Redefining Chemical Weapons

It's always an interesting discussion to talk about the military use of non-lethal (or as some prefer, less-than-lethal) chemical agents such as what the Russian military used in Breslan (off-topic, the CBS show The Unit had their own Breslan hostage situation last night - eh, not great). Sharon Weinberger found this Air War College report on the topic and posts in the Danger Room. The report says:

The application of nonlethal chemical technologies offers viable options in today's counterterrorist environment. Although looked upon by many as brutal and inhumane, nonlethal chemical agents have proven successful in area denial, counterinsurgency, hostage rescue, and CSAR [combat search and rescue]. Advances in technology have not only overcome the drawbacks of nonlethal chemical agents, both in antipersonnel and antimaterial applications, but have also evolved, offering new dimensions in the methods of UW [unconventional warfare].

As I noted in the comments to her post, hey, great idea, I'm all for it, but the pussy liberal bleeding hearts will never allow the re-interpretation of the Chemical Weapons Convention to redefine the difference between lethal, incapacitating, and "less-than-lethal" chemical munitions. One could also note the big difference between specialized troops using small quantities in select situations and the general military use of mass quantities in large area coverage scenarios.

Again, slightly off-topic, but it's my observation that the Air Force has more academic discussions of CBRN military issues (in the context of counterproliferation) than the Army does. It's embarrassing, since the Army is supposed to be more concerned about CB warfare effects on ground troops, but true. Not that the Air Force is necessarily right or on target with their discussions, but at least they encourage the exchange of new ideas. It's only bad when the Air Force ends up adopting concepts like their "Counter-CW CONOPS" that promote silly ideas like throwing M8 paper all over an air base to monitor chemical contamination, because they don't think the current technology for automatic point detectors is good enough.

Anyhow, read the report and discuss amongst yourselves.

Comments

[CKR]

During my short foray into the realm of nonlethal weapons, the objections we continued to get from the military were that nonlethal weapons had little application: if you want to stop a bad guy, you usually want him dead.

Concerns about the CWC were sometimes there, but they were way down the list.

[NVH]

You know we talk about the dichotomy of the gov't dealings with Ethiopia and NK on the other post, now here we have the same thing albeit down in the weeds. How is it I've used, been exposed, and advocate the need for LE RCAs, but the US Military can't use, or according to CKR has no use for, them b/c of CWC? Can we work out these STUPID details first.
J.-Come on, any episode of the Unit with dead bad guys is a good episode, I'll give you the "execution" of the take down was contrite, w/ the DF guys going in first, on point, no armor, etc...having had the SWAT teams practice for hours before hand. You would think Haney, the ex DF guy that consults, would provide for more realism, but I'm sure he's just selling out to the old fogeys that watch CBS and want a little excitement, either way, it's still scheduled on my TIVO...

[J.]

Hey NVH, it's not the combat footage I object to. It's the 20 minutes of "Desperate Housewives" that's woven into the script that is boring me to tears. I mean, come on, the kid is taking a picture with his cell phone while copping a feel?

Then as you note, the Unit guys have to train a SWAT group in taking down a building? What, were the SWAT guys hired the week prior? Minus marks there. I'm willing to suspend disbelief that a bunch of Chechen Muslim terrorists with heavy Russian accents get into Virginia with lots of HE and AK47s without any notice by DHS, FBI, CIA, or DOD, but COME ON... the writing sucks right now.

First season was so much better, and now it's like David Mamet just walked away and said, just ad lib it every week. Did you see last week, BTW? Frakkin' voodoo priests??? FFS...

[J.]

Hey NVH, it's not the combat footage I object to. It's the 20 minutes of "Desperate Housewives" that's woven into the script that is boring me to tears. I mean, come on, the kid is taking a picture with his cell phone while copping a feel?

Then as you note, the Unit guys have to train a SWAT group in taking down a building? What, were the SWAT guys hired the week prior? Minus marks there. I'm willing to suspend disbelief that a bunch of Chechen Muslim terrorists with heavy Russian accents get into Virginia with lots of HE and AK47s without any notice by DHS, FBI, CIA, or DOD, but COME ON... the writing sucks right now.

First season was so much better, and now it's like David Mamet just walked away and said, just ad lib it every week. Did you see last week, BTW? Frakkin' voodoo priests??? FFS...

[NVH]

Ok ok, but you didn't have to post it twice. No really, I'll buy the rehearsals, they do that all the time with intel, tape on the floor, I've seen and read that before, it's just that it's terribly presumptious of the show to assume the DF guys just step in nice and easy at go time to take point w/o rehearsal, I know their good, but they need practice to. Yeah, the family stuff sucks, and yeah the voodoo shit was crazy, but DF does some weird shit too, I mean they actually HAVE people who study mind control, they teach their guys relaxation techniques, shit that ninjas have been known to use, slow heartbeats, visual projection, everything and anything to get an edge. If you read Inside Delta Force by the shows consultant, Ret SGM Haney he goes over it a little. But yeah, you can see Mamet just handing it over to the hollywood end to get the female buy in bullshit. I did appreciate the way the Mom handled the kid with the phone. Still think best episode was the one couple weeks back was in Waziristan and the hold of the logistics base. It's getting pretty simple and predictable though...shit, you gotta watch something they don't have 24 on every night, so...Oh, was that bullshit about non-frat correct, it even extends to families and kids at the schools being friends?

[J.]

No that fraternization between kids of officers and NCOs is pure horseshit. And that old, old captain really had a pole up her ass. Just not believeable, but it gave the wives something to do. BOOOORRRRRING.

[NVH]

Yeah, I thought she was old, but hey, some people just can't take a passover, right?