Weapon of mass destruction
A century after its first-ever use, the original chemical weapon has made a comeback
It’s been exactly 100 years since the world saw the first deadly attack with chemical weapons. The Germans deployed tons of chlorine gas on a sector of the Western front in World War I, causing 6,000 casualties. Now chlorine gas is back on the battlefield, in Syria.
Expansive definition for ‘weapon of mass destruction’ gives prosecutors the power
A potato gun is a WMD. At least, the strict, plain-English definition of a weapon of mass destruction would include the old-fashioned potato gun. Through changes over the years, the definition of a WMD has been broadened — and now prosecutors have all the power when it comes to charging people.
Evidence mounts, indicating Syria may be using chemical weapons
At least three countries are convinced the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons in his country’s ongoing civil war. On Thursday, U.S. officials confirmed they too believed Assad had unleashed sarin gas. But its options are limited.
