A war considered to be a biggest crime
against humanity and use of chemical warhead is even crueler act. The effect of
WMD [Weapon of Mass Destruction] is much more severe and leaves horrific
trails. Leave alone a life but a few for generations have to suffer from it. Use
of CW shows the dishonorable greed of the ruler or ruling establishment.
Currently Syria is in the news for such heinous act and that too on its own
citizen.
Rockets with toxic agents were
launched at the suburbs of the Ghouta region in Syria early on 21st August,
2013, as part of a major bombardment on rebel forces. The Syrian army says the
accusations have been fabricated to cover up rebel losses. The main opposition
alliance said that more than 1,700 people were killed by the attacks.
Casualties are far worse than any of the previous alleged chemical attacks. The
bodies bear no visible wounds from gunshots; instead, many display the classic
symptoms of a nerve agent attack, with startled, frozen expressions that
experts say are reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's 1988 attack on the Kurds at
Halabja.
Some Chemical Weapon used
during the wars.
1914: Tear gas
The earliest military uses of
chemicals were tear-inducing irritants rather than fatal or disabling poisons.
During the first World War, the French army was the first to employ gas, using
26 mm grenades filled with tear gas (ethyl bromoacetate) in August 1914.
1915: Large-scale use and
lethal gases
The first instance of
large-scale use of gas as a weapon was on 31 January 1915, when Germany fired 18,000
artillery shells containing liquid xylyl bromide tear gas on Russian positions
on the Rawka River, west of Warsaw during the Battle of Bolimov. However,
instead of vaporizing, the chemical froze and failed to have the desired
effect.
British gas attacks
The first use of gas by the
British was at the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915, but the attempt was a
disaster. Chlorine, codenamed Red Star, was the agent to be used (140 tons
arrayed in 5,100 cylinders), and the attack was dependent on a favorable wind.
However, on this occasion the wind proved fickle, and the gas either lingered
in no man's land or, in places, blew back on the British trenches. This debacle
was compounded when the gas could not be released from all the British
canisters because the wrong turning keys were sent with them. Subsequent
retaliatory German shelling hit some of those unused full cylinders, releasing
more gas among the British troops.
The small quantities of gas delivered, were
not even detected by the Germans. The stocks were rapidly consumed and by
November a new order was placed by the French military. As bromine was scarce
among the Entente allies, the active ingredient was changed to chloroacetone.
1915: Deadly gases
The deficiencies of chlorine
were overcome with the introduction of phosgene, which was prepared by a group
of French chemists led by Victor Grignard and first used by France in
1915. Colourless and having an odor
likened to "mouldy hay," phosgene was difficult to detect, making it
a more effective weapon. Although phosgene was sometimes used on its own, it
was more often used mixed with an equal volume of chlorine, with the chlorine
helping to spread the denser phosgene.
The Allies called this combination White Star after the marking painted
on shells containing the mixture.
1917: Mustard gas
The most widely reported and,
perhaps, the most effective gas of the First World War was mustard gas. It was
a vesicant that was introduced by Germany in July 1917 prior to the Third
Battle of Ypres. The Germans marked their shells yellow for mustard gas and
green for chlorine and phosgene; hence they called the new gas Yellow Cross. It
was known to the British as HS (Hun Stuff), while the French called it Yperite
(named after Ypres)
Although all major combatants
stockpiled chemical weapons during the Second World War, the only reports of
its use in the conflict were the Japanese use of relatively small amounts of
mustard gas and lewisite in China, and very rare occurrences in Europe (for
example some sulfur mustard bombs were dropped on Warsaw on 3 September 1939,
which Germany acknowledged in 1942 but indicated had been accidental). Mustard
gas was the agent of choice, with the British stockpiling 40,719 tons, the
Russians 77,400 tons, the Americans over 87,000 tons and the Germans 27,597
tons. The destruction of a cargo ship containing mustard gas led to many
casualties in Bari, Italy.
1990s: Persian Gulf War
Shortly after the fighting
between Iraq and Coalition Forces in the Persian Gulf War ended in February
1991, reports circulated that Hussein was using chemical agents against
rebellious Kurds and Shiite Muslims. The United States intercepted a message
ordering the use of chemical weapons against the cities of Najaf and Karbala.
U.S. President George H. W. Bush’s response was that such use of chemical
weapons would result in air strikes against the Iraqi military organization
using the chemicals.
Amid of economic meltdown better prepare yourself for another war.
Amid of economic meltdown better prepare yourself for another war.
!!!Destruction, an annihilation that only man can provoke, only man can prevent. - Elie Wiesel!!!