Weapon of mass destruction

Not to be confused withWeapons of Mass Destruction(album),Weapons of Mass Distortion,orWeapons of Mass Distraction.

Aweapon of mass destruction(WMD) is abiological,chemical,radiological,nuclear,or any otherweaponthat can kill or significantly harm many people or cause great damage toartificialstructures (e.g., buildings),naturalstructures (e.g., mountains), or thebiosphere.The scope and usage of the term has evolved and been disputed, often signifying more politically than technically. Originally coined in reference toaerial bombingwithchemical explosivesduringWorld War II,it has later come to refer to large-scale weaponry ofwarfare-related technologies, such asbiological,chemical,radiological,ornuclear warfare.

On July 20, 1956, atBikini Atoll,the 5-megaton-yieldthermonuclear weaponRedwing Tewa was detonated.

Early uses of this term

The first use of the term "weapon of mass destruction" on record is byCosmo Gordon Lang,Archbishop of Canterbury,in 1937 in reference to the aerialbombing of Guernica,Spain:

Who can think at this present time without a sickening of the heart of the appalling slaughter, the suffering, the manifold misery brought by warto Spainandto China?Who can think without horror of what another widespread war would mean, waged as it would be with all the new weapons of mass destruction?

At the time,nuclear weaponshad not been developed. Japan conducted research onbiological weapons(seeUnit 731),andchemical weaponshad seen wide battlefield use inWorld War I.Their use was outlawed by theGeneva Protocolof 1925.Italy usedmustard agentagainst civilians and soldiersin Ethiopia in 1935–36.

Following theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasakithat endedWorld War IIand during theCold War,the term came to refer more to non-conventional weapons.The application of the term to specifically nuclear andradiological weaponsis traced byWilliam Safireto the Russian phrase "Оружие массового поражения" –oruzhiye massovogo porazheniya(weapon of mass destruction).

William SafirecreditsJames Goodby(of theBrookings Institution) with tracing what he considers the earliest known English-language use soon after the nuclear bombing ofHiroshimaandNagasaki(although it is not quite verbatim): a communique from a 15 November 1945, meeting ofHarry Truman,Clement AttleeandMackenzie King(probably drafted byVannevar Bush,as Bush claimed in 1970) referred to "weapons adaptable to mass destruction."

Safire saysBernard Baruchused that exact phrase in 1946 (in a speech at the United Nations probably written byHerbert Bayard Swope).The phrase found its way into the very first resolution the United Nations General assembly adopted in January 1946 in London, which used the wording "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other weapons adaptable to mass destruction."The resolution also created theAtomic Energy Commission(predecessor of theInternational Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)).

An exact use of this term was given in a lecture titled "Atomic Energyas a Contemporary Problem "byJ. Robert Oppenheimer.He delivered the lecture to theForeign Serviceand theState Department,on 17 September 1947.

It is a very far reaching control which would eliminate the rivalry between nations in this field, which would prevent the surreptitious arming of one nation against another, which would provide some cushion of time before atomic attack, and presumably therefore before any attack with weapons of mass destruction, and which would go a long way toward removing atomic energy at least as a source of conflict between the powers.

The term was also used in the introduction to the hugely influential U.S. government document known asNSC 68written in 1950.

During a speech atRice Universityon 12 September 1962, PresidentJohn F. Kennedyspoke of not filling space "with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding."The following month, during a televised presentation about theCuban Missile Crisison 22 October 1962, Kennedy made reference to "offensive weapons of sudden mass destruction."

An early use of the exact phrase in aninternational treatyis in theOuter Space Treatyof 1967, but the treaty provides no definition of the phrase,and the treaty also categorically prohibits the stationing of "weapons" and the testing of "any type of weapon" in outer space, in addition to its specific prohibition against placing in orbit, or installing on celestial bodies, "any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction."

Evolution of its use

During theCold War,the term "weapons of mass destruction" was primarily a reference to nuclear weapons. At the time, in theWestthe euphemism "strategic weapons"was used to refer to the American nuclear arsenal. However, there is no precise definition of the" strategic "category, neither considering range noryield of the nuclear weapon.

Subsequent toOperation Opera,the destruction of a pre-operational nuclear reactor inside Iraq by the Israeli Air Force in 1981, the Israeli prime minister,Menachem Begin,countered criticism by saying that "on no account shall we permit an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against the people of Israel." This policy of pre-emptive action against real or perceived weapons of mass destruction became known as theBegin Doctrine.

The term "weapons of mass destruction" continued to see periodic use, usually in the context of nucleararms control;Ronald Reaganused it during the 1986Reykjavík Summit,when referring to the 1967Outer Space Treaty.Reagan's successor,George H. W. Bush,used the term in a 1989 speech to the United Nations, primarily in reference to chemical arms.

The end of the Cold War reduced U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons as a deterrent, causing it to shift its focus to disarmament. With the 1990invasion of Kuwaitand 1991Gulf War,Iraq's nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs became a particular concern of the firstBush Administration.Following the war,Bill Clintonand other western politicians and media continued to use the term, usually in reference to ongoing attempts to dismantleIraq's weapons programs.

In early 2019, more than 90% of the world's 13,865nuclear weaponswere owned by Russia and the United States.

After the11 September 2001 attacksand the2001 anthrax attacksin the United States, an increased fear of nonconventional weapons andasymmetric warfaretook hold in many countries. The fear reached a crescendo with the 2002Iraq disarmament crisisand thealleged existenceof weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that became the primary justification for the2003 invasion of Iraq;however, American forces found none in Iraq. They found old stockpiles of chemical munitions includingsarinandmustard agents,but all were considered to be unusable because of corrosion or degradation.Iraq, however, declared a chemical weapons stockpile in 2009 which U.N. personnel had secured after the 1991 Gulf War. The stockpile contained mainly chemical precursors, but some munitions remained usable.

Because of its prolific use and (worldwide) public profile during this period, theAmerican Dialect Societyvoted "weapons of mass destruction" (and its abbreviation, "WMD" ) theword of the yearin 2002,and in 2003Lake Superior State Universityadded WMD to its list of terms banished for "Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness" (and "as a card that trumps all forms of aggression" ).

In itscriminal complaintagainst the main suspect of theBoston Marathonbombing of 15 April 2013, theFBIrefers to apressure-cookerimprovisedbombas a "weapon of mass destruction."

There have been calls to classify at least some classes ofcyber weaponsas WMD, in particular those aimed to bring about large-scale (physical) destruction, such as by targetingcritical infrastructure.However, some scholars have objected to classifying cyber weapons as WMD on the grounds that they "cannot [currently] directly injure or kill human beings as efficiently as guns or bombs" or clearly "meet the legal and historical definitions" of WMD.

Definitions of the term

United States

Strategic definition

The most widely used definition of "weapons of mass destruction" is that ofnuclear,biological,orchemical weapons(NBC) although there is notreatyor customaryinternational lawthat contains an authoritative definition. Instead, international law has been used with respect to the specific categories of weapons within WMD, and not to WMD as a whole. While nuclear, chemical and biological weapons are regarded as the three major types of WMDs,some analysts have argued that radiological materials as well as missile technology and delivery systems such as aircraft and ballistic missiles could be labeled as WMDs as well.

However, there is an argument that nuclear and biological weapons do not belong in the same category as chemical and "dirty bomb"radiological weapons, which have limited destructive potential (and close to none, as far as property is concerned), whereas nuclear and biological weapons have the unique ability to kill large numbers of people with very small amounts of material, and thus could be said to belong in a class by themselves.

The NBC definition has also been used in official U.S. documents, by theU.S. President,theU.S. Central Intelligence Agency,theU.S. Department of Defense,and theU.S. Government Accountability Office.

Other documents expand the definition of WMD to also include radiological orconventional weapons.TheU.S. militaryrefers to WMD as:

Chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons capable of a high order of destruction or causing mass casualties and exclude the means of transporting or propelling the weapon where such means is a separable and divisible part from the weapon. Also called WMD.

This may also refer to nuclearICBMs(intercontinental ballistic missiles).

Protest in Amsterdam against the deployment ofPershing IImissiles in Europe, 1981

The significance of the wordsseparable and divisible part of the weaponis that missiles such as thePershing IIand theSCUDare considered weapons of mass destruction, while aircraft capable of carrying bombloads are not.

In 2004, the United Kingdom'sButler Reviewrecognized the "considerable and long-standing academic debate about the proper interpretation of the phrase 'weapons of mass destruction'".The committee set out to avoid the general term but when using it, employed the definition ofUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 687,which defined the systems which Iraq was required to abandon:

• "Nuclear weapons or nuclear-weapons-usable material or any sub-systems or components or any research, development, support or manufacturing facilities relating to [nuclear weapons].
• Chemical and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all related subsystems and components and all research, development, support and manufacturing facilities.
• Ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometres and related major parts, and repair and production facilities. "

Chemical weapons expert Gert G. Harigel considers only nuclear weapons true weapons of mass destruction, because "only nuclear weapons are completely indiscriminate by their explosive power, heat radiation and radioactivity, and only they should therefore be called a weapon of mass destruction". He prefers to call chemical and biological weapons "weapons of terror" when aimed against civilians and "weapons of intimidation" for soldiers.

Testimony of one such soldier expresses the same viewpoint.For a period of several months in the winter of 2002–2003,U.S. Deputy Secretary of DefensePaul Wolfowitzfrequently used the term "weapons of mass terror", apparently also recognizing the distinction between the psychological and the physical effects of many things currently falling into the WMD category.

Gustavo Bell Lemus,the Vice President ofColombia,at 9 July 2001United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Armsand Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, quoted theMillennium Reportof theUN Secretary-Generalto theGeneral Assembly,in whichKofi Annansaid thatsmall armscould be described as WMD because the fatalities they cause "dwarf that of all other weapons systems – and in most years greatly exceed the toll of the atomic bombs that devastatedHiroshimaandNagasaki".

An additional condition often implicitly applied to WMD is that the use of the weapons must be strategic. In other words, they would be designed to "have consequences far outweighing the size and effectiveness of the weapons themselves".The strategic nature of WMD also defines their function in the military doctrine oftotal waras targeting the means a country would use to support and supply its war effort, specifically its population, industry, and natural resources.

Within U.S.civil defenseorganizations, the category is nowChemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive(CBRNE), which defines WMD as:

(1) Anyexplosive,incendiary,poison gas,bomb,grenade,orrockethaving apropellantcharge of more than four ounces [113 g],missilehaving an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce [7 g], ormineor device similar to the above. (2) Poison gas. (3) Any weapon involving a disease organism. (4) Any weapon that is designed to releaseradiationat a level dangerous to human life.

Military definition

For the general purposes of national defense,the U.S. Codedefines a weapon of mass destruction as:

• any weapon or device that is intended, or has the capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people through the release, dissemination, or impact of:
  • toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors
  • a disease organism
  • radiation or radioactivity

For the purposes of the prevention of weaponsproliferation,the U.S. Code defines weapons of mass destruction as "chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, and chemical, biological, and nuclear materials used in the manufacture of such weapons".

Criminal (civilian) definition

For the purposes of U.S.criminal lawconcerning terrorism,weapons of mass destruction are defined as:

• any "destructive device" defined as any explosive, incendiary, orpoison gas– bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or device similar to any of the devices described in the preceding clauses
• any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors
• any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector
• any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life

TheFederal Bureau of Investigation's definition is similar to that presented above from the terrorism statute:

• any "destructive device" as defined in Title 18 USC Section 921: any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas – bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or device similar to any of the devices described in the preceding clauses
• any weapon designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors
• any weapon involving a disease organism
• any weapon designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life
• any device or weapon designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury by causing a malfunction of or destruction of an aircraft or other vehicle that carries humans or of an aircraft or other vehicle whose malfunction or destruction may cause said aircraft or other vehicle to cause death or serious bodily injury to humans who may be within range of the vector in its course of travel or the travel of its debris.

Indictments and convictions for possession and use of WMD such as truck bombs,pipe bombs,shoe bombs,and cactus needles coated with a biological toxinhave been obtained under 18 USC 2332a.

As defined by 18 USC §2332 (a), a Weapon of Mass Destruction is:

• (A) any destructive device as defined in section 921 of the title;
• (B) any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors;
• (C) any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector (as those terms are defined in section 178 of this title); or
• (D) any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life;

Under the same statute, conspiring, attempting, threatening, or using a Weapon of Mass Destruction may be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, and if resulting in death, be punishable by death or by imprisonment for any terms of years or for life. They can also be asked to pay a maximum fine of $250,000.

The Washington Postreported on 30 March 2006: "Jurors asked the judge in the death penalty trial ofZacarias Moussaouitoday to define the term 'weapons of mass destruction' and were told it includes airplanes used as missiles ". Moussaoui was indicted and tried for conspiracy to both destroy aircraft and use weapons of mass destruction, among others.

The survivingBoston Marathon bombingperpetrator,Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,was charged in June 2013 with the federal offense of "use of a weapon of mass destruction" after he and his brotherTamerlan Tsarnaevallegedly placed crude shrapnel bombs, made from pressure cookers packed with ball bearings and nails, near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. He was convicted in April 2015. The bombing resulted in three deaths and at least 264 injuries.

International law

See also:Arms controlandList of weapons of mass destruction treaties

The development and use of WMD is governed by several internationalconventions and treaties.

Treaty	Date signed	Date of entry into force	Number of states parties	Objective
Geneva Protocol	17 June 1925	8 February 1928	145	Ban the use of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflicts
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty	5 August 1963	10 October 1963	126 (list)	Ban allnuclear weapons testsexcept for those conducted underground
Outer Space Treaty	27 January 1967	10 October 1967	111	Ban stationing of WMD in space
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT)	1 July 1968	5 March 1970	190 (list)	1. prevent nuclear proliferation; 2. promote nuclear disarmament; 3. promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy
Seabed Arms Control Treaty	11 February 1971	18 May 1972	94	Ban stationing of WMD on the ocean floor
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty(CTBT)	10 September 1996	Not in force	176 (list)	Ban all nuclear weapons tests
Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention(BWC)	10 April 1972	26 March 1975	184 (list)	Comprehensively banbiological weapons
Chemical Weapons Convention(CWC)	3 September 1992	29 April 1997	193 (list)	Comprehensively banchemical weapons
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons(TPNW)	20 September 2017	22 January 2021	68 (list)	Comprehensively bannuclear weapons

Use, possession, and access

Nuclear weapons

Main articles:Nuclear warfareandList of states with nuclear weapons

US and Russian nuclear stockpiles, 1945 to 2014

Nuclear weapons use the energy inside of an atom's nucleus to create massive explosions. This goal is achieved through nuclear fission and fusion.

Nuclear fission is when the nucleus of an atom is split into smaller nuclei. This process can be induced by shooting a neutron at the nucleus of an atom. When the neutron is absorbed by the atom, it becomes unstable, causing it to split and release energy.Modern nuclear weapons start this process by detonating chemical explosives around a pit of either uranium-235 or plutonium-239 metal.The force from this detonation is directed inwards, causing the pit of uranium or plutonium to compress to a dense point. Once the uranium/plutonium is dense enough, neutrons are then injected. This starts a fission chain reaction also known as an atomic explosion.

Nuclear fusion is essentially the opposite of fission. It is the fusing together of nuclei, not the splitting of it. When exposed to extreme pressure and temperature, some lightweight nuclei can fuse together and form heavier nuclei, releasing energy in the process.Interestingly, fusion weapons (also known as “thermonuclear” or “hydrogen” weapons) use the fission process to initiate fusion. Fusion weapons use the energy released from a fission explosion to fuse hydrogen isotopes together.The energy released from these weapons creates a fireball, which reaches tens of million degrees. A temperature of this magnitude is similar to the temperature found at center of the sun, so it shouldn't be any surprise to learn that the sun runs on fusion as well.

The only country to have used a nuclear weapon in war is theUnited States,whichdropped two atomic bombson the Japanese cities ofHiroshimaandNagasakiduring World War II.

At the start of 2023, nine states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) and Israel—together possessed approximately 12 512 nuclear weapons, of which 9576 were considered to be potentially operationally available. An estimated 3844 of these warheads were deployed with operational forces, including about 2000 that were kept in a state of high operational alert—the same number as the previous year.

Global nuclear weapon numbers, 2023

South Africadeveloped a small nuclear arsenal in the 1980s but disassembled them in the early 1990s, making it the only country to have fully given up an independently developed nuclear weapons arsenal.Belarus,Kazakhstan,andUkraineinherited stockpiles of nuclear arms following the break-up of theSoviet Union,but relinquished them to the Russian Federation.

Countries where nuclear weapons are deployed throughnuclear sharingagreements include Belgium,Germany,Italy, theNetherlands,andTurkey.

Biological weapons

Main articles:Biological warfareandBiological weapons

The Biological Weapons Convention

Thehistory of biological warfaregoes back at least to theMongolsiege of Caffain 1346 and possibly much farther back to antiquity.It is believed that theAncient Greekscontaminated their adversaries' wells by placing animal corpses in them.However, only by the turn of the 20th century did advances inmicrobiologyallow for the large-scale weaponization of pathogens. DuringFirst World War,German military attempted to introduce anthrax into Allied livestock. InSecond World War,Japan conducted aerial attacks on China using fleas carrying the bubonic plague.During the 20th century, at least nine states have operated offensive biological weapons programs, includingCanada(1946–1956),France(1921–1972),Iraq(1985–1990s),Japan(1930s–1945),Rhodesia,South Africa(1981–1993),theSoviet Union(1920s–1992),theUnited Kingdom(1934–1956),and theUnited States(1943–1969).

The Japanese biological weapons program, which was run by the secretImperial Japanese ArmyUnit 731during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), became infamous for conducting often fatalhuman experimentson prisoners and producing biological weapons for combat use.TheSoviet Unioncovertly operated the world's largest, longest, and most sophisticated biological weapons program, in violation of its obligations under international law.

International restrictions on biological warfare began with the 1925Geneva Protocol,which prohibits the use but not the possession or development of biological and chemical weapons.Upon ratification of the Geneva Protocol, several countries madereservationsregarding its applicability and use in retaliation.Due to these reservations, it was in practice a "no-first-use"agreement only.The 1972Biological Weapons Convention(BWC) supplements the Geneva Protocol by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological weapons.Having entered into force on 26 March 1975, the BWC was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.As of March 2021,183 states have become party to the treaty.

Chemical weapons

Main article:Chemical warfare

Chemical weapons have been used around the world by various civilizations since ancient times. The oldest reported case of a chemical substance being used as a weapon was in 256 AD during the siege ofDura-Europos.A mixture of tar and sulfur was used to produce sulfur oxides, which helped take control of the city.In the industrial era, chemical weapons were used extensively by both sides duringWorld War I,and by the Axis powers duringWorld War II(both in battle and in extermination campgas chambers) though Allied powers also stockpiled them.

International restrictions on chemical warfare began with theHague Conventions of 1899 and 1907,and was expanded significantly by the 1925Geneva Protocol.These treaties prohibited the use of poisons or chemical agents in international warfare, but did not place restrictions on development or weapon stockpiles. Since 1997, theChemical Weapons Convention (CWC)has expanded restrictions to prohibit any use and development of chemical weapons except for very limited purposes (research, medical, pharmaceutical or protective). As of 2018, a handful of countries have known inventories, and many are in the process of being safely destroyed.Nonetheless, proliferation and use in war zones remains an active concern, most recently theuse of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War.

Countries with known or possible chemical weapons, as of 2021

Nation	CW Possession	Signed CWC	Ratified CWC
Albania	Eliminated, 2007	January 14, 1993	May 11, 1994
China	Probable	January 13, 1993	April 4, 1997
Egypt	Probable	No	No
India	Eliminated, 2009	January 14, 1993	September 3, 1996
Iran	Possible	January 13, 1993	November 3, 1997
Iraq	Eliminated, 2018	January 13, 2009	February 12, 2009
Israel	Probable	January 13, 1993	No
Japan	Probable	January 13, 1993	September 15, 1995
Libya	Eliminated, 2014	No	January 6, 2004 (acceded)
Myanmar(Burma)	Possible	January 14, 1993	July 8, 2015
North Korea	Known	No	No
Pakistan	Probable	January 13, 1993	November 27, 1997
Russia	Eliminated, 2017	January 13, 1993	November 5, 1997
Serbia and Montenegro	Probable	No	April 20, 2000 (acceded)
Sudan	Possible	No	May 24, 1999 (acceded)
Syria	Known	No	September 14, 2013 (acceded)
Taiwan	Possible	n/a	n/a
United States	Eliminated, 2023	January 13, 1993	April 25, 1997
Vietnam	Possible	January 13, 1993	September 30, 1998

Ethics and international legal status

Some commentators classify some or all the uses of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons during wartime as awar crime(orcrime against humanityif widespread) because they kill civilians (who are protected by thelaws of war) indiscriminately or are specifically prohibited by international treaties (which have become more comprehensive over time).Proponents of use say that specific uses of such weapons have been necessary for defense or to avoid more deaths in a protracted war.The tactic ofterror bombingfrom aircraft, and generallytargeting citieswitharea bombardmentor saturationcarpet bombinghas also been criticized, defended, and prohibited by treaty in the same way; the destructive effect of conventional saturation bombing is similar to that of a nuclear weapon.

United States politics

Due to the potentially indiscriminate effects of WMD, the fear of a WMD attack has shaped political policies and campaigns, fostered social movements, and has been the central theme of many films. Support for different levels of WMD development and control varies nationally and internationally. Yet understanding of the nature of the threats is not high, in part because of imprecise usage of the term by politicians and the media.

An atomic-bomb blueprint

Fear of WMD, or of threats diminished by the possession of WMD, has long been used to catalyze public support for various WMD policies. They include mobilization of pro- and anti-WMD campaigners alike, and generation of popular political support.The term WMD may be used as a powerfulbuzzwordor to generate aculture of fear.It is also used ambiguously, particularly by not distinguishing among the different types of WMD.

A television commercial calledDaisy,promoting DemocratLyndon Johnson's 1964presidential candidacy,invoked the fear of a nuclear war and was an element in Johnson's subsequent election.

Later, United States' President George W. Bush used the threat of potentialWMD in Iraqas justification for the2003 invasion of Iraq.Broad reference to Iraqi WMD in general was seen as an element of President Bush's arguments.The claim that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) was a major factor that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 byCoalition forces.

Over 500 munitions containing mustard agent and sarin were discovered throughout Iraq since 2003; they were made in the 1980s and are no longer usable as originally intended due to corrosion.

TheAmerican Heritage Dictionarydefines a weapon of mass destruction as: "a weapon that can cause widespread destruction or kill large numbers of people, especially a nuclear, chemical, or biological weapon."In other words, it does not have to be nuclear, biological or chemical (NBC). For example,Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,one of the perpetrators of theBoston Marathon bombing,was charged underUnited Stateslaw 18 U.S.C. 2332Afor using a weapon of mass destructionand that was apressure cooker bomb.In other words, it was a weapon that caused large-scale death and destruction, without being an NBC weapon.

Media coverage

In March 2004, the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) released a reportexamining the media's coverage of WMD issues during three separate periods:nuclear weapons testsby India and Pakistan in May 1998; the U.S. announcement of evidence of aNorth Korean nuclear weapons programin October 2002; and revelations aboutIran's nuclear programin May 2003. The CISSM report argues that poor coverage resulted less from politicalbias among the mediathan from tired journalistic conventions. The report's major findings were that:

1. Most media outlets represented WMD as a monolithic menace, failing to adequately distinguish between weapons programs and actual weapons or to address the real differences among chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons.

2. Most journalists accepted the Bush administration's formulation of the "War on Terror" as a campaign against WMD, in contrast to coverage during the Clinton era, when many journalists made careful distinctions between acts of terrorism and the acquisition and use of WMD.

3. Many stories stenographically reported the incumbent administration's perspective on WMD, giving too little critical examination of the way officials framed the events, issues, threats, and policy options.

4. Too few stories proffered alternative perspectives to official line, a problem exacerbated by the journalistic prioritizing of breaking-news stories and the "inverted pyramid" style of storytelling.

— Susan D. Moeller, Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destruction

In a separate study published in 2005,a group of researchers assessed the effects reports and retractions in the media had on people'smemoryregarding thesearch for WMD in Iraqduring the 2003 Iraq War. The study focused on populations in twocoalitioncountries (Australia and the United States) and one opposed to the war (Germany). Results showed that U.S. citizens generally did not correct initial misconceptions regarding WMD, even following disconfirmation; Australian and German citizens were more responsive to retractions. Dependence on the initial source of information led to a substantial minority of Americans exhibitingfalse memorythat WMD were indeed discovered, while they were not. This led to three conclusions:

1. The repetition of tentative news stories, even if they are subsequently disconfirmed, can assist in the creation of false memories in a substantial proportion of people.
2. Once information is published, its subsequent correction does not alter people's beliefs unless they are suspicious about the motives underlying the events the news stories are about.
3. When people ignore corrections, they do so irrespective of how certain they are that the corrections occurred.

A poll conducted between June and September 2003 asked people whether they thought evidence of WMD had been discovered in Iraq since the war ended. They were also asked which media sources they relied upon. Those who obtained their news primarily from Fox News were three times as likely to believe that evidence of WMD had been discovered in Iraq than those who relied on PBS and NPR for their news, and one third more likely than those who primarily watched CBS.

Media source	Respondents believing evidence of WMD had been found in Iraq
Fox	33%
CBS	23%
NBC	20%
CNN	20%
ABC	19%
Print media	17%
PBS–NPR	11%

Based on a series of polls taken from June–September 2003.

In 2006, Fox News reported the claims of two Republican lawmakers that WMDs had been found in Iraq,based upon unclassified portions of a report by theNational Ground Intelligence Center.Quoting from the report, SenatorRick Santorumsaid "Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent". According to David Kay, who appeared before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee to discuss these badly corroded munitions, they were leftovers, many years old, improperly stored or destroyed by the Iraqis.Charles Duelfer agreed, stating on NPR'sTalk of the Nation:"When I was running the ISG – the Iraq Survey Group – we had a couple of them that had been turned in to these IEDs, the improvised explosive devices. But they are local hazards. They are not a major, you know, weapon of mass destruction."

Later, wikileaks would show that WMDs of these kinds continued to be found as the Iraqi occupation continued.

Many news agencies, including Fox News, reported the conclusions of theCIAthat, based upon the investigation of theIraq Survey Group,WMDs are yet to be found in Iraq.

Public perceptions

Awareness and opinions of WMD have varied during the course of their history. Their threat is a source of unease, security, and pride to different people. The anti-WMD movement is embodied most innuclear disarmament,and led to the formation of the BritishCampaign for Nuclear Disarmamentin 1957.

Anti-nuclear weaponsprotest march in Oxford, 1980

In order to increase awareness of all kinds of WMD, in 2004 the nuclear physicist andNobel Peace PrizewinnerJoseph Rotblatinspired the creation of The WMD Awareness Programmeto provide trustworthy and up to date information on WMD worldwide.

In 1998, theUniversity of New Mexico'sInstitute for Public Policyreleased their third reporton U.S. perceptions – including the general public, politicians and scientists – of nuclear weapons since the breakup of theSoviet Union.Risks of nuclear conflict, proliferation, and terrorism were seen as substantial.

While maintenance of the U.S. nuclear arsenal was considered above average in importance, there was widespread support for a reduction in the stockpile, and very little support for developing and testing new nuclear weapons.

Also in 1998, nuclear weapons became an issue in India's election of March, in relation to political tensions with neighboringPakistan.Prior to the election theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP) announced it would "declare India a nuclear weapon state" after coming to power.

BJP won the elections, and on 14 May, three days after India tested nuclear weapons for the second time, a public opinion poll reported that a majority of Indians favored the country's nuclear build-up.

On 15 April 2004, theProgram on International Policy Attitudes(PIPA) reportedthat U.S. citizens showed high levels of concern regarding WMD, and that preventing thespread of nuclear weaponsshould be "a very important U.S. foreign policy goal", accomplished through multilateral arms control rather than the use of military threats.

A majority also believed the United States should be more forthcoming with its biological research and itsNuclear Non-Proliferation Treatycommitment of nuclear arms reduction.

A Russian opinion poll conducted on 5 August 2005 indicated half the population believed new nuclear powers have the right to possess nuclear weapons.39% believed the Russian stockpile should be reduced, though not eliminated.

In popular culture

Main article:Weapons of mass destruction in popular culture

Weapons of mass destruction and their related impacts have been a mainstay ofpopular culturesince the beginning of theCold War,as both political commentary and humorous outlet. The actual phrase "weapons of mass destruction" has been used similarly and as a way to characterise any powerful force or product since the Iraqi weapons crisis in the lead up to the Coalition invasion of Iraq in 2003.Science-fictionmay introduce novel weapons of mass destruction with much greater yields or impact than anything in reality.

Common hazard symbols

Main article:Hazard symbol

Symbol Type (Toxic, Radioactive or Biohazard)	Symbol	Unicode	Image
Toxicsymbol	☠	U+2620
Radioactivesymbol	☢	U+2622
Biohazardsymbol	☣	U+2623

Radioactive weaponry or hazard symbol

Radioactivity

2007 ISOradioactivitydanger symbol

The international radioactivity symbol (also known astrefoil) first appeared in 1946, at theUniversity of California, BerkeleyRadiation Laboratory. At the time, it was rendered asmagenta,and was set on a blue background.

It is drawn with a central circle of radiusR,the blades having an internal radius of 1.5Rand an external radius of 5R,and separated from each other by 60°.It is meant to represent a radiating atom.

TheInternational Atomic Energy Agencyfound that the trefoil radiation symbol is unintuitive and can be variously interpreted by those uneducated in its meaning; therefore, its role as a hazard warning was compromised as it did not clearly indicate "danger" to many non-Westerners and children who encountered it. As a result of research, a new radiation hazard symbol (ISO 21482) was developed in 2007 to be placed near the most dangerous parts of radiation sources featuring a skull, someone running away, and using a red rather than yellow background.

The red background is intended to convey urgent danger, and the sign is intended to be used on equipment where very strong ionizing radiation can be encountered if the device is dismantled or otherwise tampered with. The intended use of the sign is not in a place where the normal user will see it, but in a place where it will be seen by someone who has started to dismantle a radiation-emitting device or equipment. The aim of the sign is to warn people such as scrap metal workers to stop work and leave the area.

Biological weaponry or hazard symbol

Biohazard

Developed by Dow Chemical company in the 1960s for their containment products.

According to Charles Dullin, an environmental-health engineer who contributed to its development:

"We wanted something that was memorable but meaningless, so we could educate people as to what it means."

See also

• The Bomb (film)– 2015 American documentary film
• CBRN defense
• Commission on the Prevention of WMD proliferation and terrorism
• List of CBRN warfare forces
• Core (game theory)
• Ethnic bioweapon
• Fallout shelter
• Game theory
• Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction
• Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Kinetic bombardment
• List of global issues
• Mutual assured destruction
• NBC suit
• New physical principles weapons
• Nuclear terrorism
• Operations Plus WMD
• Orbital bombardment
• Russia and weapons of mass destruction
• Strategic bombing
• United States and weapons of mass destruction
• Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission

References

Bibliography

• Bentley, Michelle.Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Strategic Use of a Concept(Routledge, 2014.) On the usage of the term in American policy
• Cirincione, Joseph, ed.Repairing the Regime: Preventing the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction(Routledge, 2014)
• Croddy, Eric A. ed.Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Encyclopedia of Worldwide Policy, Technology, and History(2 vol 2004); 1024ppexcerpt
• Curley, Robert, ed.Weapons of Mass Destruction(Britannica Educational Publishing, 2011)
• Graham Jr, Thomas, and Thomas Graham.Common sense on weapons of mass destruction(University of Washington Press, 2011)
• Horowitz, Michael C., and Neil Narang. "Poor Man's atomic bomb? exploring the relationship between" weapons of mass destruction "."Journal of Conflict Resolution(2013)online
• Hutchinson, Robert.Weapons of Mass Destruction: The no-nonsense guide to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons today(Hachette UK, 2011)

Definition and origin

• "WMD: Words of mass dissemination"(12 February 2003),BBC News.
• Bentley, Michelle, "War and/of Worlds: Constructing WMD in U.S. Foreign Policy",Security Studies22 (Jan. 2013), 68–97.
• Michael Evans,"What makes a weapon one of mass destruction?" (6 February 2004),The Times.
• Bruce Schneier,"Definition of 'Weapon of Mass Destruction'"(6 April 2009),Schneier on Security.
• Stefano Felician, Le armi di distruzione di massa, CEMISS, Roma, 2010,[1]

International law

• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540
• David P. Fidler, "Weapons of Mass Destruction and International Law"(February 2003),American Society of International Law.
• Joanne Mariner, "FindLaw Forum: Weapons of mass destruction and international law's principle that civilians cannot be targeted"(20 November 2001), CNN.

Compliance with international WMD regimes

• Lentzos, Filippa (2019)."Compliance and Enforcement in the Biological Weapons Regime".United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research: Weapons of Mass Destruction Control & Enforcement.4.Geneva, Switzerland.doi:10.37559/WMD/19/WMDCE4.
• Trapp, Ralf (2019)."Compliance Management under the Chemical Weapons Convention".United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research: Weapons of Mass Destruction Control & Enforcement.3.Geneva, Switzerland.doi:10.37559/WMD/19/WMDCE3.
• Heinonen, Olli (2020)."IAEA Mechanisms to Ensure Compliance with NPT Safeguards".United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research: Weapons of Mass Destruction Control & Enforcement.2.Geneva, Switzerland.doi:10.37559/WMD/19/WMDCE2.S2CID216424160.

Media

• Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destructionat theWayback Machine(archived 17 February 2006), by Susan D. Moeller, Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland, 2004.
• Memory for fact, fiction, and misinformation,by Stephan Lewandowsky, Werner G.K. Stritzke, Klaus Oberauer, and Michael Morales,Psychological Science,16(3): 190–195, 2005.

Ethics

• Jacob M. Appel,"Is All Fair in Biological Warfare?",Journal of Medical Ethics,June 2009.

Public perceptions

• Steven Kull et al.,Americans on WMD Proliferation(15 April 2004),Program on International Policy Attitudes/Knowledge Networks survey.