0f the three categories of weapons of mass destruction,
chemical weapons are the most likely to be used in
warfare, and they remain a serious threat in regional
conflicts despite the end of the Cold War. Although
well-equipped troops can defend themselves against existing
chemical agents with detectors, decontamination equipment, gas
masks, and protective garments (albeit at a some cost in military
effectiveness), chemical weapons can still have devastating
effects when employed against defenseless civilians or poorly
equipped (or unprepared) armies or guerrilla fighters. This fact
was starkly demonstrated during the 1980s by Iraq’s use of
chemical weapons against Iran and its own Kurdish population.