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Chemical Attacks

Technological advancement has led to the development of new types of chemical agents,

which together with existing ones, pose a threat to the United States and the international

community. If I were in charge of a United Nations (UN) commission on examining chemical

agents, I would take several steps to prevent chemical agents from being acquired and used by

terror organizations. The first step would be to promote legal accountability, ensuring that those

who attempt or execute chemical agent attacks are brought to justice. Prosecution of chemical

terrorism perpetrators will serve as a deterrence to those who may have similar motives.

However, prosecution is not enough. The second step would be to put in place stringent controls

to ensure that chemical agents are handled by authorized people and for the intended purpose.

Some of the controls include restricted access to facilities where the chemical agents are stored,

accountability on how the chemical agents are used, and investigating near-miss incidents at

facilities hosting the chemical agents.

Acquisition of chemical agents by terrorists might affect international politics in various

ways. For instance, it might lead to hostilities among nations that suspect each other of planning

chemical attacks. When a terrorist organization stages a chemical attack on a country, the

affected nation often blames another country, which it suspects of supporting the terrorists. Such

suspicions lead to hostilities between the two nations and their allies. At their worst, these

hostilities could lead to a war. Additionally, the use of chemical agents by terrorists can be a

weapon to destabilize governments. Some governments can support terrorists in executing a

chemical attack on another country to further their interests. For instance, a developed country

can back a chemical attack by terrorists on a developing country that has natural resources such
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as oil. The chemical attack might destabilize the government and as it fights to regain control, the

developed country takes over the oil fields through deals poised as post-attack recovery support.