Chemical Warfare

The first treaty to control the use of chemical weapons was negotiated in 1925 and subsequently signed by the representatives of 132 nations. This Geneva Protocol was stimulated by the horrific uses of chemical weapons during World War I, and it banned the use of asphyxiating, poisonous, or other gases, as well as bacteriological methods of warfare. In spite of their having signed this treaty, it is well known that all major nations subsequently engaged in research towards the development of new, more effective chemical and bacteriological weapons.

In 1993, negotiators for various nations finalized the Chemical Weapons Convention, which would require the destruction of all chemical weapons within 10–15 years of the ratification of the treaty. This treaty has been signed by 147 nations but is not yet being enforced. The Chemical Weapons Convention is an actual pact to achieve a disarmament of chemical weapons; however, its effectiveness depends on its ratification by all countries having significant stockpiles of chemical weapons, their subsequent good faith actions in executing the provisions of the treaty, and the effectiveness of the associated international monitoring program to detect non-compliance.

It is important to understand that the destruction of existing chemical weapons will not be an inexpensive activity. It has been estimated that it could cost $16–20 billion just to safely destroy the chemical weapons of the United States and Russia.