CB Agent: Sarin, Essay Example

Sarin (or GB) is a colorless, odorless liquid classified as a nerve agent. It is human-made and can evaporate into a gas, spreading throughout the air and the environment (CDC, 2013). Sarin is a chemical warfare agent that was originally developed for use as a pesticide in Germany in the 1930’s, however it now solely exists as a warfare nerve agent used in acts of war and terrorism (CDC, 2013). It has been classified by the United Nations as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) per UN Resolution 687. Sarin has been used during the gulf war, in two terror attacks in Japan during the mid-nineties, as well as in 2013 in a devastating attack on civilians near Damascus, Syria. There are also reports that US troops at the end of the Gulf War in 1991 were exposed to sarin, as well as other chemical agents, during the bombing of Iraqi weapons and storage sites (Koeppel, 2015). The following will discuss in detail the development, physical components and harmful impacts of sarin. Also, the policies governing sarin’s possession and use, as well as examples in which it has been used in terrorist attacks and warfare, will be discussed.

Sarin was first developed in 1938 by German scientists in an effort to develop new pesticides. However, the use of sarin gas was never implemented during this time, as its biological and health effects were apparent. Although sarin was produced, at no point during WWII did the Nazi regime use sarin or any other chemical warfare (Jones, 2013). It was later stockpiled by US and Soviet forces during the Cold War, but again, was never offensively. It was no until the 1980’s that the first confirmed uses of sarin appeared. This was in 1988, and was used by Iraqi dictator Suddam Hussein in the killing of nearly 5,000 Kurds in a sarin gas attack in Northern Iraq because Kurdish fighters had aligned themselves with Iranian forces (Jones, 2013). Hussein was also reported to use the gas several more times during its attacks against Iran throughout the Gulf war (Jones, 2013). As a result, written in 1993 and enacted in 1997, the Chemical Weapons Convention banned the production and stockpiling of sarin and all other chemical weapons (Jones, 2013).

Sarin is an organophosphorus compound, which means it is a degradable organic compound and most often used for pest control production. Sarin is produced as a chemical weapon, and is done so by mixing methylphosphonyl difluoride and isopropyl alcohol. The reaction is quick acting and disperses immediately, thus usually mixed during a chemical attack due to its short shelf life (Laub, 2014). As for the impact on human life during a sarin attack, those under attack will have difficulty breathing, blurred vision, headache and nausea, respiratory distress, convulsions and then eventually death (CDC, 2013). The effects of a sarin attack are almost immediate and death comes rapidly.

In the past 20+ years, sarin has been used in several acts of terror, most notably in the Gulf War, a 1995 subway terrorist attack in Japan and again in Syria in 2013. As noted above, Suddam Hussein used sarin against Iran and Iranian-aligned Kurds, and in the process killed thousands of civilians and fighters. In 1995, a messianic Japanese cult called Aum Shinrikyo perpetrated a terrorist attack using sarin gas during the morning rush hour in Tokyo (Laub, 2014). The attack killed 12 people and injured thousands. The terrorist group was later found to be behind a previous year sarin gas attack in Matsumoto, Japan targeting judges, in which ended up killing seven and injuring 200 (Laub, 2014). On August 21, 2013, just outside of Damascus, Syria, almost 5,000 civilians were killed during a sarin gas attack (Nichols, 2015). At this point in time, investigations are still underway to determine who was responsible for the attacks, as both the Syrian government and rebels both deny involvement (Nichols, 2015). Since the attack, Syria has been ordered to destroy their chemical weapons as to avoid US military strikes. Investigations continue to uncover multiple sarin attacks as more evidence is uncovered (Nichols, 2015).

There are also reports that US troops were exposed to Sarin in Iraq in the 1991 bombing of Iraqi weapons storage facilities (Koeppel, 2015). This has been described as Gulf War Syndrome, as the effects of exposure consequently appear in those who were exposed (Koeppel, 2015). Recent reports indicate that because of wind pushing the gas over 300 miles from the site, almost 100,000 troops were in the path of the nerve gas plume that resulted from the bombings of those facilities (Koeppel, 2015). It should be noted, however, that this has not been confirmed by government officials, however the evidence points to exposure.

Sarin is a fully devastating and dangerous chemical warfare agent, used only to cause destruction and death in its wake. It reacts acts within minutes, causing eventual death. Not only does direct exposure lead to death, but low-level, distant exposure also leads to complications and life-long illnesses. As with all warfare nerve agents, sarin is outlawed and has been since the Chemical Weapons Convention took effect in April of 1997, however several nations, including the US, Russia and Syria, still possess stockpiles of the weapon as they continue to miss UN sanctioned deadlines to destroy the chemical (Laub, 2014).

References

CDC- Facts About Sarin (GB). (2013). Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/sarin/

Jones, B. (2013, August 30). Only A Few People In History Have Dared To Use Sarin Gas. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/devastating-history-of-sarin-gas-2013-8

Koeppel, B. (2015, March 27). U.S. Nerve gas hit our own troops in Iraq. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://www.newsweek.com/how-us-nerve-gassed-its-own-troops-then-covered-it-317250

Laub, Z. (2014, March 13). Sarin. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://www.cfr.org/weapons-of-mass-destruction/sarin/p9553

Nichols, M. (2015, September 15). U.N. disarmament official to lead Syria gas attacks inquiry. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/us-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons-idUSKCN0RF27520150915