Chapter

Weapons of mass destruction : issues and implications for national security lawyers

Todd W. Pennington

U.S. military operations : law, policy, and practice

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2016

p. 757-796 : diagr.

English

This chapter explores the incredibly complex legal and policy challenges presented by Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). It begins by defining WMDs, including their classifications as nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and discussing the use of these weapons in modern warfare. As the use of these weapons has starkly illustrated their devastating capabilities, the chapter outlines the domestic and international attempts to control WMDs. The chapter also discusses the risks posed by WMD proliferation and the framework for responding to any WMD-related incident. The chapter concludes by exploring WMD restrictions in U.S. military operations and reinforcing the call for a robust legal structure to regulate these weapons.

• Full text (restricted access : ICRC)

• U.S. military operations : law, policy, and practice / ed. by Geoffrey S. Corn, Rachel E. VanLandingham and Shane R. Reeves ; foreword by Stanley A. McChrystal