Chemical warfare involves the use of toxic chemical substances as weapons to harm, incapacitate, or kill people, animals, or plants. It is considered a form of unconventional warfare that relies on the chemical properties of substances to cause mass harm, rather than conventional weapons like bullets or explosives.
Key Features of Chemical Warfare:
- Chemical Agents: These include substances like nerve agents, blister agents, choking agents, and blood agents. Examples are sarin, mustard gas, chlorine, and cyanide.
- Delivery Methods: Chemicals can be dispersed as gas, liquid, or aerosol and delivered through bombs, shells, spray tanks, or other means.
- Effects: The impact depends on the agent used and can range from immediate physical harm (like burns or respiratory failure) to long-term health effects or environmental damage.
- International Laws: The use of chemical weapons is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), a treaty enforced by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Despite this, violations have occurred.
Historical Examples:
- World War I: Widespread use of chlorine and mustard gas caused severe injuries and deaths.
- Iraq-Iran War (1980s): Use of nerve agents and mustard gas.
- Recent Incidents: Accusations of chemical attacks in Syria.
Concerns:
Chemical weapons are particularly feared due to their indiscriminate nature, ability to cause mass casualties, and potential for long-term environmental and health consequences. They are a focus of global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.