- WASHINGTON (PRNewswire) -- As nations such as Iraq, Iran, Libya and North
Korea allegedly stockpile chemical and biological weapons, the threat of
the use of such weapons against the United States is becoming more of a
real possibility. The "facts" about chemical and biological weapons,
however, are often misleading; for example, while many fear missiles fitted
with deadly chemical or biological warheads will be launched against the
US, the fact is it is technically very difficult for threat nations to
manufacture and accurately deliver such weapons.
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- Here are some other notable myths --
and facts -- about chemical and biological warfare detailed in the recently
released Jane's US Chemical- Biological Defense Guidebook:
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- Myth: The use of chemical-biological
weapons is a recent phenomenon.
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- Fact: Toxic fumes were used in India
as far back as 2000 BC, and in 400 BC the Spartans reportedly used wood
saturated with pitch and sulfur during sieges to choke city defenders.
In 1346 at Kaffa (now Fedossia, Ukraine), bodies of Tartar soldiers who
succumbed to plague were catapulted over the walls and into the besieged
city.
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- Myth: Ballistic missiles are the ideal
vehicle for delivering chemical- biological agents.
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- Fact: The use of ballistic missiles as
a delivery system for chemical- biological agents poses distinct disadvantages.
In older systems deployed in many less technically advanced threat countries,
it is estimated the munitions will probably destroy 99 percent of an agent
payload due to the pressure needed to break open the casings of these munitions
at the point of detonation. Also, a missile warhead's munition chamber
must detonate at a precise point -- 50 feet in altitude -- to sufficiently
spread an agent's particles. Most threat countries do not possess weapons
capable of such precision.
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- Myth: "Nerve gases" can be
detected by sight.
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- Fact: Nerve agents are clear liquids,
not "nerve gases." Most have no color. All nerve agents will
penetrate clothing and skin.
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- Myth: Threat nations are more likely
to use nuclear, not chemical- biological, weapons.
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- Fact: Large-scale production of biological
agents can be accomplished through fermentation in a relatively short period
of time. Only small amounts of biological agent seed stocks -- as little
as 2 ml -- are needed to produce weapons-grade biological weapons material.
Fermentation also represents the easiest and the most cost-effective method
for producing biological weapons, since fermentation technology is readily
available on the global market. This process is quick when compared to
the time needed to reprocess uranium into weapons-grade fissile material.
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- Other facts found in Jane's US Chemical-Biological
Defense Guidebook:
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- * Effective chemical agent decontamination
must be completed within the first 1-2 minutes of initial exposure. Rapid
action, either by the affected individual or by emergency response personnel,
often means the difference between survival and death.
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- * The Korean People's Army (KPA) of North
Korea conducted some 630 chemical weapons training exercises using live
chemical agents between 1980 and 1991. Estimates of KPA chemical agent
stockpiles are in the range from 1,000 to 5,000 tons.
-
- * Concern about a possible chemical-biological
attack at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games ran high. An estimated 3,000 US
Army personnel, 6,300 National Guardsmen and at least 10,000 other law
enforcement officials were on hand in Atlanta during the event, nearly
doubling the 12,000 person security contingent at the 1984 Los Angeles
Olympic Games.
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- Jane's US Chemical-Biological Defense
Guidebook is a comprehensive resource for everything from chemical and
biological agent weaponization to emergency response. It is an ideal tool
for federal, state and local emergency management officials, "first
responders" such as police, fire and emergency medical personnel,
the military, and all others with a stake in being well-prepared for a
potential chemical or biological weapons attack.
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- The 470-page guidebook, also available
on CD-ROM, provides a listing of all major chemical and biological agents,
complete with each agent's composition, intended effects, symptoms and
antidotes. The reference also explains defensive measures, medical responses,
training procedures, detection and protection equipment, and contains a
complete list of US federal, state and local chemical-biological defense
agencies.
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- Jane's US Chemical-Biological Defense
Guidebook also includes threat assessments of nations and terrorist groups
with access to chemical and biological weapons, an extensive survey of
US civilian and military agency responsibilities in a chemical or biological
contingency, federal training programs, and the legal, policy and operational
frameworks activated in a chemical-biological crisis. The title includes
56 photographs and 116 charts and tables.
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- For more information or to order Jane's
US Chemical-Biological Defense Guidebook ($895 hardcopy, $1075 CD-ROM),
call 800-824-0768, or visit Jane's on the Internet at www.janes.com.
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- Jane's US Chemical-Biological Defense
Guidebook is published by Jane's Information Group, described by the CBS
program Sixty Minutes as "the closest thing there is to a commercial
intelligence agency." Jane's is the leading provider of defense, aerospace,
aviation, transportation, geopolitical, and police and security information
to the world's militaries, governments, universities and businesses.
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- SOURCE: Jane's Information Group C. 1998
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