Essay on Weapons of Mass Destruction

Today, the weapons of mass destruction represent a threat to the public safety of many countries and international stability. Historically, the weapon of mass destruction emerged to enhance the military potential of countries, in case of military conflicts. However, today, the weapons of mass destruction can be so destructive that, being applied by the US or other leading nation, they may provoke the disastrous impact on the entire planet. Ironically, the risk of using the weapons of mass destruction by the US and other powerful nations is relatively low, while terrorist organization and outcast states are the main threat of using the weapons of mass destruction. What is meant here is the fact that such states as Iran or North Korea, which are undemocratic by their nature threaten the rest of the world because they possess the weapons of mass destruction and they are ready to implement this weapon to maintain their regimes. In addition, the risk of using the weapons of mass by terrorist organizations has increased substantially because of the expansion of the network of terrorist organization and the drop of control over the weapons of mass destruction, especially in the former USSR. In such a situation, the international community should unite its efforts to enhance control over the weapons of mass destruction. In actuality, one country alone cannot cope with the threat of using the weapons of mass destruction, while the rise of the international terrorism increases this treat. Consequently, if the international community unites its efforts in the prevention of using the weapons of mass destruction, it can minimize the risk of terrorist attacks involving the use of the weapons of mass destruction and the use of this weapon by undemocratic states.

Review of literature

The literature used for the preparation of the present report includes the studies of the prominent researchers such as Graham & Hansen (2009,) Levi (2003), Mauroni (2010), Whittaker (2004) and others, dedicated to the issues of the international terrorism and the threat presented by the weapons of mass destruction.

Body paragraphs

Thesis: The weapons of mass destruction (WMD) clearly represent a real threat to the public safety. The use of WMD by the terrorists or extremists has a high level of probability because of the several reasons, such as increasing availability of the elements for WMD production and the changed character of the modern terrorism that became significantly more violent and destructive.

Topic: The further study of the different kinds of the WMD is required. An effective preventive strategy is the key element of the state policy towards the terrorism. The public should be aware of the potential danger of the WMD use and should learn the life saving patterns of individual behavior in the case of the attack.

Present international and domestic situation and policies may serve as the argument for the terrorist groups to conduct the terrorist attack with the use of weapons of mass destruction. The discussed threat has been already recognized by the major states.

A well-known expert on terrorism, Walter Laqueur, in his study ‘The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction’ (1999), explores the history of the WMD use. This author comes to conclusion that the chemical warfare is the most obvious kind of WMD that may be used. ‘Potential chemical poisons may be manufactured from legitimate substances such as isopropyl alcohol, which is readily available, or from various pesticides and herbicides.’ (Laqueur, 1999) ‘The technical knowledge and experience needed to produce a chemical weapon is less than that required for manufacturing a biological weapon it could be made at the level of the graduate student. Experts also agree that virtually all the materials and equipment can be bought commercially.’ (Laqueur, 1999)

The present essay includes the following paragraphs: