Chemical Weapons - What's the big deal anyway?

[realpolitic]

Chemical weapons were banned because of their special menace...they kill people so cheaply, they threaten arms dealers' profits.

[Japher]

threaten arms dealers' profits.

[GePap]

I agree with the geenral notion that chemical weapons are not in any way inherently worse than most conventional weapons. The one aspect in whinyou can say they are worse is that they are more likely to main and cause long term health issues than the average piece of hot metal will.

I also agree with the sentiment that cluster munitions that leave small mines lying aorund are inherently more dangerous than some run of the mill bomb and that they are liable to cause great civilian harm in the future.

At the same time, even if the rules are the result of haphazard agreemnts o evr the decades and thus soemwhat starnge, they are the rules, and as for now, chems. are banned, cluster bombs not. The thing to do then is to demand the banning of cluster munitions, not to question whether chemical weapons should be allowed or not.

On another note: every day without the Iraqis using WMD, specially the closer we get to baghdad, the more often I hope people ask this admin., why not? The excuse of WMD and terrorist is how the convinced the majority of Americans to back this enterprise and thy must be held strictly liable if what they said turns out to have been highly deceptive.

[Cyclotron]

Chemical weapons are far more indiscriminate. If you care about hurting civilians, you shouldn't be a chemical wepaons fan. They also have the capability to kill en masse with no chance for surrender, etc., and people find that objectionable.

[Japher]

The excuse of WMD and terrorist is how the convinced the majority of Americans to back this enterprise and thy must be held strictly liable if what they said turns out to have been highly deceptive.

The issue wasn't that he "had" them, but was "developing" them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was even said that these weapons may not be within his borders at the time, but the evidence that they were developing them was.