How to build a nuclear bomb is a timely and sobering book, but it is not exactly what its title suggests. List of books and articles about weapons of mass destruction. Iraqs saddam hussein showed that a determined third world dictator was capable of assembling a potent arsenal of strategic weapons, often with the help of western firms. Tactical nuclear weapons can have the explosive power of a fraction of a kiloton one.
The disintegration of the soviet union has left a vast arsenal of nuclear and chemical weapons scattered across eastern europe and asia. Nuclear weapons can be delivered by artillery, plane, ship, or ballistic missile icbm. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction wmd, and their delivery systems, could have incalculable consequences for national, regional and global security. Freeing the world of nuclear, biological and chemical arms 2006, by weapons of mass destruction commission, contrib. This book is essentially a very good general history of weapons of mass destruction, back to ww i, with a primary emphasis on nuclear weapons, which makes sense since most of the actual development, deployment, and even usetesting has been nuclear for all the major powers. Wmd is a game for 24 players more with combined sets. When the original version of this occasional paper appeared in january 2006. Common sense on weapons of mass destruction by thomas graham. Technologies underlying weapons of mass destruction. The term weapons of mass destruction wmd refers to weapons that can cause multiple. Interpreting the nuclear nonproliferation treaty by daniel h. I also enjoyed the text that accompanies the photographs.
It identities evidence that might indicate the production of weapons of mass destruction, and technical hurdles that might. They can be nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. Extraparliamentary dissent in france and germany 1981. The newest expansion for the awardwinning nuclear war card game is called weapons of mass destruction wmd. Books specifically discussing nuclear weapons or the. It said that proliferation of weapons of mass destruction those weapons categorized as nuclear, chemical or biological posed an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the united states.
Weapons of mass destruction, who contributed to the development of this paper and participated in. Revelations about iraqi, north korean, south african, and israeli nuclear weapon programs, the possibility of a nuclear arms race in south asia, and the multidimensional conflicts in the middle east all point to the immediacy of. An encyclopedia of worldwide policy, technology, and history, james j. Each player represents a major world power and attempts to gain world domination through the strategic use of propaganda techniques or nuclear weapons. Iraq actively researched and later employed weapons of mass destruction wmd from 1962 to 1991, when it destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile and halted its biological and nuclear weapon programs as required by the united nations security council. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Beginning in the mid1930s, japan conducted numerous attempts to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction. Weapons of mass destruction weapon of mass destruction wmd is a term used to describe a munition with the capacity to indiscriminately kill large numbers of living beings.
Nuclear weapons will figure prominently in the deterrence strategies of a num. Project muse common sense on weapons of mass destruction. In particular, nucleararmed states are relying ever more heavily on dualuse weapons, which can accommodate nuclear or nonnuclear warheads, thus exacerbating the risk that one side might wrongly. Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, or weapons of mass destruction. These rundown bases, with poorly paid security personnel, are an open invitation to terrorists or the agents of any state with the money and determination to obtain weapons of mass destruction. As is the case with emerging nuclear powers that mentioned earlier, if an intended political objective can be achieved by the use of nuclear weapons against rogue states, the nuclear nonproliferation regime could be put in jeopardy.
A weapon of mass destruction wmd is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous. Nuclear arms can easily be classified as weapons of mass destruction, as they destroy all ecosystems that come in contact with it in a matter of seconds, this fairly new and evolving breed of warfare is continuously becoming a bigger threat to society due to the fact that. It begins with a history of the ancient and medieval use in warfare of biological weapons and goes on to explain how governments and terrorist factions have refined this practice to include biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons as a means of. Nuclear arms are weapons of mass destruction 1657 words 7 pages. Nuclear power and nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
Download this chapter pdf or read more about world opinion on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Modern weapons of mass destruction are either nuclear, biological, or chemical weaponsfrequently referred to. Industry, the council for the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the national nuclear regulator, denel and the university of the free state. Nuclear weapons volume 2 di weapons of mass destruction. For patriots like billy sinclair, the iraq war started o. Weapons of mass destruction, it suggested, should be defined to include atomic explosive weapons, radioactive material weapons, lethal chemical and biological weapons, and any weapons developed in the future which have characteristics comparable in destructive effect to those of the atomic bomb or other weapons mentioned above. The term weapons of mass destruction wmd refers to weapons that can cause multiple deaths and severe damage to over a short period of time. Weapons of mass destruction this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic. Joint hearing before the subcommittees on europe and the middle east and international security, international organizations, and human rights of the committee on foreign affairs, house of representatives, one hundred third congress, first session, june 29, 1993 washington. Weapons of mass destruction introduction video youtube. The potential effects of wmd proliferation on nato allies are one of the greatest threats nato.
The 1943 battle of changde saw japanese use of both bioweapons and chemical weapons, and the japanese conducted a serious, though futile, nuclear weapon program since world war ii, the united states military based nuclear and chemical weapons. Nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction 1079. Books specifically discussing nuclear weapons or the general discussion of arms control and deterrence are much more numerous, largely due to. Nuclear weapons are the archetypal weapons of mass destruction wmds. Weapons of mass destruction and millions of other books are available for. United nations weapons of mass destruction nuclear, biological and chemical have plagued the human race since their invention and they still pose a threat today. Much of it is technically focused on describing the dangerous nature of chemical and biological warfare agents or the historical use of said weapons in the past. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. There is an enormous history of technical aspects of nuclear weapons, including the basic phenomena involved in their operation, their effects, stockpiles, delivery systems, and means of commanding and controlling nuclear weaponry, including agreements and treaties. The minimum critical mass of fissile material that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction depends on the density, shape, and type of fissile material, as. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. The top secret history of americas nuclear, chemical and biological warfare programs and their deployment overseas online primary source. Made infamous during world war ii and by movies such as the sum of all fears paramount pictures, 2002, these weapons explode above or on the ground, causing damage arising from contact with displaced objects, followed by a fireball, concussion, and fallout.
Nuclear weapons of mass destruction 1057 words 5 pages. During the next decade, proliferation will remain most acute in some of the worlds most volatile regions. Comprehensive and timely, weapons of mass destruction is focused firmly upon the security challenges that wmd, nuclear and non nuclear, pose to the 21 st century. They are now the justification for preemptive war, for an expansion of the cold war nuclear.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the middle east has become a major concern to western nations, and is likely to become the security problem of the 1990s. Critical mass chain reactions when a large enough mass of either 235u or 239pu is assembled, a selfsustaining chain reaction results after the first fission is produced. The fifth president of iraq, saddam hussein, was internationally condemned for his use of chemical weapons during the 1980s campaign against. Nuclear weapons produce large explosions and hazardous radioactive byproducts by means of either nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. In different sources the phrase may be seen as nbc nuclear, biological and chemical weapons or cbr chemical, bacteriological and radiological weapons. In a straightforward and comprehensible style, graham concisely provides the background necessary to understand the news and opinions surrounding wmds, with accessible, uptodate facts on nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism, chemical and biological weapons, land mines and small arms, missile defense and wmds in outer space, and wmds in the middle east and. Since the end of the cold war, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has become much more prominent in u. Many of these topics are treated in papers and speeches on. The challenges of nuclear nonproliferation weapons of.
The information about the nonusaussr powers is worth the price of admission. So far, the only use of nuclear weapons for the purpose of warfare was the usas use of atomic bombs in japan during the events of world war 2. Weapons of mass destruction provides an objective analysis of a subject easily distorted by fear. A definite book for historians and collectors of the details of nuclear history. Biological warfare chemical warfare nuclear weapon radiological.
They are nonfiction books which relate to uranium mining, nuclear weapons andor nuclear power american prometheus. In contrast to other transnational security challenges, the united nations has a long history of involvement with efforts to combat the danger posed by weapons of mass destruction. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the challenges of nuclear non proliferation weapons of mass destruction. Obviously, one of the main arguments against the possession and use of nuclear weapons is their devastating effect on both the people and the environment. The united states nuclear and nonnuclear weapons are. It presents a finelyjudged account of the successive phases of nuclear history, blending wellgrounded historical summaries with acute policy commentary. Nuclear weapons volume 2 of weapons of mass destruction. Affordable and search from millions of royalty free images, photos and vectors. Weapon of mass destruction wmd, weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale and so indiscriminately that its very presence in the hands of a hostile power can be considered a grievous threat. The search for global security and millions of other. When looking for books on the general category of weapons of mass destruction, theres not a lot of original, insightful literature. On november 14, 1994 president clinton signed executive order number 12938 which declared a national emergency. An introduction to the weapons of mass destruction.
The challenges of nuclear non proliferation joins others in rowman and littlefields weapons of mass destruction series to survey the many aspects of non proliferation agreements and how they work or dont work. Iraqs nuclear weapons capability and iaea inspections in iraq. Opinion on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Weapons of mass destruction board game boardgamegeek. The challenges of nuclear non proliferation weapons of mass destruction kindle edition by burns, richard dean, coyle, hon. Although it does indeed outline the technical requirements necessary for building a nuclear bomb and the other main wmd weapons of mass destruction, the details necessary for manufacturing such devices have long been. Challenges of nuclear weapon detonations for united.
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