The ASA Newsletter - from times past

20 years ago:

December 1987, ASA 87-4, issue #4. ASA, in regards to the proposed CW Treaty, was quoted in "Chemical and Engineering News" as stating "this treaty must not stop our R&D momentum in life support and protection equipment... To rely on this treaty as our only protection from chemicals wrongly used or abused would be a tragic mistake."

15 years ago:

December 1992, ASA 92-6, issue #33. This was issue "South Africa" with full articles on Protechnik Laboratories, The Defensive Chemical and Biological Warfare Project in South Africa, South Africa's CBW Defense School, the Experience of CW in Southern Africa, South Africa's Non-proliferation Policy ,as well as including many appropriate pictures from the Lab, the School, and the Joint Staff College. Additionally, this issue covered issues with the Balkans and on-going warfare, as well as the UN's Political Affair's Officer, Agnes Marcaillou, providing an UNSCOM Update on Iraq's actual CW stockpile. Of particular note were the comments of Prof. Chen Jisheng of China's Research Institute of Chemical Defense (RICD) in his third article for the ASA Newsletter. Prof. Chen pointed out that the CWC is needed and eagerly anticipated. However, we must recognize that the large stockpile destruction in the US and Russia can not be achieved in the short term (how true) and that the potential for proliferation will still exist - especially at the sub-state level. "The threat that CW may be acquired by fragmented groupings is much greater in parts of the world where CW expertise previously existed."

10 Years ago:

December 1997, ASA 97-6, issue # 63. Ake Bovallius, former Director Sweden's FOA provides for the ASA family a very in-depth and prophetic look at NBC in the 21st Century. Using the theme they originated with Chemical and Biological Warfare without Chemical and Biological Weapons, authors Zvonko Orehovec and Slavko Bokan have developed the next step to show "Eco-Terrorism or Chemical Warfare with Conventional Weapons."

5 years ago:

December 2002, ASA 02-6, issue #93. Covered were Argentina's Non-proliferation policy for NBC weapons and a review of a radical approach to crisis management across the public health spectrum. The Global Incident, Analysis and Alerting System (GIAAS) as authored by ASA's Richard Price, ProMed's John Woodall and VECTOR's Sergey Netesov is as timely today as it was those five years ago when first published.

1 year ago:

December 2006, ASA 06-6, issue #117. The OPCW's Director General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, very vividly pointed out "The Challenges to the CWC posed by Non-State Actors and the Need for International Cooperation." Also Avian Flu Lessons from Indonesia.

For the Professional in Government and Industry with an interest in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense, Disarmament and Verification; Emergency and Disaster Medical Planning; Industrial Health and Safety; and Environmental Protection