Chemical weapons are known for being one of the most dangerous and destructive weapons ever made. They cause terror and destruction at the hands of people who use them with the slightest of ease. They are banned by the UN, along with nuclear weapons, but what is a chemical weapon, and could there be a non banned or acceptable use for one.
Chemical weapons are not as cut and dry as we often believe, and there could quite possibly be a non banned weapon now, depending on judgement. To know what a chemical weapon is and why they are banned, you need to know the history of chemical weapons, starting back in the 20th century. The greeks were, and are, known for being revolutionary in everything that the put their minds to, from art to math. They …show more content…
Used in the vietnam war with the goal of ¨clearing out tactical positions in the jungle, and to deplete the enemy food source. In 1965, the American government started a program known as operation Hades, after the greek god of the underworld. The name was thought to bring a bad public opinion and was changed to operation ranch hand. Operation ranch hand was the spraying of these rainbow herbicides onto Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, to be used as a defoliant that would remove anywhere that could help give the enemies a tactical advantage. Although America was the country that was deploying these herbicides, the president of vietnam during the time, President Ngo Dinh Diem, was highly supportive of the operation ranch hand. The deployment of these weapons was hard, not wanting to have ground forces near the deployment of these, they became a spray that was released by Fairchild C-123s planes, and was often mixed with fuel or kerosene for easy deployment, and was released just 150 feet from the ground. Over 11 million gallons were sprayed. This may have seemed like a good idea at the time, and was helping give a tactical advantage, but the real problem with these weapons came after the war, when a large amounts of birth defects and illness, such as cancer, started to rise. Agent orange, and the other rainbow herbicides had …show more content…
Not just in a field being tested by people who bought them off ebay, but against innocent people, by a government force in the world. The governments of the world banded together after the vietnam war, the world had seen how much damage these weapons can do, and put a ban on chemical weapons, in the form of an agreement. This agreement was called the Chemical Weapons Convention, (CWC) and was signed by most countries, excluding Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan, in 1993. Syria recently joined into the CWC. The CWC banned all of the chemical weapons, with some dispute. Chlorine, the first chemical weapon, has practical use in modern life, like in pools, for example. This is why it is often disputed on whether it is banned or not. In 1995, a group of religious cult group attacked a Japanese subway with a gas agent called sarin. This attack shows just a small amount of power that these weapons have. Recently in Syria, there has been a civil war. Although Syria has recently joined into the CWC, there has been a claims, and proof, of chemical weapon use by the syrian government. The reason this is very controversial is because they have used chlorine jerry bombs to attack areas with, and if you remember, chlorine has always been controversial. The only reason that the UN has not waged war on Syria is because chlorine dissolves into the air and out of the ground fast, and by the time crews get to the
Chemical weapons are not as cut and dry as we often believe, and there could quite possibly be a non banned weapon now, depending on judgement. To know what a chemical weapon is and why they are banned, you need to know the history of chemical weapons, starting back in the 20th century. The greeks were, and are, known for being revolutionary in everything that the put their minds to, from art to math. They …show more content…
Used in the vietnam war with the goal of ¨clearing out tactical positions in the jungle, and to deplete the enemy food source. In 1965, the American government started a program known as operation Hades, after the greek god of the underworld. The name was thought to bring a bad public opinion and was changed to operation ranch hand. Operation ranch hand was the spraying of these rainbow herbicides onto Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, to be used as a defoliant that would remove anywhere that could help give the enemies a tactical advantage. Although America was the country that was deploying these herbicides, the president of vietnam during the time, President Ngo Dinh Diem, was highly supportive of the operation ranch hand. The deployment of these weapons was hard, not wanting to have ground forces near the deployment of these, they became a spray that was released by Fairchild C-123s planes, and was often mixed with fuel or kerosene for easy deployment, and was released just 150 feet from the ground. Over 11 million gallons were sprayed. This may have seemed like a good idea at the time, and was helping give a tactical advantage, but the real problem with these weapons came after the war, when a large amounts of birth defects and illness, such as cancer, started to rise. Agent orange, and the other rainbow herbicides had …show more content…
Not just in a field being tested by people who bought them off ebay, but against innocent people, by a government force in the world. The governments of the world banded together after the vietnam war, the world had seen how much damage these weapons can do, and put a ban on chemical weapons, in the form of an agreement. This agreement was called the Chemical Weapons Convention, (CWC) and was signed by most countries, excluding Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan, in 1993. Syria recently joined into the CWC. The CWC banned all of the chemical weapons, with some dispute. Chlorine, the first chemical weapon, has practical use in modern life, like in pools, for example. This is why it is often disputed on whether it is banned or not. In 1995, a group of religious cult group attacked a Japanese subway with a gas agent called sarin. This attack shows just a small amount of power that these weapons have. Recently in Syria, there has been a civil war. Although Syria has recently joined into the CWC, there has been a claims, and proof, of chemical weapon use by the syrian government. The reason this is very controversial is because they have used chlorine jerry bombs to attack areas with, and if you remember, chlorine has always been controversial. The only reason that the UN has not waged war on Syria is because chlorine dissolves into the air and out of the ground fast, and by the time crews get to the