"Simon Robbins" wrote in message
...
"Steve Hix" wrote in message
...
- Targetted area is again difficult to constrain. If the wind shifts,
you can be looking at having to deal with your weapon turned back on
you, or you end up taking out your own people who might be in close
proximity to the intended target (close as in miles, rather than
meters).

All good points, but we're not limiting our definitions of WMDs to
materials
that have long half-lives or permanent effects. Mustard gas, blister
agents,
etc. are all banned same as other NBC weapons, but while nasty don't have
the long-lasting effects that some other materials do.

That is not really true. Mustard and phosgene can do long term damage, both
to the local environment (look at the historical record of some of the areas
of France that were hit heavily by such agents--vegetation not growing back
for decades, being stunted, etc.). And if you doubt they have lingering
effects against humans, I had a great uncle who could have been evidence
otherwise--he got gassed during WWI, but managed to survive the war.
Unfortunately it still killed a him a few years later, after almost
literally "coughing his lungs up". The term WMD actually comes from the old
Soviet terminology, and did indeed refer to chemical, biological, and
nuclear weapons, regardless of the size of the delivery platform or its
intended target. That is still the generally accepted definition of the
term.

Brooks


Si