Chemical and Biological Warfare

V

Protection from Chemical and Biological Attack

Total protection from chemical or biological attack is difficult, but steps can be taken to reduce the effects. Four approaches to protection include early detection of chemical or biological agents, physical shelter from the agents, decontamination of exposed materials and clothing, and appropriate medical treatments.

A

Detection and Shelter

Since many chemical and biological agents are colorless, odorless, and tasteless, an attack could take place without the victims realizing it. But if chemical detection devices were situated in an area of attack, they could signal that a dangerous chemical was present. The military can use chemical detection equipment in combat areas and is developing detection kits for soldiers. Detection kits might contain treated paper or liquids that change color when certain chemical agents are present.

Confirming the presence of a biological agent is more difficult. Even if a biological attack were known to be occurring, quick identification of the offending organism could be problematic. The U.S. military has developed a field apparatus that can test an air sample for the presence of specific biological agents. Called a Biological Integrated Detection System (BIDS), it can confirm the presence of a handful of microorganisms, including anthrax and plague bacteria. However, there are scores of possible biological agents that cannot be easily detected.

Several efforts are being made to develop a generic detector of dangerous organisms, using techniques like laser technology and mass spectrometry. Despite such efforts, the ability to rapidly identify all possible warfare agents in the field remains elusive.

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Once chemical or biological agents are detected, a sealed, ventilated shelter can provide protection. prevent agents from entering the lungs, and protective outer garments keep toxic agents from touching bare skin. From a military standpoint, each of these methods has drawbacks. Remaining in an enclosure constrains a soldier’s ability to fight, while cumbersome outerwear restricts mobility, and a mask imposes limits on vision.

B

Decontamination and Treatment

Quick decontamination of exposed surfaces is possible for most chemical and biological agents. Bleach, special powders, or just soap and water can neutralize some chemical and most biological agents. A few agents, like anthrax spores, may not be easily destroyed if located in deep cracks or other inaccessible places.

Medical or drug treatment can help some victims of chemical and biological weapons. Bleaching powder can lessen skin injuries from mustard exposure, if applied soon after contact. Atropine and other antidotes can neutralize the effects of nerve agents. Since nerve agents can kill in minutes, the antidotes must be injected almost immediately after exposure. A pretreatment drug called pyridostigmine bromide may help prevent the effects of certain nerve agents, although studies suggest the drug may have unwanted side effects.

Vaccinations can protect against some biological agents, such as anthrax, and some are susceptible to antibiotics. In diseases that can be treated by antibiotics, therapy must begin promptly. To be effective against plague bacteria, antibiotics must be given within 24 hours after exposure.

VI

International Agreements

Several international treaties and conventions have tried to regulate the conduct of warfare, with varying results. The Hague Conferences in 1899 and 1907 started the modern age of international arms control. More recent arms control agreements seek to regulate, and in some cases eliminate, certain classes of weapons.

A

Protocols and Conventions

Three international agreements deal explicitly with chemical and biological weapons. The first, the 1925 Geneva Protocol, prohibits the use in war of poison gas and bacteriological weapons. The second, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, bans not only the use, but also the development, production, and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons. The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention does the same for chemical weapons. Unlike the earlier treaties, however, the chemical pact provides for methods to verify that countries are complying with the agreement and penalties for countries that do not comply.

The Biological Weapons Convention was the first international agreement to ban an entire category of weapons. It was established three years after a unilateral decision in 1969 by the United States to eliminate its own biological arsenal. Most major powers, including the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the United States, had become parties to the biological treaty when it went into force in 1975. Later, more countries joined in the agreement and the world appeared about to be rid of germ weapons. However, the Soviet Union secretly continued to develop biological weapons. Hints of this illegal program came to light in 1979 when international medical experts learned of a mysterious outbreak of respiratory anthrax in the Soviet city of Sverdlovsk, the site of numerous secret military facilities. More than 60 civilians and an unknown number of military personnel died. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian government revealed that the Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak had resulted from an accident at an illegal biological weapons facility.

In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the United States and other coalition leaders worried that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein might unleash chemical and biological arms against them. Although he did not, the experience again prompted efforts to strengthen international agreements against these weapons. One result was the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, which contains an intrusive inspection system. Parties to the treaty have to allow outside monitors to visit suspected sites. By June 2001, 174 nations had signed the chemical treaty. To go into effect, the national legislatures of most countries must ratify, or approve, the treaty. As of June 2001, 143 of the signing countries had ratified or acceded to the treaty and had become binding parties to the agreement. The United States signed the treaty in 1993, and the U.S. Congress ratified it in 1997. Canada signed the convention in 1993, and Parliament ratified it in 1995.

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