Transcript Document

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

Mustard Gas &
Chlorine Gas
blinded and
killed thousands
of civilians &
soldiers in
World War I
Biological Weapons
Biological Weapons
intentionally spread
disease upon an
enemy or population
 Over 20 toxins &
diseases, such as
smallpox or anthrax,
could be used as
weapons

Nuclear Weapons
Splitting of Atoms to
create a massive
explosion
 After the explosion,
radioactive material
lingers causing
causing disease &
permanent defects
among survivors

Iran-Iraq War

The Iraqi military
used chemical
weapons, including
mustard gas and
nerve gas, during
their eight year war
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
 5,000 people died,
and another 10,000
casualties survived.
 Most victims were
women and children
Anthrax Attacks of 2001

Shortly after the
attacks on September
11th, several letters
were mailed which
contained a biological
weapon in the
envelope, known as
anthrax.
 The attacks killed five
people and infected
another 17 people
Targets

ABC, NBC, CBS (Television Networks)
 American Media, Inc. (Tabloids), NY Post
 Sen. Daschle (D-SD), Sen. Leahy (D-VT)
Biggest Victim

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

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
 Since Israel is one of the
few democracies in the
Middle East, America
pays close attention to
their protection.

Who’s At Risk of Attack

The previous use of
on Iraqi citizens
raises other
concerns with
Saddam Hussein’s
access to WMD’s
 The United States
bombed suspected
WMD production
facilities throughout
the 1990’s
Who was Investigating
The UN Security Council Passed
Resolution 1441, offering Iraq, “a final
opportunity”
 In Nov. 2002,
UN Inspectors
returned to Iraq
lead by Hans
Blix (Sweden)

Summary
While many nations have weapons of
mass destruction, Americans claimed
the dangerous history of Saddam
Hussein warranted military action
 These concerns were President Bush’s
justification attack Iraq before our safety
has been jeopardized, known as a “preemptive strike”
