Weapons Of Mass Destruction America s Greatest Fear of

Weapons Of Mass Destruction America’s Greatest Fear of Iraq

What Are WMD’s Weapons of Mass Destruction emit radioactive, biological, and chemical materials to harm other humans

Chemical Weapons l Mustard Gas & Chlorine Gas blinded and killed thousands of civilians & soldiers in World War I

Biological Weapons l Biological Weapons intentionally spread disease upon an enemy or population l Over 20 toxins & diseases, such as smallpox or anthrax, could be used as weapons

Nuclear Weapons l Splitting of Atoms to create a massive explosion l After the explosion, radioactive material lingers causing disease & permanent defects among survivors

Iran-Iraq War l The Iraqi military used chemical weapons, including mustard gas and nerve gas, during their eight year with Iran The military also used chemicals on civilian populations which assisted Iran

Halabja On March 17, 1988, Iraqi military spread poison gas through the town of Halabja l 5, 000 people died, and another 10, 000 casualties survived. l Most victims were women and children l

Anthrax Attacks of 2001 Shortly after the attacks on September 11 th, several letters were mailed which contained a biological weapon in the envelope, known as anthrax. l The attacks killed five people and infected another 17 people l

Targets ABC, NBC, CBS (Television Networks) l American Media, Inc. (Tabloids), NY Post l Sen. Daschle (D-SD), Sen. Leahy (D-VT) l Biggest Victim l The United States Postal Service was affected most as the attacks. Two postal workers died, and several post offices were temporarily closed

How far did it spread?

Who’s At Risk of Attack l Many Americans fear WMD’s created by the Iraqi government could be transferred to terrorists attacking the United States either intentionally or via theft.

Who’s At Risk of Attack? Given Saddam Hussein’s prior history, many believe he may use weapons of mass destruction against the Israel l Since Israel is one of the few democracies in the Middle East, America pays close attention to their protection. l

Who’s At Risk of Attack The previous use of on Iraqi citizens raises other concerns with Saddam Hussein’s access to WMD’s l The United States bombed suspected WMD production facilities throughout the 1990’s l

Who was Investigating l The UN Security Council Passed Resolution 1441, offering Iraq, “a final opportunity” l In Nov. 2002, UN Inspectors returned to Iraq lead by Hans Blix (Sweden)

Summary l While many nations have weapons of mass destruction, Americans claimed the dangerous history of Saddam Hussein warranted military action l These concerns were President Bush’s justification attack Iraq before our safety has been jeopardized, known as a “preemptive strike”