editorial 3 invited articles 4 · editorial 3 invited articles 4 accomplishments in the elimination...

Summer / January-June 2013

EDITORIAL 3

INVITED ARTICLES 4

Accomplishments in the Elimination of Chemical Weapons - A Fact Sheet

Col. (Retd) H. R. Naidu Gade

COVER STORY 9

CWC and OPCW: Future Course and Challenges

Dr. Rajiv Nayan

COUNTRY PROFILE 13

Syrian Civil War and the Chemical Weapons Use

Dr. Swati Bute

OPINION 16

Ricin-laced Letter to Obama; Recurring threat calls for long term solutions

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastav

KALEIDOSCOPE 19

Kenneth N. Waltz on NBC Weapons

Mr. Kapil Patil

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL NEWS 22

BOOK REVIEW 34

Weapons of Mass Destruction: The New Face of Warfare

Mr. Parveen Bhardwaj

Jan-Jun 2013 1

CBW M a g a z i n eM a g a z i n eM a g a z i n eM a g a z i n eM a g a z i n eJournal on Chemical and Biological Wepons

Volume 6 Number 1-2 Jan-Jun 2013

ISSN: 0974-0619

EDITORIAL 3

INVITED ARTICLE 4Accomplishments in the Elimination of Chemical Weapons - A Fact Sheet

Col. (Retd) H. R. Naidu Gade

COVER STORY 9CWC and OPCW: Future Course and Challenges

Dr. Rajiv Nayan

COUNTRY PROFILE 13Syrian Civil War and the Chemical Weapons Use

Dr. Swati Bute

OPINION 16Ricin-laced Letter to Obama; Recurring threat calls for long term solutions

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastav

KALEIDOSCOPE 19Kenneth N. Waltz on NBC Weapons

Mr. Kapil Patil

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL NEWS 22

BOOK REVIEW 34Weapons of Mass Destruction: The New Face of Warfare


Journal on Chemical and Biological Weapons 2

Jan-Jun 2013 3

Editorial

Executive Editor

Ajey Lele

Assistant Editors

Gunjan Singh

Avinash Anil Godbole

The last couple of months havewitnessed major instances of chemicalweapons use by disgruntled

individuals and terrorist organizations.Reports of the use of chemical weapons inSyria have greatly disturbed theinternational community. In anothershocking incident, letters containing ricinwere sent to the US President BarackObama. There have also been reports thatthe Taliban had used chemical agents topoison water sources of a girls' school inAfghanistan.

This issue of CBW is published in thebackdrop of the recently concluded ThirdReview Conference of the Chemical WeaponsConvention (CWC) (April 8 - 19, 2013). Inthis issue, H. R. Naidu Gade discusses theCWC’s accomplishments towards a totalelimination of chemical weapons. Rajiv Nayanbrings out the possible challenges and thepath ahead for the OPCW and CWC.

Sanjeev Shrivastav analyses the incident inwhich ricin laced letters were sent to the USPresident Obama.

The country profile section covers the Syrianwar and the possible use of chemical weaponsand the Kaleidoscope section analyses thelate Kenneth Waltz's contribution to thedebate on weapons of mass destructionincluding the chemical and biologicalweapons.

This issue also features other regular sectionslike Chemical and Biological News and BookReview.

With our readers' feedback, we wish topublish issues in the future that focus on asubject of particular concern.

Contributions and feedback arewelcome and can be addressed [email protected] [email protected]


Invited Article

Introduction

1. The Chemical Weapons Convention(CWC) on ‘the Prohibition of theDevelopment, Production, Stockpilingand Use of Chemical Weapons and ontheir Destruction’ was signed in January,1993 in Paris. The Convention enteredinto force on 29 April 1997. TheConvention is unique in nature as itprovides for a stringent verificationregime, provisions for challengeinspections in case of non complianceconcerns and investigations of alleged useof Chemical Weapons (CW). TheOrganization for Prohibition of ChemicalWeapons (OPCW) in The Netherlands isresponsible for the effectiveimplementation of CWC.

Key Components Of CWC

2. Destruction of CW stock: The mostimportant obligation under theConvention is the destruction of all CW.This includes Chemical Warfare Agents(CWA), filled and unfilled chemicalmunitions, Old and Abandoned ChemicalWeapons. Destruction of CW is the mostexpensive and time consuming aspect ofthe implementation of the Convention.Most of the destruction costs aregenerated by the investment in state-of-the-art technology to ensure that the riskto people and to the environment is keptto a minimum at every stage in thetransportation and destruction ofmunitions, as well as during the removaland destruction of chemical agents.Destruction, therefore, has to be carriedout at highly specialized facilities.

3. Non Proliferation of Toxic Chemicalsand their Precursors: Each State Partyshall adopt the necessary measures to

Accomplishmentsin theElimination ofChemicalWeapons - AFact Sheet*Col. (Retd) H. R. Naidu Gade

The author is the ChiefConsultant, CBRNe SecureIndia and Former MemberInternational Civil Service &Chief CW Inspector, OPCW.

Summary

Chemical Weapons Convention(CWC) that was signed in January1993 and came into force in 1997 couldnow be viewed as the most successfularms control mechanism. However,with eight countries still not signatoryto the CWC and with approximately25% of declared weapons stockpileremaing undestroyed as yet, theCWC is still a work in progress.

Jan-Jun 2013 5

ensure that toxic chemicals and theirprecursors are only developed,produced, otherwise acquired,retained, transferred or used withinits territory or in any other placeunder its jurisdiction or control forpurposes not prohibited under thisConvention.

4. Assistance and Protection againstCW: Every State Party to the CWChas the right to request assistancefrom the OPCW in any of the followingcircumstances: a) the State Partyconsiders CW to have been usedagainst it, b) the State Party considersriot control agents to have been usedagainst it as a method of warfare, orc) the State Party considers itself tobe threatened by actions prohibitedby the Convention taken by anothercountry.

5. The Convention explicitly states thatall States Parties have the right toconduct research into, develop,produce, acquire, transfer and usemeans of protection against chemicalweapons.

6. The Convention envisagescommitment to work together topromote the peaceful application anduse of chemistry for the purposes ofeconomic and technologicaldevelopment of countries.

7. Universality Principle: It aims thatall countries in the world becomeparties to the CWC. Adherence to theCWC demonstrates a state’scommitment to disarmament andinternational cooperation, and helpsto reinforce its position in themainstream of international politics.

8. National Implementation Measures:OPCW Secretariat helps the States

Parties to meet their obligations underArticle VII of the Convention. Thisincludes, establishing national authoritiesfor effective liaison with the OPCW, takingthe necessary steps to enact legislation,including penal legislation and to adoptadministrative measures to implementthe Convention, identifying declarablechemical industry and trade activitiesand submitting accurate declarations.

Status Of Implementation Of CWC

9. Participation in CWC: As of 01 May 2013,CWC’s membership was as follows;

a. Number of State parties – 188representing 98% of global population,

b. Number of signatory states that had notyet ratified the Convention– 2 (Israel andMyanmar),

c. Number of States that had neither signednor acceded to the Convention – 6 (Egypt,DPR Korea, Syria, Somalia, South Sudanand Angola).

10. Submission of Declarations: Total of 180of the 188 States Parties had submittedinitial declarations to the OPCW. Sevenstates Parties (A State Party, Albania,India, Iraq, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,the Russian Federation and the UnitedStates of America) had between themdeclared as CW 71,196 metric tonnes ofCWA and precursors, as well as 8,679,150munitions and containers. In total, 5,382industrial facilities and plant sites in 80States Parties were declared inconnection with the chemical-industryverification regime.

11. Verifications of CW Stockpile: Hundredpercent of the declared CW stockpileshave been inventoried and verified. SinceApril, 1997, the OPCW has conducted5,076 inspections on the territory of 86


States Parties, including 2,677 inspectionsof CW related sites. 223 CW related siteshave been inspected out of a total of 223declared.

12. CWA Destroyed: A total of 55,939 metrictonnes, or 78.57%, of the world’s declaredstockpile of 71,196 metric tonnes of CWAhave been verifiably destroyed. Albania,India and a State Party have completeddestruction of their CW. A total of 3.95million, or 45.56%, of the 8.67 millionchemical munitions and containerscovered by the CWC have been verifiablydestroyed. Iraq is yet to commencedestruction of its declared CW stock. Adestruction deadline has yet to beestablished for Iraq, which acceded to theConvention in 2009. Three possessorStates Parties, namely Libya, the RussianFederation, and the United States ofAmerica, have been unable to fully meetthe final extended deadline of 29 April2012 for the destruction of their CWstockpiles.

13. In accordance with the ‘Detailed Plan forthe Destruction of Chemical WeaponsRemaining After the Final ExtendedDeadline of 29 April 2012’ submitted bythese States Parties,

a. Libya plans the destruction of theremaining Category 1 CW byDecember, 2013, Category 2 CW byDecember, 2016 and Category 3 CWby May, 2013,

b. Russian Federation plans thedestruction of remaining Category 1CW by December, 2015

c. United States of America plans thedestruction of the remaining Category1 CW by September, 2023.

14. Declared and Destroyed/ConvertedCWPFs: Thirteen States Parties havedeclared CWPFs. They include Bosnia andHerzegovina, China, France, India, theIslamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Japan, theLibyan Arab Jamahiriya, the RussianFederation, Serbia, the United Kingdomof Great Britain and Northern Ireland,the United States of America, andanother State Party.

15. One hundred percent of the declaredChemical Weapons Production Facilities(CWPFs) have been inactivated. All aresubject to a verification regime ofunprecedented stringency. 64 of the 70CWPFs declared to the OPCW by 13States Party have been either destroyed(43) or converted for peaceful purposes(21). A total of 451 inspections werecarried out on all the decalred CWPFs.

16. Declared and Verified ChemicalWeapons Storage Facilities (CWSFs):Total of 468 inspections, at the 35 CWSFsof 7 States Parties, have been carried out.

17. Declared CWDFs (Operational & UnderConstruction): Thirty Five ChemicalWeapons Destruction Facilities (CWDFs)belonging to 6 States parties wereinvolved in the destruction of CWstockpiles. A total of 1562 continuousmonitoring inspections were carried outat these facilities.

18. Declared and Destroyed ACWs/OCWs:Since 1997, 114 inspections of 49 OldChemical Weapons (OCW) sites in 15states parties and 80 inspections of 34Abandoned Chemical Weapons (ACW)sites in 3 states parties were undertaken.

19. Fifteen States Parties had declared atotal of 60,398 OCWs produced before

Jan-Jun 2013 7

1925 and 71,822 OCWs producedbetween 1925 and 1946. About 20,000pre-1925 OCWs and 18,000 OCWsproduced between 1925 and 1946 are yetto be destroyed.

20.Destruction of 25,974 CW abandoned byJapan on the territory of China wasverified as destroyed on the ongoingoperations at the Abandoned ChemicalWeapons Mobile Destruction Facility(ACW-MDF) at Nanjing, China. StatesParties had achieved so far thedestruction of 35,931 items of ACW.

21. Declaration of Riot Control Agents: Ofthe 179 States Parties that hadsubmitted initial declarations underArticle III, 176 States Parties submittedinformation on riot control agents(RCAs). Of the 176 States Parties thatprovided information on their RCAs, 130declared possession of RCAs, while 46States Parties declared that they did notpossess RCAs.

22. Declared and Inspectable ScheduleChemicals Facilities: So far the OPCWhas conducted 2399 inspections of 5382industrial sites of a total of 5334 sitesdeclared. It includes,

a. Schedule 1 Chemicals – 27 declaredfacilities.

b. Schedule 2 Chemicals – 481 declaredfacilities.

c. Schedule 3 Chemicals – 445 declaredfacilities.

d. DOC/PSF Chemicals – 4429 declaredfacilities.

23. According to declared information, 80States Parties maintained at least onedeclarable facility pursuant to Article VIof the Convention.

24. Challenge Inspections: No challengeinspections were requested under theConvention as yet. It only reflects on theconfidence of the member states on theimplementation & verification regime ofthe CWC.

25. Investigations of Alleged Use of CW: Norequests have been received from StatesParties for investigations of alleged use(IAU).

26. Assistance and Protection: The OPCWTechnical Secretariat organises coursesaimed at providing training to firstresponders, government experts andemergency response units in building anddeveloping national and regionalcapabilities and emergency responsesystems against the use, or threat of use,of chemical weapons. Over 2,200participants have benefitted from thesecourses.

27. Seventy Eight States Parties havepledged assistance under paragraph 7 ofArticle X. the number of States Partiesthat have provided information onnational programmes related toprotective purposes under paragraph 4of Article X is 146. In all, 45 States havecontributed to the Voluntary Fund forAssistance.

28. International Cooperation: Since theoperationalisation of CWC, InternationalCooperation programmes had 3,502beneficiaries, including 315 analyticalchemists, 265 Associate Programmeparticipants, 1,966 Conference Supportparticipants, 115 interns, 239conferences, 92 laboratories, 437research projects, and 73 transfers ofused and functional equipment.

29. The OPCW has developed aninternationally unique, peer reviewed,


and certified analytical database,containing information on over 3,400chemical weapons related compounds.This database is essential for onsiteverification activities of OPCW inspectionteams, and is also made available to StatesParties.

30.National Implementation Mechanisms:Total of 186 of the 188 States Parties havedesignated or established their NationalAuthorities. 141 States parties havesubmitted information on their legislativeand administrative measures inaccordance with Article VII of CWC. Only91 States Parties have fully enactedlegislation and/or adopted administrativemeasures to fully meet the obligationsunder the Convention.

31. Since 1997, nearly 3,000 participants,including more than 1,500 sponsoredparticipants from all geographical regionshave received support in the CWC’seffective national implementationthrough OPCW meetings, workshopsand training courses.

Conclusion

32. The success of the First InternationalDisarmament Treaty, the CWC, isreflected in the fact that within 16 yrs ofits Entry into Force, nearly 80% of theworld’s CW stockpile has been destroyedunder strict international supervision. Allthe CWPFs were either inactivated/destroyed or converted for peaceful use.Effective measures have been put in placeto prevent proliferation of toxic chemicalsaround the globe. No requests forChallenge Inspection or Alleged Use ofCW have been received by the OPCW tilldate. The Third Review Conference ofThe States Parties held from 08-19 Apr2013, noted with satisfaction that the

implementation of CWC makes a majorcontribution to international peace andsecurity.

Endnotes:

* Based on information taken from sourcesavailable in the open domain.

Jan-Jun 2013 9

CWC and OPCW:Future Courseand Challenges*Dr. Rajiv Nayan

The author is a Senior

Research Associate at IDSA,

New Delhi.

Summary

In the last few years, the ChemicalWeapons Convention (CWC)originally designed to eliminatechemical weapons, has paid attentionalso towards economic andtechnological developments andassistance and protection againstchemical weapons with the help ofinternational cooperation andassistance.

* This is an abridged version of thepaper presented in the OpenForum of the Chemical WeaponsConvention Coalition at the ThirdReview Conference of theChemical Weapons Convention, atthe Organisation for Prohibition ofChemical Weapons in The Hagueon April 12, 2013

Cover Story

The Third Review Conference of theChemical Weapons Convention (CWC)was held from 8 to 19 April 2013 in

The Hague. At this conference, memberstates as well as representatives of the Non-Governmental Organisations from across theworld took stock of the functioning of theConvention in the last five years. Considereda model treaty, the CWC was designed to bea universal non-discriminatory, multilateral,disarmament treaty aimed at eliminatingchemical weapons. While the real objectiveof the treaty was the elimination of chemicalweapons and achieving chemicaldisarmament, it also paid attention to otheraspects like economic and technologicaldevelopments and assistance and protectionagainst chemical weapons using the processnow known as international cooperation andassistance. These provisions combined withdifferent schedules of chemicals and theverification architecture made the CWC aunique tool for comprehensive security.

Destruction of Chemical Weapons:

While the hitherto utility of the CWC isbeyond doubt, its future or for that matterthe future of the Organisation for Prohibitionof Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will dependon how fundamental objectives of theConvention are handled. The CWC isprimarily a chemical disarmament treaty;other desired activities are secondary anddependent objectives of the treaty. If thevery basic element of the treaty iscompromised, it may send a wrong signal.Majority of the countries from around theworld have destroyed their chemicalweapons stockpile, but some others havenot. Even the revised deadline has beenmissed. According to the OPCW figure of 28/02/2013, 55,939 metric tones of the world’sdeclared stockpile of 71,196 metric tones of


chemical agent have been verifiablydestroyed. It means only 78.57% of thedeclared stockpiles have been destroyed.Similarly, as of February 28,2013, 3.95 ofthe 8.67 million chemical munitions andcontainers or only 45.56% of those coveredby the CWC have been verifiably destroyed.

The CWC and OPCW have greatlycontributed to norm building againstchemical weapons. This norm building willbe affected if the destruction plan by greatpowers is seen to be relegated to thebackground. On the very first day of the thirdreview conference, the United Nations (UN)Secretary General stated, “as long aschemical weapons exist, so, too, does the riskof their use — by accident or design. Thereare no right hands for the wrongweapons”.1 The OPCW is right in assertingin its statements that the process ofdestroying chemical weapons needs to begiven the highest priority. An understandingon destruction of existing chemical stockpilehas been arrived at. Hopefully, countries thathave not destroyed their chemical weaponsstockpiles yet would do it sooner; any failureto do so will raise a big question mark on thelegitimacy of the CWC. In that scenario, theCWC will not be considered as disarmamentbut an arms control treaty. A CWC withoutcomplete elimination will plunge the entireglobal security regime into severe crisis.Non-weapon countries will lose faith in theinternational arrangements and treaties.

Moreover, the CWC has a post-destructionplan. The non-compliance with thedestruction plan may have an impact on thatplan. The best option for the future of theCWC and the OPCW is to adhere to what UNSecretary General mentioned; eliminate theentire stockpile before the next ReviewConference and fully implement otherobligations of the treaty. Only if that isachieved the CWC and OPCW have a future

in the twenty first century. In this regard,all the member countries may also have totake extra efforts in promoting universalityso that the suspected or existing chemicalstockpiles of non-member countries are alsobrought under the destruction plan.

Adapting to New Security Challenges

The OPCW will also have to address newsecurity challenges. Now the treaty shouldbuild on its experience of the twenty firstcentury. 9/11 has redefined the role of nonstate actors as sources of threats in the globalsecurity discourse. Interestingly, the CWChas the provisions to deal with many of thesecurity issues that dominate the currentsecurity discourse, especially with referenceto the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).The most significant are security and safetyaspects. Article X of the treaty has provisionfor ‘a databank containing freely availableinformation concerning various means ofprotection against chemical weapons as wellas such information as may be provided byStates Parties.’ Article X has mechanisms forhandling chemical terrorism and safety,multilaterally through an internationalorganization. The OPCW and its technicalsecretariat may share its experience in thisrespect towards fighting other WMD threats.The international community is already inthe process of setting up a databank to helpnuclear forensics. One of the hindrances islocating the right agency for this purpose.The OPCW experience could be useful forthem to deciding whether an international,regional or more specialized organization isbest suited for the job.

Moreover, a multitude of new securitychallenges are driving a network of globalsecurity relationships. Countries areintegrating traditional instruments and attimes procedures. New mechanisms arebeing evolved. These mechanisms are

Jan-Jun 2013 11

leading to new alignments—institutional andotherwise. There is more securityinterdependence and interconnectedness tohandle emerging security challenges of thetwenty first century. In case of the WMD andChemical weapon threat, closer cooperationand interactions with different internationalorganizations specialising on differentsecurity areas are coming together. TheUNSC Resolution 1540 and its committeehave emerged as an important agency forthe task. A number of internationalorganisations like Interpol and IAEA tend toparticipate in the OPCW meetings. Despitebeing relatively young, OPCW is an effectiveorganisation. Now OPCW too has itsinstitutional memory which it may share foran effective international engagement in thesecurity realm.

After the destruction of the stockpile, theOPCW may focus more on implementationof international cooperation. As discussed,the Secretariat has the mandate under articleXI and in fact it has been undertaking somecooperation activities at the internationallevel right since 1997. It has worked topromote international cooperation insponsoring chemical research, guaranteeinglegal assistance, developing and improvinglaboratory capacity, specialised internshipsand training in CWC implementation andchemical safety management. A largenumber of member states have demandedimplementation of article XI in the ThirdReview Conference as well. In future, OPCWmay organise more result oriented meetingsof member countries and their chemicalindustry associations, non-governmentalorganisations, regional and internationalinstitutions for national capacity building forthe research, development, storage,production, and safe use of chemicals forpeaceful purposes.

The future of the CWC and the OPCW willgreatly depend also on how member

countries resolve some other divisive issuesthat tend to surface quite frequently. Ofthese, three are of critical and contemporaryimportance: Syria, Middle East as a WMDFree zone, and the fear of resurfacing. First,the Syrian case; as discussed, a new kind ofproblem is being witnessed in Syria. A sectionof the international community fears that thestate might use chemical weapons against itscitizens. Syria, a non-member, has asked theUN to investigate the allegation. The OPCW,along with World Health Organisation, hasbeen given the fact-finding responsibility.Some member countries indicate the legalconundrum, and a few member countrieswant a non-member country like Syria to bekept out of discussions inside the OPCW butmany others think otherwise. Apart fromresolving the legal issue as raised for takingaction on the UN request, member countriesmay have to bring in Syria in the CWC foldunder the universality campaign. This raisesthe second divisive issue of Middle East as aWMD Free zone. This is a complex issue, butits resolution will help in the universalisationof the treaty. The third is the debate on theuse of the phrase—non-proliferation orresurfacing. Non-proliferation is a phrasepredominant in the nuclear realm to describea pre-disarmament situation and is generallyunderstood as a step towards or build up fordisarmament. The use of the phrase for apost-disarmament situation seems to haveconfused some member states. Some othernon-divisive phrases like resurfacing maysolve the problem.

So, the future of the CWC and the OPCWcould hinge on how member states addressthe principal objectives of the Conventionand other priority areas. Agreement on theelimination of chemical weapons built thetreaty and the failure or even the trust deficitmay adversely affect its future. In addition,all that has been achieved so far might belost in such scenario. After completing thetask of disarmament, the OPCW as an


institution will certainly be required to fulfillother provisions of the CWC. The OPCW mayassist member countries in addressing newsecurity challenges. Destruction of chemicalweapons requires a time frame under theConvention but international cooperation andtrade in chemicals may continue forever, sothe need for OPCW as a coordinating body.The consensus approach in the OPCWfunctioning is preferred for the health of thetreaty and the OPCW.

Endnotes:

1 United Nations (2013), Secretary general’sStatement, Press Release, Secretary-General,SG/SM/14968, DC/3432, Available Online athttp://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2013/sgsm14968.doc.htm, Accessed 25 May 2013.

Jan-Jun 2013 13

Syrian Civil Warand the ChemicalWeapons UseDr. Swati Bute

The author is a VisitingFellow at IDSA, New Delhi.

Summary

Syria is in the middle of civil war sinceMarch, 2011. Recent reports of useof chemical weapons in Syria and USPresident Barack Obama’s officialstatement on this issue has given anew turn to the Syrian conflict.Chemical Weapons (CW) usage andgeopolitics of global interestscomplicate the issue. Acheiving asustainable solution will requireserious and sustained efforts on partof all the actors involved in Syria.

Country Profile

US President Barack Obama’s April 30,2013 statement that the US would “…takemilitary action against Syria if hard, effectiveevidence is found of use of chemical weaponsand if Syria crosses the chemical weaponsred line” has received global attention.1 TheSyrian civil war started in March 2011,initially with antigovernment street protestsinspired by Arab spring in Tunisia, Egypt andLibya. However, it converted into moreformal protests when the opposition tookpart in long uprising against the Ba’athregime of President Basher Al-Assad in2011-12.2 Since then, more than 70,000people have been killed and around onemillion Syrians are living in refugee campsin different neighboring countries.3 Syriangovernment has opposed foreignintervention in civil war and in theinvestigations of chemical weapons.

Recent reports on the alleged small-scale useof chemical weapons in Syrian war havegiven birth to speculations about thepossibility of its use in the ongoing war. As ofnow, which side used these weapons is notclear as both are blaming each other for this.It was reported for the first time inDecember 2012 that chemical weapons wereused in Syrian cities of Homs and Aleppo.Allegedly, the largest use of chemicalweapons took place on March 19, 2013 in thearea of Khan al-Asal, in which about 40people were killed and more than 300admitted for symptoms.4 However, doubtspersist due to lack of verifiable evidence onchemical weapons usage. Experts say thatallegations of chemical warfare are based ontwo types of evidence; video footage ofalleged chemical attacks in Syrian hospitalsand the soil and human tissue samples takenout of Syria and analysed by labs in theUnited States and Britain.5 While there aredoubts about the reliability of the samples,


the US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hasrecently confirmed that there is some degreeevidence of chemical weapons use.6

Officially, the Syrian government had neveraccepted possessing chemical weapons untilJuly, 2012, when the spokesman of Syria’sforeign ministry said, “Any stocks of(weapons of mass destruction) or anyunconventional weapon that the Syrian ArabRepublic possesses would never be usedagainst civilians or against the Syrian peopleduring this crisis at any circumstance, nomatter how the crisis would evolve”7. It mustbe noted that Syria has neither signedthe Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)*

nor ratified the Biological and ToxinWeapons Convention (BTWC) ** and hasnever made a formal declaration of its stock.8

Syria is widely believed to possess largequantities of the highly toxic mustard gas andSarin nerve agent and it is believed thatSyria has attempted to develop more toxicand persistent agents such as VX gas.9 It wasreported that poisonous gas Sarin was usedon small scale in recent attacks in Syria.Patients had respiratory and neurologicalsymptoms - respiratory, including shortnessof breath, bronchospasm, a lot of secretionand respiratory failure requiring mechanicalventilation, and some neurologicalsymptoms, confusion, and convulsions. Someof the victims reportedly went into coma.10

After the reports of chemical weapons attackin Syria, opposition forces in Syria and someWestern countries blamed Assadgovernment for attacks even as the Syriangovernment continued blaming rebels forthese incidences. International bodiesinvestigating the matter are also somewhatinfluenced by the ongoing political blamegame; earlier, the UN independentcommission of inquiry had denied Assadgovernment’s involvement in chemicalattack by saying that ‘its not Syrian

government but the rebels who usedchemical weapons’11. However, the very nextday, UN commission changed the statementand said that it had “no conclusive proof thatopposition rebel forces in the country hadused the deadly nerve agent sarin”12. The USdoubted this claim and said, “Any chemicalweapon use that has taken place in Syria wasdone by the Assad regime and that remainsits position”13. It is important to note thatsome western and middle-east countries aresupporting the rebels and providing themweapons. On the other hand, countries likeRussia, Iran and China continue supportingto Basher’s Government.

The involvement of militant groups in Syrianconflict and the associated fear of the spreadof lethal weapons to al- Qaeda make thesituation extremely complicated as well asvolatile. Israel’s willingness to use force, likethe recent air attack on the Syrian militaryresearch center to stop weapon supply toLebanon based militant group Hezbollah, onone hand and Iran’s support and weaponssupply to Hezbollah via Syria furthercompounds the situation. While the globalpowers jostle to prioritise their interests, withevery passing day the toll of civilians deathsin Syria is mounting.

Endnotes:

1. Obama hints at potential military action inSyria, Hezbollah ready to intervene in supportof Syria’s Basher al-Assad, , The AssociatedPress, April 30, 2012, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/04/30/obama-syria.html Accessed on May 1, 2013

2. Syria profile, BBC News, May 1, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14703856 Accessed on May 3, 2013.

3. World seeks answers as Syria civil warevolves, Mariano Castillo and FredPleitgen, CNN, April 30, 2013, http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/30/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html, accessed on May1, 2013

Jan-Jun 2013 15

4. What We Know about Chemical Weapons inSyria, Voa News, http://www.voanews.com/content/what-we-know-about-chemical-weapons-in-syria/1653286.html, Accessed onMay 4, 2013

5. Ibid

6. Is the Syrian government using chemicalweapons? By Jonathan Marcus, BBCdiplomatic correspondent, BBC News, April25, 2013,http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22291805, Accessed onMay 1, 2013

7. Syrian Official’s Statement on W.M.D., NYTimes, July 23, 2013, http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/syrian-officials-statement-on-w-m-d/?ref=middleeast, ROBERT MACKEYAccessed on May 3, 2013

8. Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile and humanimpact, BBC News, 26 April 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22307705, Accessed on May 1, 2013

9. Ibid

10. What We Know about Chemical Weapons inSyria, Voa News, http://www.voanews.com/content/what-we-know-about-chemical-weapons-in-syria/1653286.html, Accessed onMay 5, 2013

11. Case Study of the Bhopal Incident,Environmental toxicology and human health– vol. I - case study of the bhopal incident -Paul Cullinan, http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c09/e4-12-02-04.pdf, accessed onmay 5, 2013

12. U.N. has testimony that Syrian rebels usedsarin gas: investigator, Reuters, May 5, 2013,http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/0 5 / u s - s y r i a - c r i s i s - u n -idUSBRE94409Z20130505, Accessed onMay 7, 2013

13. No proof Syria rebels used chemical weapons,says UN, France 24.com, May 7, 2013, , http://www.france24.com/en/20130506-un-no-proof-syrian-rebels-used-chemical-weapons,Accessed on May 7, 2013

* Organization for the Prohibition of ChemicalWeapons,http://www.opcw.org/chemical-weapons-convention/, Accessed on May 5,2013

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) – TheCWC aims to eliminate an entire category ofweapons of mass destruction by prohibitingthe development, production, acquisition,stockpiling, retention, transfer or use ofchemical weapons by States Parties.

** The Biological and Toxin Weaponsconvention Website, http://www.opbw.org/Accessed on May 5, 2013

Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention(BTWC) – Is a convention on the prohibitionof the development, production andstockpiling of bacteriological (Biological) andtoxin weapons and on their destruction.


Ricin-lacedLetter to Obama;Recurring threatcalls for longterm solutionsMr. Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastav

The author is a Researcher atIDSA, New Delhi.

Summary

The recent incident in which ricinlaced letters were sent to PresidentObama highlights the ease with whichricin can be produced, obtained andused.

Opinion

The Incident

In the United States, James EverettDutschke, 41 year old martial artsinstructor, was arrested by federal

agents on April 27 from his home in Tupelo,Mississippi with charges of sending lethalricin-laced letters to US President BarackObama. Nearly a week before this arrest, asthe United States was confronting the bombblasts that took place during the BostonMarathon on April 15, three lethal ricin-lacedletters were received at the White House.This was an uncanny reminder of 2001 assoon after 9/11, anthrax laced letters werereceived by some public officials and mediahouses in which five American citizens werekilled and seventeen were sickened inincidents that are regarded as the worstbiological attacks in the history of US.1 AStatement from Public Information Office ofthe United States Capitol Police on April 16,2013 said, “Earlier today the United StatesCapitol Police (USCP) was notified by theSenate mail handling facility that it receivedan envelope containing a white granularsubstance. The envelope was immediatelyquarantined by the facility’s personnel andUSCP HAZMAT responded to the scene.Preliminary tests indicate the substancefound was ricin”.2 Meanwhile, FederalBureau of Investigation (FBI) in a statementon April 17 said, “The envelope, addressedto the President, was immediatelyquarantined by U.S. Secret Servicepersonnel, and a coordinated investigationwith the FBI was initiated. It is important tonote that operations at the White House havenot been affected as a result of theinvestigation.”3

About Ricin

Before discussing the ongoing investigation,it would be essential to understand the

Jan-Jun 2013 17

nature of ricin, a toxin with fatal implicationseven in extremely small doses.4 It isproduced from the castor bean plant(Botanical name: Ricinus communis).According to studies, ricin acts as a ribosomeinactivating protein which permanentlydamages those ribosomes which carry outprotein synthesis in body cells. Theseribosome inactivating proteins which arepresent in castor bean plant are lethal andpoisoning by ricin may cause severe damagesto major body organs. Ricin exposure maylead to severe allergic reactions as well andeven a small amount of exposure could befatal.5 The initial symptoms of ricin poisoningmay appear within three to twelve hoursfrom the exposure; these symptoms includecoughing, stomach pains, fever etc. If ricinhas been ingested, initial symptoms whichoccur within an hour, are stomach ache,gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhoea andvomiting etc. While, in case of inhalation,symptoms would include lung damages etc.6

According to the Organization of Prohibitionof Chemical weapons, ricin has been placedunder the schedule one of toxic chemicals.7

According to D.R. Franz and N.K. Jaax, ricinis suited to be an ideal agent for terrorism.This has been used for assassinationpurposes during cold war.8 It would be worthnoting that a few incidents of ricin use havetaken place in the recent years.9 In the lightof the present event, recurrence of instancesand the relative ease of preparing ricin lacedmaterial should be a larger cause of concern.

Ongoing Investigation

Regarding the recent incident, in a statementlocal field office of FBI and the office of theUS attorney noted that suspect Dutschkehas been charged with “knowinglydeveloping, producing, stockpiling,transferring, acquiring, retaining andpossessing a biological agent, toxin and

delivery system, for use as a weapon.”According to legal provisions, Dutschke willhave to face a maximum penalty of lifeimprisonment, a fine of $250,000 as well asfive years of supervised release, if he isconvicted. Initially while investigating thiscase, US authorities had made arrest ofanother individual named Paul Kevin Curtis,but later he was released as charges levelledagainst him were dismissed.10

Meanwhile, in an eight-page affidavit, FBISpecial Agent Stephen Thomason said thatDutschke did online purchasing of castorbean seeds for the purpose of making ricin.As soon as, these seeds were delivered toDutschke’s house, a publication on safehandling as well as storage of the ricin toxinwas downloaded using his laptop. The FBIalso recovered a contaminated dusk maskfrom a garbage bin near Dutschke’s formertaekwondo studio; according to affidavitfiled, traces of ricin were found on itemsrecovered from this studio. According to FBImore tests may be required to establish thatthe identified granular material is ricin.11

Concluding observations

The present incident shows the ease withwhich ricin can be produced using materialsand equipment like coffee grinder found inevery household. The repeated instancesshow the extent to which it remainsattractive for its lethality and ease ofproduction. In addition, unlike otherweapons of mass destruction, ricin remainsundetected in transit stage. Therefore morescientific research to enhance detectiontechnique and more research to increase theeffectiveness of preventive measures is theneed of the hour. Since this threat remainsglobal, international cooperation in researchand investments in scientific and monetarycapacity may yield best results in the largerhuman interests.


Endnotes:

1. “Amerithrax or Anthrax Investigation”,Famous Cases and Criminals, Federal Bureauof Investigation (FBI), Available at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/anthrax-amerithrax/amerithrax-investigation(Accessed on May 14, 2013)

2 “2013 Ricin Investigation”, Public InformationOffice, United States Capitol Police,Washington, D.C, April 16, 2013 available ath t t p : / / w w w . u s c a p i t o l p o l i c e . g o v /pressre leases/2013/pr_04-16-13 .php(Accessed on May 7, 2013)

3 “FBI Response to Reports of Suspicious LettersReceived at Mail Facilities”, National PressReleases, FBI National Press Office,Washington, D.C., April 17, 2013 available atf i le :///C:/Users/idsa/Desktop/Ricin-% 2 0 C B W % 2 0 A r t i c l e /FBI%20%E2%80%94%20FBI%20Response%20to%20Reports%20of%20Suspicious%20Letters%20Received%20at%20Mail%20Facilities.htm(Accessed on May 7, 2013)

4 According to a study conducted by EuropeanFood and Safety Authority (EFSA), the medianlethal dose (LD50) of ricin is around 22micrograms per kilogram (1.78 mg for anaverage adult, around 1D 228 of a standardaspirin tablet/0.4 g gross) in humans ifexposure is from injection or inhalation. Formore see, “Ricin (from Ricinus communis) asundesirable substances in animal feed,Scientific Opinion of the Panel onContaminants in the Food Chain adopted on 10June 2008”, European Food and SafetyAuthority (EFSA), The EFSA Journal (2008)726, 1-38 available at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/726.pdf (Accessed on May 6, 2013)

5 “RICIN : Biotoxin”, The Emergency ResponseSafety and Health Database, Centres for DiseaseControl and Prevention available at http://w w w . c d c . g o v / n i o s h / e r s h d b /EmergencyResponseCard_29750002.html(Accessed on May 5, 2013)

6 Julia Layton, “What is Ricin?”, How StuffWorks?, available at http://www.howstuffworks.com/question722.htm(Accessed on May 5, 2013)

7 Schedule 1, Toxic chemicals, Organisation forthe Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,available at http://www.opcw.org/chemical-weapons-convention/annex-on-chemicals/b-

s c h e d u l e s - o f - c h e m i c a l s / s c h e d u l e - 1 /(Accessed on May 10, 2013)

8 There have been several incidents involvingricin toxin. In 1978, Georgii Markov, aBulgarian dissident, was assassinated allegedlyusing ricin by a Bulgarian secret serviceoperative. For more see, D.R. Franz, N.K. Jaax,“Ricin toxin” in R. Zajtchuk, R.F. Bellamy(Eds.), Textbook of military medicine: medicalaspects of chemical and biological warfare,TMM Publications, Washington, DC (1997),pp. 631–642 (Accessed on May 11, 2013)

9 While these incidents have taken place fairlyregularly since October 2003, there has beenno reported casualty because of ricin since theincident in 2001.

10 “US authorities charge man in ricin probe”,AFP, April 27, 2013 available at http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/A L e q M 5 g q S F O G i 0 4 m 9 -FS4ZmmLfZdz_2c7Q?docId=CNG.359bbf8b6c23801bedef3828d2a1196a.01 (Accessedon May 5, 2013)

11 “FBI says lab tests link Mississippi man to ricinletters”, Reuters, April 30, 2013 available athttp://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/3 0 / u s - u s a - s e c u r i t y - r i c i n -idUSBRE93T17F20130430 (Accessed on May5, 2013)

Jan-Jun 2013 19

Conference of the States Parties

The Conference of the States Parties (CSP)is the “principal” organ which comprises ofall members of the Organisation for theProhibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).It enjoys the power to supervise and watchover the implementation of the Convention.It also undertakes the function of promotingthe aim and purpose of the Convention.1

CSP is the main decision making body of theOPCW. As per this position, the CSP appointsthe Director General of the OPCW’sTechnical Secretariat. It also decides thebudget and the amount of contribution whichis expected from the States Parties. Inaddition, it approves the annual report andelects the Executive Council of the OPCW andreviews the scientific and technologicaldevelopments which can affect the overallfunctioning of the Chemical WeaponsConvention (CWC).2

Article VIII, paragraph 21, (of the CWC)enlists the activities to be undertaken by theConference. They consist of the following;

1. “Taking measures necessary to ensurecompliance with the Convention;

2. Deciding on the programme and budgetand the scale of financial contributions tobe paid by States Parties;

3. Approving the annual report of theOrganisation;

4. Electing the members of the Council;

5. Appointing the Director-General;

6. Fostering international cooperation forpeaceful purposes in the field of chemicalactivities; and

Kenneth N Waltz – a pioneer theorist ofinternational relations – passed away on May12, 2013 at the age of 88. He served as amember of the faculty at the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley and ColumbiaUniversity. Widely hailed for his foundationalwork in neo-realist school of internationalrelations, Waltz’s theorizing created a newparadigm which produced many otherimportant works in the field. His monumentalwork ‘Theory of International Politics’outlined the key assumptions andapproaches to the systematic study ofinternational politics. He was equally reveredfor bringing the insights of neo-realiststheory to bear upon some of important policyproblems during the cold war and post coldwar years. Waltz’s views on issues like USinvolvement in Vietnam War, spread ofnuclear weapons in the world, US invasionof Iraq and more recently on Iran’s nuclearweapon programme have been widelyargued and debated upon. He was a fiercecritic of the Vietnam War and later opposedthe so-called preemptive invasion of Iraq byUS forces in 2003.

Waltz’s views on WMD proliferation andespecially the spread of nuclear weaponswere radical; in an essay published in 1981,The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More Maybe Better, Waltz argued, “Slow spread ofnuclear weapons will promote peace andreinforce international stability.” 1 He wenton to outline in great detail why nuclearweapons enable peace and stability bystressing that “nuclear weapons make thecost of war seem frighteningly high and thusdiscourage states from starting any warsthat might lead to the use of such weapons.”He further explained that “states areunlikely to take great risks for minor gainsand although war remains possible, thevictory in war is too dangerous to fight for.”2

Kenneth N. Waltzon NBC WeaponsMr. Kapil Patil

The author is a ResearchAssistant at Indian PugwashSociety, New Delhi.

Summary

Kenneth N Waltz-R.I.P. (June 8,1924-May 12, 2013).

The article is a collection of KennethN Waltz’s views on NBC Weapons.

Kaleidoscope


Waltz strongly opposed the US invasion ofIraq in 2003. While rejecting the pre-emptive strategy of US forces in Iraq, Waltzasserted that, “we [US] have no reason tothink that Saddam Hussein is about to (nuke)strike anybody - not anybody in the region,let alone Europe or the United States.”3 Waltzslammed the US State Department’s claimthat Saddam Hussein might give away thenuclear weapons to the terrorists. Waltzcautioned that, “we don’t have to worryabout Saddam Hussein doing that, becauseif any terrorist ever got weaponry that theycould not well get from sources other thanIraq, we would say, ‘Saddam Hussein did it,’and we’d slam him. He knows that.” Waltzalso dispelled the worries that SaddamHussein or the North Koran military juntawill not be deterred once they acquire WMDcapability. He believed that, rogue regimeshave persistently made effort to acquireWMD capabilities to consolidate theirregimes and they certainly would not wantto share it with anybody.”4

Reiterating his reasoning on nuclear weaponsin his famous recent essay in Foreign Affairs,Why Iran Should Get the Bomb, Waltzargued, “Tehran’s nuclear weapon capabilitywould most likely restore stability to theMiddle East region.” He pointed out that“The danger of a nuclear Iran has beengrossly exaggerated” and “the debatesurrounding it has been distorted bymisplaced worries and fundamentalmisunderstandings of how states generallybehave in the international system.”5 Waltzcriticised the global anxiety about nuclearIran by arguing that “(Calling) nuclear Irana uniquely terrifying prospect, even anexistential threat is typical of major powers,which have historically gotten riled upwhenever another country has begun todevelop a nuclear weapon of its own. Yet sofar, every time another country has managedto shoulder its way into the nuclear club, the

other members have always changed tackand decided to live with it. In fact, byreducing imbalances in military power, newnuclear states generally produce moreregional and international stability, not less.”6

Waltz was convinced about the deterrencevalue of WMDs like chemical and biologicalweapons in inter-state conflicts. He oftencited the restraint exercised by SaddamHussein in using chemicals and biologicalweapons in the Gulf War against US forces.7

Waltz explained the restraint exercised bystates in non-use of chemical & biologicalweapons when he stated that, “WMDs makestates cautious and ‘rogue states’ too haveexercised restraint in the past.” He notedthat “the weaker and the more endangereda state is, the less likely it is to engage inreckless behavior.”8

Scholars in Waltzian tradition too haveexplained the non-use of chemical andbiological weapons despite many countriespossessing the NBC capabilities includingstates that wish to use them covertly.Falkeranth et al. explained that the decisionto use WMDs is determined solely by therisks calculations of potential aggressors.9

The restraint in state behaviour, as theyargue, is guided by the logic of ‘threat ofpunishment’ which underlines the risks ofretaliation in form of escalatory exchange ofNBC weapons, which hold states back fromusing such weapons.10

Nevertheless, Waltz was skeptical that unlikenuclear weapons, the irregular groups andterrorists will be less deterred fromusing WMDs like biological and chemicalweapons if they were to acquire it.11 Waltzclearly understood the limitations ofdeterrence in case of non-state actors armedwith chemical and bio-weapons when heobserved that “deterrence does not coverthis kind of situation”.12

Jan-Jun 2013 21

Although Waltz was particularly optimisticabout the role of nuclear weapons in globalpolitics, his views about the utility of slowspread of nuclear weapons drew himwidespread criticism. The rapid spread ofWMDs remains a frightening prospect for theglobal non-proliferation community and thespread of WMDs and their use either by stateor non-state actors is strongly controlledthrough set of global norms and institutions.While, the non-proliferation regime wouldcontinue to be a pre-eminent force in worldpolitics for years to come, Waltz will beremembered most importantly for setting analternate discourse on non-proliferation thatbrought him followers and foes in equalmeasure.

Endnotes:

1 Kenneth N. Waltz (1981), “The Spread ofNuclear Weapons: More May Be Better”,Adelphi Paper No. 171, London: TheInternational Institute for Strategic Studies,URL: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/waltz1.htm

2 Ibid

3 Kenneth Waltz Interview: Conversations withHistory; Institute of International Studies, UCBerkeley, URL: http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people3/Waltz/waltz-con6.html

4 Ibid

5 Waltz, Kenneth N. (2012), “Why Iran ShouldGet the Bomb: Nuclear Balancing Would MeanStability”, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2012,URL: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137731/kenneth-n-waltz/why-iran-should-get-thebomb

6 ibid

7 See, Kenneth Waltz Interview

8 Waltz, Kenneth N. (1995), “Peace, Stability andNuclear Weapons”, University of California,Berkeley

9 Falkeranth, Newman and Thayer (2004),“Americas Achilles Heel Nuclear Biologicaland Chemical Terrorism and Covert Attack” in

Art, Robert J., and Waltz, Kenneth N. (Eds.),“The use of force: military power andinternational politics”, Rowman and Littlefield:London, pp.463-468

10 Ibid

11 Kenneth Waltz Interview,

12 Kenneth Waltz Interview


Chemical and Biological News

DISARMAMENT

Libya Completes Destruction of ItsBulk Sulfur Mustard Stockpile

May 06, 2013

Libya has completed the destruction of sulfurmustard agent that was stored in bulk intransportation containers at the depot inRuwagha, bringing the total amount ofCategory 1 chemical weapons destroyed byLibya to 22.3 metric tonnes (MT), or nearly85% of the total declared stocks. Destructionof the remaining 8.82 MT of sulfur mustardthat was stored in bulk at Ruwagha resumedon 20 April 2013 and by 4 May the facilitycompleted the destruction under OPCWverification.

Libya also completed the destruction of itsremaining Category 3 weapons, inaccordance with the timeline it had set in itsdetailed plan for the destruction of theremaining chemical weapons. What remainsnow to be destroyed are about 2.45 MT ofpolymerised sulphur mustard and 1.6 MTof sulphur mustard loaded in projectiles,bombs and bomb cartridges, as well as 846MT of precursor chemicals (Category 2). Thedestruction operations were conductedunder continuous on-site monitoring by ateam of OPCW inspectors

The OPCW Director-General, AmbassadorAhmet Üzümcü, announced the achievementof this destruction milestone in Libya, todayin his opening address to the 72nd Session ofthe OPCW Executive Council: “I would liketo congratulate Libya on thisaccomplishment. I should also like to thankCanada, Germany, and the United States ofAmerica for the assistance they provided,which facilitated the redeployment of theinspection team and resumption ofdestruction operations,” he said.

Libya first began to destroy the bulk sulfurmustard in October 2010 but suspended theoperation in early February 2011 when theneutralization unit malfunctioned. Due to theprevailing situation, Libya was unable toresume operations for more than two years.They remained committed to destroy thestockpile as soon as circumstances allowed.The government meanwhile took a numberof precautionary measures to secure itsremaining chemical weapons while thedestruction facility at Ruwagha was repairedand maintained for use.

http://www.opcw.org/news/article/libya-completes-destruction-of-its-bulk-sulfur-mustard-stockpile/

Turkey sends team to screen forchemical weapons on Syria border

May 09, 2013

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has sent ateam of eight experts to the borderwith Syria to test wounded victims of thecountry’s civil war for traces of chemicaland biological weapons, the state-run Anatolian news agency said on Thursday.

Turkey started testing blood samples lastweek from Syrian casualties brought overthe border for treatment to determinewhether they were victims of a chemicalweapons attack.

The civil defense team, equipped with aspecialist vehicle which can detect evidenceof chemical, biological and nuclearsubstances, has been stationed at theCilvegozu border gate near the town ofReyhanli, Anatolian said.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forcesand opposing rebels have accused each otherof using chemical weapons.

Jan-Jun 2013 23

Britain said on Thursday it believed it was“very likely” that the Syrian government hadused chemical weapons, but that it had “noevidence to date” that the rebels had usedthem.

Washington has long said it views the use ofchemical weapons in Syria as a “red line”.But, wary of the false intelligence that wasused to justify the 2003 war in Iraq, theUnited States says it wants proof beforetaking any action.

Turkey’s Star newspaper, which is close tothe government, reported on Thursday thatthe forensic institute that has been testingthe blood samples had found traces of ricin,a highly toxic substance which can be usedas a chemical warfare agent.

Turkish officials have declined to confirmwhether the tests have been completed orto comment on any results.

(Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by NickTattersall/Mark Heinrich)

http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-sends-team-screen-chemical-weapons-syria-border-130441650.html

Deputy Director-General visitsCroatia during the 12th RegionalMeeting of National Authorities inEastern Europe

May 16, 2013

The OPCW Deputy Director-General,Ambassador Grace Asirwatham, paid a visitto the Republic of Croatia on 13 and 14 May2013 and inaugurated, together with Dr Mrs.Vesna Batistiæ Kos, Assistant Minister in theDirectorate-General for Multilateral Affairsand Global Issues of the Ministry of Foreignand European Affairs, the 12th RegionalMeeting of National Authorities in EasternEurope. The meeting was held in Zagreb.

In her opening statement, the DeputyDirector-General stressed the importance ofregional meetings as a forum for NationalAuthorities to review and discuss issuesrelating to the practical implementation ofthe Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC),to share experiences and best practices, andto foster cooperation among States of theregion. Mrs. Asirwatham commended theNational Authorities of States in EasternEurope for their efforts to strengthen theeffective national implementation in theregion and urged them to actively participatein the deliberations, in particular regardingnew initiatives and approaches, technicaltools and procedures, and practicalinformation related to nationalimplementation.

During the bilateral meeting with theAssistant Minister, the Deputy DirectorGeneral briefed her on the outcomes of therecently concluded Third Review Conference.Mrs. Asirwatham also provided an overviewof the current status of the implementationof the CWC and the ongoing work of theOPCW to achieve the objectives of theConvention. The discussion also coveredactivities conducted in the framework of theorganisation’s programmes on InternationalCooperation and Assistance (ICA) in Croatia,and reiterated the importance of promotingcooperation among States of the region.

http://www.opcw.org/news/article/deputy-director-general-visits-croatia-during-the-12th-regional-meeting-of-national-authorities-in/

Assistance and Protection Course onChemical Safety Management forAfrican State Parties Held in India

April 18, 2013

The Assistance and Protection TrainingCourse on Chemical Safety Management forAfrican State Parties was held at The


Landmark Hotel and the Defence Researchand Development Establishment (DRDE) inGwalior from 1 to 5 April 2013. The coursewas co-organised by the OPCW and theGovernment of India.

The course is offered by the IndianGovernment under Article X of the ChemicalWeapons Convention to help build capacityin assistance and protection against chemicalweapons. The course was attended by 13participants from 11 African State Parties*and 23 participants from India.

* Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho (2),Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa,Uganda, Zambia (2) and Zimbabwe.

http://www.opcw.org/news/article/assistance-and-protection-course-on-chemical-safety-management-for-african-state-parties-held-in-ind/

Workshops Organised in Luanda toSupport Angola’s Accession to theChemical Weapons Convention

April 26, 2013

The OPCW co-organized two workshops inLuanda on 22 and 23 April 2013 that weredesigned to support Angola’s accession to theChemical Weapons Convention (CWC) andthe Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention(BWC).

The Foreign Affairs Minister of Angola, H.E.Mr Georges Chikoti, opened the workshopsby confirming his Government’s intention toaccede to both conventions, noting theimportance that the Government of Angolaattaches to international disarmamenttreaties.*

The two workshops shared similar agendaswhich covered the main articles of eachConvention, CWC and BWC NationalAuthorities, national implementation,

declarations and submission of confidence-building measures, international co-operation and assistance, and the accessionprocesses.

The CWC workshop was a day of nationalawareness in national CWC implementationwith more than 30 participants, includingsenior representatives from the ministriesof Foreign Affairs, Industry, Interior,Defense, Justice, Transport, Commerce,Finance (Customs), Police, and theHumanitarian Demining and HumanitarianAssistance Commission(CNIDAH).

The OPCW Director of InternationalCooperation and Assistance, Mr. MarkAlbon, expressed the OPCW’s support toForeign Minister Chikoti in helping Angolato fulfil its obligations under the CWC as soonas its instrument of ratification is signed.

http://www.opcw.org/news/article/workshops-organised-in-luanda-to-support-angolas-access ion-to-the-chemical-weapons-convention/

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENTS

Third Review Conference Concludeswith Consensus Final Document andPolitical Declaration

April 19, 2013

The Third Review Conference of theChemical Weapons Convention (CWC)successfully concluded today with theadoption by consensus of a two-part finaldocument: A political declaration thatconfirms the “unequivocal commitment” ofthe States Parties to the global chemicalweapons ban, and a comprehensive reviewof CWC implementation since the lastReview Conference in 2008 that also mapsout the OPCW’s priorities for the coming fiveyears. The final document will be made

Jan-Jun 2013 25

available soon on the OPCW web siteat http://www.opcw.org/

“I congratulate and thank the States Partiesfor their strong support for our continuingefforts to achieve a world that is free ofchemical weapons,” said the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü. “Theyhave underlined their commitment that theOPCW remains a global repository ofknowledge and expertise on implementingthe Convention, and their determination tomaintain the CWC as a bulwark againstchemical weapons.”

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon,delivered a speech to the opening session ofthe conference. The Foreign Minister of theNetherlands, Frans Timmermans, theMinister of Foreign Affairs and Vice-PrimeMinister of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, andthe Turkish Foreign Minister, AhmetDavutoðlu, also addressed the conference.

A number of other senior officials attendedthe opening days of the conference. Theyincluded Angela Kane, the UN HighRepresentative for Disarmament Affairs, andhigh level officials from Canada, Germany,Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UnitedKingdom, the United States and Yemen,among others. Video interviews with someof these senior officials can be viewed here.

The political declaration reiterates the “deepconcern” of States Parties that chemicalweapons may have been used in the SyrianArab Republic, underlining that “the use ofchemical weapons by anyone under anycircumstances would be reprehensible andcompletely contrary to the legal norms andstandards of the international community.”The statement expresses support for closecooperation between the OPCW Director-General and Secretary-General of theUnited Nations.

Other highlights of the Review Conferencepolitical declaration:

� Conviction that, 16 years after its entryinto force, the Convention has reinforcedits role as the international norm againstchemical weapons;

� Unqualified commitment to achieve theuniversality of the CWC, urgently callingupon the remaining States not Party tojoin the Convention without delay andprecondition;

� Determination that the destruction of allexisting chemical weapons be completedin the shortest time possible;

� Commitment to adopt the necessarymeasures to fully implement theConvention as a matter of priority, notingthat 100 States Parties still need to adoptsuch measures;

� Commitment to foster internationalcooperation in the peaceful uses ofchemistry, and to implement the CWC ina manner that avoids hamperingeconomic and technological development;

� Intention to continue providing theOPCW the support it needs to fullyimplement the CWC and to deal moreeffectively with future opportunities andchallenges; and

� Desire to improve interaction withchemical industry, the scientificcommunity, academia and civil societyorganisations in promoting the goals ofthe CWC.

The Third Review Conference was wellattended with delegates from 122 of the 188States Parties, 8 international organizationsand 3 States not Party, and was chaired byAmbassador Krzysztof Paturej of Poland.


In addition, there was an unprecedentedlevel of attendance by civil society, withrepresentatives of 47 NGOs who organisedand participated in more than 10 side eventsexploring a variety of issues relevant to theconference. For the first time, NGOrepresentatives were also permitted toaddress conference delegates in an informalplenary session.

http://www.opcw.org/news/article/third-review-conference-concludes-with-consensus-final-document-and-political-declaration/

Obama: There is ‘some evidence’Syria’s Assad used chemical weapons

By John Newland, Staff Writer, NBC News

President Barack Obama said Tuesday thatthe United States has evidence that chemicalweapons were used in Syria’s brutal civil warbut that it remains unclear who used them.

In a White House press conference, Obamasaid there is “some evidence” that the regimeof Syrian President Bashar Assad used theweapons, but urged against rushing tojudgment, saying more facts must be knownbefore any action taken.

NBC News’s Paul Goldman and CharleneGubash contributed to this report.

For full report please check:

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/30/17985682-obama-there-is-some-evidence-syrias-assad-used-chemical-weapons?lite

Israel says Syria used chemical weapons;Russia warns of ‘Iraqi scenario’

Greg Botelho and Elise Labott, CNN

April 24, 2013

(CNN) — Are Syrian forces using chemicalweapons in their years-long fight to hold onto power?

That’s what the head of the Israel DefenseForces intelligence research and analysisdivision said Tuesday, becoming the latestto allege that Damascus was employingweapons banned under international lawagainst its own people.

The claim further stoked the debate aboutthe international community’s role in Syria,where the United Nations estimated thismonth that 70,000 people have been killedsince the conflict flared in March 2011. U.S.President Barack Obama, for one, has saidthe Syrian government’s use of chemicalweapons against its own people would be a“game changer” in how his and other nationsaddress the crisis.

On Tuesday, his nation’s top diplomat saidTuesday that the United States does notknow definitively that such chemicalweapons had been deployed. In fact, U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry said, IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also didnot confirm the use of such weapons whenthe two spoke by phone earlier in the day.

CNN’s Elise Labott, Barbara Starr and LauraSmith-Spark contributed to this report.


http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/23/world/meast/syria-civil-war

Exclusive: U.S. to Bring ChemicalWeapons Witnesses Out of Syria

Josh Rogin May 22, 2013

With U.N. investigators unable to enter Syria,the State Department is working to bringevidence that the regime has used chemicalweapons across the border into Turkey,reports Josh Rogin.

The State Department is working behind thescenes to identify medical professionals who

Jan-Jun 2013 27

have evidence of chemical weapons use inSyria and is planning to help move them outof the country to meet with United Nationsinvestigators in Turkey, officials tell TheDaily Beast.

A Syrian man walks past destruction in thenorthern city of Aleppo on March 22, 2013.(Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty)

The previously undisclosed effort wasauthorized by the White House, and is nowbeing prepared by the State Department inconjunction with Syrian nongovernmentalorganizations they have been working withon the ground, two administration officialssaid. The U.N. team tasked withinvestigating alleged uses of chemicalweapons inside Syria has not been able toenter the country because of a dispute overaccess with the regime of Bashar al-Assad,so the State Department is bringing themedical professionals and physiologicalsamples taken from victims of the attacks tothem.

Last month the White Houseacknowledged in a letter to Congress that theU.S. intelligence community had determinedwith various levels of confidence thatchemical weapons—Sarin gas specifically—had been used in Syria on two occasions. ButPresident Obama said following thatdisclosure that he couldn’t confirm that his“red line” for Syria had been crossed becausethe chain of custody of the evidence couldnot be confirmed. While the administrationsaid it was very likely that the regime wasresponsible, the Syrian government and theRussian government claim that in fact it wasthe rebels who have used Sarin as a weapon.

“We cannot have a situation in whichchemical or biological weapons are falling intothe hands of the wrong people,” Obama toldreporters in August. “We have been veryclear to the Assad regime but also to other

players on the ground that a red line for usis, we start seeing a whole bunch of weaponsmoving around or being utilized.” But hisadministration later seemed to roll back thatstandard, with an official telling The NewYork Times that the president’s “red line”remark was “unscripted.”

Now, as the Obama administration considersmoving toward greater direct involvementin the Syrian conflict, there is a new push toconfirm that chemical weapons were used inSyria by the regime.

“The administration is trying to bringinternational legitimacy to their claims,” anadministration official told The Daily Beast.“It provides additional pretext for greaterpolitical pressure on the regime.”


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/22/exclusive-u-s-to-bring-chemical-weapons-witnesses-out-of-syria.html

Laaneots: North Korea’s Real Threatis Chemical, Biological Weapons (3)

April 05, 2013

Despite all the attention being given to NorthKorea’s nuclear capabilities, thedictatorship’s chemical and biologicalweapons pose a far greater threat to theworld, according to retired general AntsLaaneots.

North Korea has a single, 5-megawattnuclear reactor that operated for 21 yearsbefore it was closed in 2007 due tointernational pressure, and its cooling systemwas destroyed in 2008, Estonia’s formercommander in chief told ETV.

Experts estimate that the country hasproduced 42-67 kilograms of plutonium,


which can be used to make 6-8 explosivenuclear devices, but American experts areconfident that the country does not currentlyhave the technology to compress theplutonium to install it in a warhead, Laaneotssaid.

“Much more dangerous are the largechemical resources that North Korea has.


http://news.err.ee/politics/4a68f27c-c5a5-4270-98fe-1ce8a384bd47

Al Qaeda’s track record with chemicalweapons

Peter Bergen, CNN National SecurityAnalyst

May 7, 2013

Editor’s note: Peter Bergen is CNN’snational security analyst, a director atthe New America Foundation and theauthor of”Manhunt: The Ten-Year Searchfor bin Laden — From 9/11 toAbbottabad,” the basis for the HBOdocumentary “Manhunt” that will be shownon CNN on May 10.

(CNN) — On Monday, a U.N. official saidthat Syrian rebels had likely used the nerveagent sarin.

Carla Del Ponte, the veteran war crimesprosecutor and a commissioner of the U.N.Independent International Commission ofInquiry for Syria, made this claim on a Swiss-Italian TV station.

Del Ponte explained, “Our investigators havebeen in neighboring countries interviewingvictims, doctors and field hospitals and,according to their report of last week whichI have seen, there are strong, concretesuspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof

of the use of sarin gas, from the way thevictims were treated.”

Del Ponte added, “This was used on the partof the opposition, the rebels, not by thegovernment authorities.”

The U.N. commission later pedaled back fromDel Ponte’s statement, saying that it “has notreached conclusive findings as to the use ofchemical weapons in Syria by any parties tothe conflict.”

The context here, of course, is that PresidentBarack Obama is under pressure to act inSyria because of his tough statement inAugust that the use of chemical or biologicalweapons in the Syrian conflict would cross a“red line.”

In the past few weeks, there have beenmultiple reports that Bashar al-Assad’sregime has deployed chemical weapons.(And after Del Ponte’s remarks werereported, a U.S. State Departmentofficial told CNN that the United States doesnot have information suggesting that rebelshave “either the capability or the intent todeploy or use such weapons.” But, the sourcesaid, the “facts are not complete” and effortsto obtain more information are ongoing.)

But Del Ponte’s statement that theopposition is likely using chemical weaponsraises an important issue: How plausible isthe use of such weapons by any of the manyarmed factions that are fighting al-Assad’sregime?

The most effective Syrian opposition groupis widely considered to be al-Nusra Front.The U.S. State Department says that al-Nusra Front is simply a cover name for alQaeda in Iraq, which has long operated inIraq and neighboring Syria.

Jan-Jun 2013 29

It is a worrisome fact that al Qaeda in Iraq isthe only al Qaeda franchise ever to haveactually used chemical weapons.

Al Qaeda in Iraq detonated a series of crudechlorine bombs in Iraq from late 2006through mid-2007.

A study by the New America Foundationfound a total of 16 chlorine gas bombings inIraq, the last of which was in June 2007.

On October 21, 2006, al Qaeda in Iraqlaunched this campaign of chlorine bombattacks by detonating a car loaded withmortars and chlorine tanks in Ramadi,wounding three Iraqi police officers and acivilian.

Such attacks sickened many hundreds ofIraqis, but the victims who died in theseassaults did so from the blast of the bombsrather than from inhaling chlorine.

U.S. and Iraqi troops successfully killed orcaptured many of the people in al Qaeda inIraq who were building the chlorine-lacedbombs and captured much of the group’sstockpiled chlorine.

Charles Faddis, who headed the CIA’soperations against al Qaeda in Iraq’s chlorinebomb network, told me in 2010: “There wasa lot of effort to secure the chlorine, to get ahold of the tanks, to track these guys down(who were responsible for building thechlorine bombs), to kill them or capturethem. Meanwhile, the attacks are not beingparticularly successful. The people are dyingin the blast, but fortunately nobody is dyingfrom chlorine.”

There is no evidence that al Qaeda in Iraqstopped its campaign of chlorine bombingbecause of any qualms about the use of suchweapons.

Chlorine gas was used by both sides duringWorld War I but was banned by the GenevaProtocol, along with the use of other poisongases, after the end of the war.

The use of such weapons has been a matterof some debate within the leadership of alQaeda.

In documents found by the U.S. Navy SEALswho raided Osama bin Laden’s compoundtwo years ago in Abbottabad, Pakistan, therewas a letter written by bin Laden five daysbefore he was killed in which he urged hisfollowers in Yemen who were consideringusing “poison” to be “careful of doing itwithout enough study of all aspects, includingpolitical and media reaction.”

As we consider the conflicting reports of theuse of chemical weapons that have emergedfrom Syria over the past weeks, it is worthrecalling that the al Qaeda affiliate in Syriahas in the past used crude chemical weaponson multiple occasions in neighboring Iraq.

Also al Qaeda’s leaders such as bin Ladenhave pushed back on the use of such weaponsonly insofar as their use might damage theimage of al Qaeda in the eyes of the Muslimpublic, not because of international normsthat the use of these weapons is beyond thepale.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/06/opinion/bergen-chemical-weapons-syria/

Mississippi man linked to ricin letterscharged with biological weapons use

Robbie Ward TUPELO, MississippiApril 27, 2013

(Reuters) - A Mississippi martial artsinstructor was charged on Saturday withattempting to use a biological weapon aftera ricin-laced letter was sent to


President Barack Obama earlier this month,the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Everett Dutschke, 41, was arrested at hisTupelo home shortly after midnight by FBIagents following searches of the residenceand a formerbusiness as part of the ricinletter investigation.

He was later charged with “developing ... andpossessing” ricin and “attempting” to use it“as a weapon,” according to a joint statementby the U.S. attorney for the northern districtof Mississippi and the head of the FBI’sMississippi office.

Ricin is a highly lethal poison made fromcastor beans.

If convicted, Dutschke faces maximumpossible penalties of life imprisonment and a$250,000 fine.

His arrest came several days after U.S.prosecutors dropped charges in the case onTuesday against another Mississippi man,Kevin Curtis, who was released from jail aftera search of his home revealed noincriminating evidence.

Dutschke’s name first surfaced when Curtis’attorney suggested in a court hearing thather client had been framed by someone, andmentioned a running feud between Dutschkeand Curtis.

Saturday’s announcement did not specify ifDutschke was being charged in relation tothe ricin letters, but it noted that theinvestigation had been conducted by severalfederal agencies including the U. S. PostalInspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police.

Dutschke’s attorney, Lori Basham, did notreturn calls seeking comment, but she toldReuters earlier in the week that her clientdenied having anything to do with the ricinletters.

Dutschke is expected to appear in U.S.District Court in Oxford, Mississippi, onMonday.

Federal agents initially targeted Curtis, anElvis impersonator, in their efforts to findwho sent the letters laced with ricin.

Letters addressed to Obama and SenatorRoger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, wereretrieved last week at off-site mail facilitiesbefore reaching their intended victims. AMississippi state judge also received a ricin-laced letter.

Discovery of the letters fueled more nationalanxiety in the days after the bombing at theBoston Marathon.

(Additional reporting by Emily Lane inJackson, Mississippi, Marilyn W. Thompsonand Susan Cornwell in Washingon; Writingby David Adams; Editing by Sandra Malerand Peter Cooney)


http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/27/us-usa-security-ricin-arrest-idUSBRE93Q07420130427

Gas attack fears as 74 Afghan schoolgirls examined for poisoning

April 22, 2013

As many as 74 school girls in Afghanistan’sfar north have fallen sick after smelling gasin the air, and are being examined forpossible poisoning. Some of them remain ina critical condition in hospital raising fearsthe school was attacked.

Local officials said the girls became ill afternoting a gas smell in the air at their school,Bibi Maryam, in the Taluqan, the capital ofthe Takhar Province, about 250 kilometersnorth of the Afghan capital Kabul.

Jan-Jun 2013 31

The girls were taken to hospital and althoughmost were released after being treated, someare still in a critical condition, Dr. JamilFrotan, the head of the hospital, told Reuterson Sunday evening.

“We have already sent samples of their bloodto the Ministry of Public Health and it willsoon become clear what the reason for theirillness was,” Frotan said.

Sulaiman Moradi, The Takhar governor’sspokesman, said “enemies of thegovernment and the country” were to blameand said the aim was to stop the girls goingto school.

No one has claimed responsibility for theattack, but there have been numeroussubstantiated cases of masspoisonings ofschoolgirls by elements of Afghanistan’s ultraconservative society who remain opposed tofemale education. The Taliban are just onesection of a highly conservative societysharing such beliefs.

The suspected poisoning comes three daysafter more than a dozen students fell ill atanother girl’s high school in Talugan. Theincident also remains unexplained.

Four poisoning attacks in girls’ schools inTakhar between May and June last year,prompted local officials to order the headteachers to stay at school until late, to testthe water for contaminates and for staff tosearch the grounds for suspicious lookingobjects.

Takhar has been a hotbed of criminal activityand militancy since 2009, with the Talibanand the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistanhighly active in the province.

Since the Taliban were ousted in 2001females have returned to schools especiallyin Kabul.

Afghan women have won back basic rightsin education, voting and employment since2001, but fears remain that these gains couldbe traded away as western forces prepareto leave the country in 2014 and the Afghangovernment seeks peace talks with theTaliban.

http://rt.com/news/afghan-girls-school-gassed-218/

DEVELOPMENTS IN SCIENCEAND TECHNOLOGY

RTA could lessen dangers ofchemical, biological warfare

May 9, 2013

Defense Advanced Research ProjectsAgency

For more than 50 years, researchers havebeen studying exactly how aspirin affects thehuman body. Despite thousands ofpublications on the topic, our understandingis still incomplete.

Meanwhile, novel chemical and biologicalweapons have historically been massproduced within a year of discovery. Usingcurrent methods and technologies,researchers would require decades of studyto gain a robust understanding of how newthreat agents exert effects on humanbiological systems.

That capability gap leaves U.S. forcesvulnerable, so DARPA’s new five-yearprogram, Rapid Threat Assessment, sets anaggressive new goal for researchers: developmethods and technologies that can, within30 days of exposure, map the completemolecular mechanism through which athreat agent alters biochemical processes inhuman cells. The developed technologies


must identify the cellular components andmechanistic events that take place over arange of times, from the millisecondsimmediately following exposure to the threatagent, to the days over which alterations ingene and protein expression might occur.The molecular mechanism must also accountfor molecular translocations and interactionsthat cross the cell membrane, cytoplasm andnucleus.

“Understanding the molecular mechanism ofa given threat agent would provideresearchers the framework with which todevelop medical countermeasures andmitigate threats,” said Barry Pallotta, DARPAprogram manager. “If the RTA program issuccessful, potential adversaries would haveto reassess the cost-benefit analysis of usingchemical or biological weapons against U.S.forces that have credible medical defenses.”

Threat agents, drugs, chemicals and biologicsinterfere with normal cell function byinteracting with one or more moleculesassociated with the cell membrane,cytoplasm or nucleus.

Since a human cell may contain up to 30,000different molecules functioning together incomplex, dynamic networks, the molecularmechanism of a given threat agent mightinvolve hundreds of molecules andinteractions. The technologies sought byRTA would identify the molecular targets ofthreat agents and the complex interactionsthat follow.

“Introducing a threat agent into a cell setsoff a chain of interactions that propagatethroughout the cell much like the pattern ofripples that result from throwing a pebbleinto a pond,” said Pallotta.

“Unfortunately, current research tends to behighly specialized, examining effects on very

specific proteins or lipids and so on, which iswhy a drug like morphine is still being studiedalmost 200 years after its introduction. Forthis reason, DARPA is demanding acomprehensive approach that identifies allof the affected components and interactionsat once against a background of inherentcomplexity.”

To help navigate this complexity, programperformers will have to discover the seriesof events in the molecular mechanism attime intervals from initial introduction of athreat agent to a period of several days ofexposure. This could be accomplished byfreezing cells at various points in time tocapture interactions as they unfold. Thisapproach will help researchers discover theactual sequence of molecular events initiatedby the threat agent.

While providing a framework for thedevelopment of medical countermeasures tochemical and biological weapons, successfulRTA technologies would also be readilyapplicable to drug development andtreatments for disease. In both cases,detailed knowledge of molecular mechanismis one of the ingredients that enable newdrugs to win approval or diseases to betreated.

DARPA hopes to pair technologies developedduring the RTA program with itsMicrophysiological Systems program, whichis building “human-on-a-chip” technology.By introducing threat agents or proposedcountermeasures to the human-on-a-chipsystem, researchers could observe whichhuman cell types are affected, and use RTAtechnologies to elucidate the specificmolecular mechanisms in the affected cells.

http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/news/article_fa9c06d4-b8eb-11e2-a657-0019bb2963f4.html

Jan-Jun 2013 33

Could smallpox really be turned intoa biological weapon by terrorists?

Tamara Hinson April 08, 2013

It killed the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses V in 1145 BC, Tsar Peter II of Russia in 1730 andmore than 300m people in the 20th century.

Smallpox originates from thousands of yearsago and was officially eradicated at the endof the 1970s, but the infectious disease hasonly recently been downgraded as a potentialterror threat.

It emerged last month that the Britishgovernment quietly decided that thepossibility of terrorists using the virus in abiological attack was too far-fetched.

It led to criticism from the sciencecommunity that former prime minister TonyBlair had wasted millions of pounds inpreparing for a threat which seemed unlikelyto materialise.

He spent £79m on smallpox vaccines in2002, a controversial move given that

It was a purchase which was heavilycriticised, not least for the fact that £32m ofthat money went to a company owned byLabour donor Paul Drayson.

By 2005, the Department of Health hadvaccinated 516 volunteers – including 147doctors, 164 nurses and 100 ambulance staff– who would, in theory, have been able todeal with any suspected or confirmed caseof smallpox.

However, reports published in 2006 and2011 suggest that the vaccinationprogramme had floundered and that manyof those vaccinated had not been

revaccinated, which was necessary tomaintain their immunity.

In papers leaked last month which revealedthe terror threat downgrade, ministers saidthat preparations were too expensive,‘unwieldy’ and not ‘proportionate’.


http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/08/could-smal lpox-real ly-be-turned- into-a-b i o l o g i c a l - w e a p o n - b y - t e r r o r i s t s -3585028/


Book Review

Weapons of Mass

Destruction: The

New Face of

Warfare

Chitra Lele (2013),

Pentagon Press,

ISBN: 978-81-8274-709-8,

Price: Rs. 795, Pages: 181.


The author is a ResearchIntern at IDSA, New Delhi.

Summary

The book discusses and highlights thetechnological perspectives on theWMD debates.

In the recent times world has seen amarked geopolitical shift of power due toexponential rise of some of the emerging

economies leading. In order to be perceivedas competitive in such order, a country hasto be economically as well as militarily strongso as to be able to project its power whennecessary. Due to the technologicaladvancement that was accompanied byperception battles on capacity, the post ColdWar era saw significant increase in arms raceas possession of Weapon of Mass Destruction(WMD) became near synonymous withdeterrence. However, the need fordeterrence was soon overpowered byambitions of hegemony and various statesstarted using WMD as a means of projectionof power. The upsurge in the number andsophistication of WMD has altered thesecurity equilibrium of the world; thesituation has become much more complexdue to the use of WMD by non-state actors.The pertinent issue of WMD and the ensuingdebates are the basis of Chitra Lele’s timelyand comprehensive book Weapon of MassDestruction: The new Face of Warfare.

The author primarily takes a technologicalperspective of the WMD debate and explainsthe technical aspects of these weapons in duedetail. The book is divided into five partswhich draw upon various aspects of history,technology and international security policyagenda. The part one talks about history,various jargons of WMDs and internationaltreaties and protocols. The subsequent partsdeal with nuclear, radiological, chemical andbiological weapons, each separately, anddiscuss their types, delivery system,component or chemical use, and variouseffects and responses. In the new phase ofcutting edge technologies, the WMD threatis exceedingly complicated. Acknowledgingthis issue, the book thoroughly highlights the

Jan-Jun 2013 35

vital futuristic ideas that might give a newmakeover to the existing WMD by essentiallydiscussing topics like use of nanotechnology,artificial intelligence, cyber weapons likedigital warfare and economic warfare. It alsoraises important concerns with reference todual-use potential technology such as cyberterrorism and robotics and its impact on thefuture course of WMD.

Each type of weapon technology is explainedin detail focusing on complicated build upsto delivery platforms in a very lucid manner.This gives the reader a concrete idea oftechnological evolution which can multiplythe existing threat. In the last part, theauthor discusses the dynamics of bio andchemical weapons by fundamentallyemphasising various agents that contributeto these kinds of weapons and their potentialto be used not only as weapons but also asagents for agro terrorism. This apprehensionis indeed an important contemporary issuefor global security. Overall, the book is highlyreadable and is a significant addition to theknowledge and understanding of WMD.There are other important economic, socialand political determinants of the WMDdebate, the incorporation of which could havemade this book more useful to the reader.However, at the end of every part the authorhas raised many pertinent questions, theanswer to which could help shape furtherresearch on this subject. Since a full blownnuclear war between the world powers isunlikely, it would have been interesting toknow more about inchoate and uncertainrisks of WMD if they were to fall into thehands of non-state actors and about possiblestand-offs between nuclear-armed regionalpowers that would decide the future of WMDin such cases.

Summer / January-June 2013

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