Cs gas project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. Mar 02, 2003 the use of chemical weapons such as cs gas for military operations is illegal. Reportedly, however, the usa used cs gas in its caveclearing operations in afghanistan. Some properties of selected lethal and disabling chemicals common name casa registry number, class and properties lysergide bz adamsite cn cs cr cas registry number 50373 6581062 578949 532274 2698411 257078. Despite the subsequent 1972 biologic weapons convention that prohibited production and stockpiling of both chemical and biologic weapons, military use of nitrogen mustards was documented as recently as the 1980 iraniraq war and the 1988 iraqikurd civil war.
Russia expands its chemical arsenal, exposing treatys. However, inasmuch as toxins are chemicals themselves and can have chemical weapons applications, they are automatically covered by the definitions listed above for chemical weapons and toxic chemicals. Other countries are developing their own brand of allegedly nonlethal chemical weapons. For that reason, the protocol was later supplemented by the biological weapons convention bwc of 1972 and the chemical weapons convention cwc of 1993. However, domestic police use of it is legal in many countries. Covid19, or coronavirus, is a novel and serious respiratory virus which impacts the.
Its full name is the convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction. Studies show that tear gas is linked to miscarriage and fetal harm. The article cites the 1993 chemical weapons convention which states the ban on tear gas does not apply to domestic law enforcement. Riot control agents include the ubiquitous tear gas, also known as cs gas, the same blinding, mucus. United states chemical weapons convention web site. According to the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons opcw, the term chemical weapon may also be applied to any toxic chemical or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action. Riot control agents such as tear gas may not be used as a method of warfare chemical weapons convention article 1. Clinical features of exposure to sulphur mustard, nerve agents, and phosgene. Us ratification of the chemical weapons convention case study. C 10 h 5 cln 2 is a substance that is used as a riot control agent and is usually claimed to be nonlethal by the forces who use it. The chemical industry, not surprisingly, was a major source of possible agents, since most of the new chemical warfare agents had initially been. The terms chemical weapons convention and convention mean the convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction, opened for signature on january, 1993. A chemical weapon cw is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. After the second world war, it was again the use of chemical weapons, namely, the use of tear gas and herbicides by the.
Aug 14, 2014 despite its ubiquity across the globe and in united states, tear gas is a chemical agent banned in warfare per the chemical weapons convention of 1993, which set forth agreements signed by nearly. Parties to that treaty that possess toxin weapons agree to destroy them. Chemical weapons convention implementation act of 1998. Use of cs in war is prohibited under the terms of the chemical weapons convention citation needed, signed by most nations in 1993 with all but five other nations signing between 1994 and 1997. However, its misuse as a crowdcontrol tear gas in peacetime is causing significant mortality and morbidity. Hussein had waged a genocidal poison gas war against iraqs restive kurdish minority during the 1980s, president bush hinted that if it ultimately proved necessary to liberate kuwait by force, the united states and its allies could face iraqi attacks with chemical weapons highly toxic chemicals designed to incapacitate or kill. The objective of the chemical weapons convention cwc is to rid the world of. Tear gas is a chemical weapon, and was used as a weapon in the first world war. Convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction.
More than 160 nations have ratified the chemical weapons convention cwc,1 an international arms control and nonproliferation treaty whose aim is a comprehensive ban on chemical weapons. Inspectors found mustard gas and organophosphorus nerve agents, types gb and gf, as well as tabunagent ga cbw news. Global ban on cs gas is needed irish medical times. Tear gas used by dc police grossly unjustified use. That agreement outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. Although the chemical weapons convention cwc prohibits the use of tear gas and pepper spray in warfare, for domestic policing and related uses by state forces, these chemicals are allowed to be used on people and are labeled as riot control agents. Cs is banned from use in war by the 1997 chemical weapons convention signed 1993, as its use could be a trigger for full scale chemical warfare. Jul 05, 2017 the tear gas also known as cs gas and pepper spray are most commonly used nonlethal chemical weapons. The use as a riot control agent is not covered by the treaty. The cwc was adopted by the united nations conference on. Exposure causes a burning sensation and tearing of the eyes to the extent that the subject cannot keep their eyes open, and a burning irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat, resulting in profuse coughing, nasal mucus.
The chemical weapons convention, of 1992 prohibits the use of tear gas for warfare. The chemical weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction along with nuclear and biological, thus making the dreaded nbc nuclear, biological, chemical trinity. The united nations treaty was signed by the united states in the final days of the george h. The agenda for the conference and other information relating to the conference are available through opcw, including a report on the conference. The united states was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the cwc, making it a state party. To save the mankind and the world from these deadly chemicals, an international treaty, known as chemical weapons convention cwc came into the existence in april 1997 234. Unlike earlier attempts to ban chemical weapons, the cwcs scope extends beyond the actual use of chemical weapons. Tear gassing by remote control the web site cannot be found.
Non lethal warfare and the chemical weapons convention. If states parties come to act on differing interpretations of the. Certain confidential business information cbi provided by facilities, trading companies or other persons to bxa on the cwc forms. Moreover, the 1993 international chemical weapons convention, geneva, bans tear gas from use by military forces during war. Fig 1 classification of chemical weapons by persistence and lethality. Aug 26, 2014 the chemical weapons convention did outlaw the use of tear gas in warfare, though that went into effect in 1997, not 1993. Apr, 2021 under the articles of the 1993 chemical weapons convention, tear gas was banned for military warfare use.
Ideally, they would also understand the spirit behind these treaties, and be sensitive to discrepancies between various nations and organizations in their interpretations of these treaties. Sep 05, 2020 the president of the american thoracic society has also called for a moratorium on cs tear gas and oc pepper weapons, such as pepper spray, given the lack of crucial research, the escalation of. The chemical weapons convention declaration and report handbook. Chemical weapons and chemical weapons convention cwc. Tear gass impact on protestors reproductive systems. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, biological warfare and radiological warfare, which together make up cbrn, the military acronym for nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare or weapons, all of which are considered weapons of mass destruction wmds. Tear gas used by dc police grossly unjustified use of. Chemical weapons convention cwc, formally convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction, international treaty that bans the use of chemical weapons in war and prohibits all development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or transfer of such weapons. The turkish company mke, for instance, builds the 120mm cs gas mortar round pictured. Us prepares to use toxic gases in iraq the independent. The chemical weapons convention of 1997, drafted by the united kingdom and ratified by the united states, declares each state party undertakes not to use riot control agents as a method of warfare. But the language used to exempt other lawenforcement purposes has created an ambiguity in the heart of the convention. Geneva protocol us department of state state department. The 1993 chemical weapons convention doesnt apply to domestic law enforcement.
The us is preparing to use the toxic riotcontrol agents cs gas and pepper spray in iraq in contravention of the chemical weapons convention, provoking the first split in the anglous alliance. In 1966 the communist countries strongly criticized the united states for using tear gas and chemical herbicides in vietnam. At the 1993 chemical weapons convention, countries. Riot control agents bournemouth university research online. I this act refers to only a portion of the public law. Its true tear gas is a chemical weapon banned in war. Cs was discovered by two americans, ben carson and roger staughton in 1928, the first letters of the scientists surnames giving us the name of the substance, cs. On april 29, 1997, the convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction, known as the cwc or chemical weapons treaty, entered into force. A cbrne command performs a critical role in countering weapons of mass destruction cwmd and wmd elimination and integrates, coordinates. The chemical weapons convention declaration and report.
Its inspection revealed a chemical weapons factory united nations, 1991. Chemical industry box 2abanning chemical warfare chemical warfare has been a scourge of the 20th century. The 1925 geneva protocol is not specific enough about the use of irritating agents, such as tear gas in war. The chemical weapons convention of 1997, to which the united states is a party, states, each state party undertakes not to use riot control agents as a method of warfare. Feb 11, 2010 arent chemical weapons like tear gas illegal. Chemical weapons convention cwc, international treaty that bans the use of chemical weapons in war and prohibits all development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or transfer of such weapons. Black lives matter why is tear gas banned in war but not. The chemical weapons convention in no way limits use of tear gas or other temporarily disabling chemicals by police forces for purposes of domestic riot control. The chemical weapons convention implementation act of 1998 defines confidential business information for purposes of cwc declarations, reports, notifications, and inspections.
May 05, 2012 as a result, it is common for signatory states to the chemical weapons convention to stockpile, develop and produce riotcontrol agents such as tear gas, as long as it. Nov 08, 2007 the use of chemical weapons such as cs gas for military operations is illegal. It outlaws the production, stockpiling or research on offensive lethal chemical weapons. Nov 15, 2018 the chemical weapons convention is one of the most successful arms control treaties in existence.
None of the belligerents believed that the use of irritant gases violated the hague convention of 1899 which prohibited the use of poison or poisoned weapons in warfare. The cwc stipulates that these chemical weapons must have effects that disappear shortly after exposure, meaning no longterm health effects. Under the chemical weapons convention 1993, there is a legally binding, worldwide ban on the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their. Destruction must be finished not later than 10 years after entry into force of the convention arts iv. It was drafted at the 1925 geneva conference as part of a series of measures designed to. The chemical weapons convention and riot control agents. Weapons convention, and the 1993 chemical weapons convention. Jun 10, 2020 at the 1993 chemical weapons convention, countries came to the compromise that law enforcement could continue to use tear gas to disperse riots. C 10 h 5 cln 2, a cyanocarbon, is the defining component of tear gas commonly referred to as cs gas, which is used as a riot control agent. A chemical weapon cw is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict. Convention on the prohibition of the development, production. Tear gas is more dangerous than most realise and should be. Developing, producing, acquiring, retaining or transferring chemical weapons using chemical weapons. Application of the chemical weapons convention to the regulation of rca means.
Geneva gas protocol, in full protocol for the prohibition of the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of bacteriological methods of warfare, in international law, treaty signed in 1925 by most of the worlds countries banning the use of chemical and biological weapons in warfare. The united states code is meant to be an organized, logical compilation of the laws passed by congress. Pdf tear gasharassing agent or toxic chemical weapon. It stated that all chemical and biological weapons including tear gas and. A resource of information about chemical weapons and the chemical weapons convention cwc includes extensive material in html and pdf format, links to other sites related to the cwc, and access to the webdesi application used by u. The reasoning was that once you use tear gas in a battle, the fight will escalate to. Bush administration and ratified under the clinton administration in 1997, the arms control association reports. As of february 2017, 192 nations have ratified the cwc.
Under the chemical weapons convention cwc chemicals are divided into three groups. Convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction, paris january 1993. The two conventions include provision for assistance in the event of attack or threat. Poisonous or other gases, and of bacteriological methods of warfare, geneva, 17 june. The cwc was adopted by the united nations conference on disarmament on september 3, 1992, and the. During world war i, various forms of tear gas were used in combat and tear gas was the most common form of chemical weapon used. Under the chemical weapons convention 1993, there is. The 1993 chemical weapons convention cwc is the most recent arms control agreement with the force of international law. Legal aspects of the geneva protocol of 1925 american journal of. Chemical weapons convention organisation for the prohibition of. However, some countries argued that if police couldnt use tear gas, theyd be forced to resort to more lethal weapons to quell uprisings. As of 2016, cs gas and pepper spray remain in common use for policing and riot control. Crowley, regulation of riot control agents and incapacitants under the chemical weapons convention, research paper, 2011.
Use of cs in war is prohibited under the terms of the chemical weapons convention, signed by most nations in 1993 with all but five other nations signing between 1994 and 1997. After 1945, these systematic surveys continued, together with a search for novel agents based on advances in biochemistry, toxicology and pharmacology. The prohibition of chemical weapons contained in the cwc has different aspects. Jun 06, 2020 chemical weapons convention and 1925 geneva protocol, ban use of tear gas in warfare the 1925 geneva protocol categorized tear gas as a chemical warfare agent and banned its use in war shortly.
Bahrains unprecedented use of toxic chemical agents against civilians, august 2012. The first chemical warfare agentchlorine gas was introduced on the battlefield by germany in 1915 during world war 1. Chemical weapons convention implementing legislation. The widespread use of asphyxiating gas during world war i ushered in a new era of humaninflicted mass destruction and greatly alarmed the international community. Nerve gas, tear gas and pepper spray are three modern examples of chemical weapons. Thus, after senator borah, the floor manager of the treaty, assured senator james reed that the geneva protocol did not apply to the use of tear gas by the police. The compound 2chlorobenzalmalononitrile also called ochlorobenzylidene malononitrile. Cs gas, 2chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, is a chemical weapon that is banned in warfare by the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons opcw under the chemical weapons convention, 1993. Weapons convention, with the support of vice president al gore and former.
Chemical warfare cw involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. At its top level, it divides the world of legislation into fifty topicallyorganized titles, and each title is further subdivided into any number of logical subtopics. Today, the chemical agent is most commonly used by police at demonstrations, though the aclu has also documented border patrol agents using it against families and children seeking asylum. Management of the effects of exposure to tear gas the bmj.
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