals and other toxic materials. A conventional attack on such a site would be the functional equivalent of a chemical weapons attack. Most countries do not have adequate security around such areas.
One response to the threat of a chemical weapons attack on civilian society has been the creation of active, well-trained emergency response teams that know how to identify chemical agents, decontaminate areas and people exposed to chemical weapons, and coordinate rescue operations. Cognizant of the growing risk posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the United States in 1998 authorized the creation of 10 National Guard WMD Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) within its territory; each team was organized, trained, and equipped to handle chemical emergencies in support of local police, firefighters, medical personnel, and other first responders. In subsequent years, dozens of new WMD-CST were authorized, with plans for eventually certifying units for every state and some U.S. protectorates. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains the Strategic National Stockpile, which contains medical supplies and equipment positioned around the country to provide medical help in emergencies, including a chemical weapons attack.
Chemical weapons in history
The use of chemical weapons dates back to antiquity, when warring forces frequently poisoned the water supplies of their adversaries. For example, the Athenians poisoned the wells of their rivals as early as 600 bce, and the Spartans, their chief antagonists, in turn hurled burning sulfur pitch over the walls of Athens in 423 bce. In 673 ce the Byzantines defended Constantinople from the Saracen navy by igniting chemicals (known as Greek fire) floating in the sea. During the Middle Ages, Genghis Khan’s Mongolian forces employed chemical warfare when they catapulted burning pitch and sulfur into cities they besieged.