The ASA Newsletter - from times past

20 years ago: February 1988, ASA 88-1, issue #5.

         The US began 155mm artillery projectile production with binary systems on 16 December 1987. Through FY 87, $88 million had been appropriated. Two additional binary systems are currently in development. The long range Bigeye binary chemical bomb has completed operational testing and a chemical warhead for the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is in full scale development. The US position is that until such time as an effective and verifiable ban on chemical weapons has been negotiated, the modernization of the stockpile must continue.

15 years ago: February 1993, ASA 93-1, issue #34.

         The CWC is now signed. The CWC signing ceremony took place in Paris from 13-15 January 1993. ASA's Reginald Bartholomew reported from Paris that the principles embodied within the agreement were most impressive:

• the CWC is the first truly multi-lateral negotiated arms control agreement
• the first to have a potentially effective verification regime (hopefully intrusive enough to be effective, but balanced enough to protect legitimate National interests)
  
• the first genuine attempt to totally eliminate a weapon type, rather than to just control it.

         The below few exceptions to the signing ceremony caused most of the hallway discussions:

• The Middle East. It was quite clear there was an inextricable link between Israel's perceived intransigence on nuclear issues and the missing Arab block.
• Concern was expressed by many developing countries that this convention not be misused for the purpose of inhibiting the legitimate aspirations of their developing chemical industries to the benefit of the industrialized nations.
• China made reference to countries leaving large stockpiles of weapons in other countries while Russia referenced funding of destruction and verification and CW use in regional conflicts

         And now to The Hague and the Preparatory Commission.

         Harvard CB Weapons Colloquium/UNSCOM Report #9. The Colloquium is Chaired by Prof. Matt Meselson. Tim Trevan, having just returned from leading an UNSCOM team into Iraq, reported the following: the inspection teams have now uncovered around 150,000 chemical weapons; many facilities directly related to SaddamÕs nuclear weapons programs including three clandestine uranium enrichment programs and facilities directly related to his operational biological agent program. As of 01/25/93 the following major items had been destroyed: 5160 122mm sarin filled rockets; 90 155mm mustard filled artillery projectiles; 13 Al-Hussein ballistic missiles with GB/GF warheads; 347 R400 bombs; 6 '250' guage mustard filled bombs; 6 '500' guage mustard filled bombs; 5.6 tons bulk mustard agent; 47,790 litres bulk nerve agent and 36,833 litres of bulk precursor chemicals.

10 years ago: February 1998, ASA 98-1, issue #64.

         The CBMTS-Middle East I Symposium in Cairo, Egypt from 7-11 December 1997 brought together 115 scientists from 31 countries, including 15 Middle East countries, and providing for all a Middle East perspective on the problems and possible solutions across the chemical and biological arena. Dr. Barbara Price authored the comprehensive CBMTS Middle East I summary report. A pair of presentations from Kuwait provided a vividly illustrated account of the environmental catastrophe and human suffering caused during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. These final talks also illustrated the important requirements for cooperation between military medical personnel and civilian medical and epidemiology experts to document and quantify the health impact of conflict.

         Anil Wadwa of the OPCW reported that the now ratified CWC and its OPCW in The Hague are moving out rapidly in accordance with the wishes of the States Parties. As of February 1998, 134 inspections were completed in 22 countries and all declared chemical weapon facilities as well as Schedule 1 facilities have received an initial inspection. As of this date, 106 countries have ratified the Convention and an additional 62 countries have signed with intent to ratify.

5 years ago: February 2003, ASA 03-1, issue #94.

         Efficacy of Decontaminant Foam Developed by SANDIA National Laboratory questioned. While participating in the SISPAT meeting in Singapore in December 2002, ASA noted that the SANDIA scientist who had just presented a paper on the Sandia Foam was not able to answer basic science questions from the audience on that specific foam. This set off alarm bells and ASA investigated and the results on this seriously flawed Sandia Foam were presented in a two part report - the first one being in this issue ASA 03-1. This foam was being sold to our Armed Forces deployed to the Middle East for the build up in preparation for a possible Iraq conflict. Our Armed Forces reported the foam was in essence worthless and dangerous to the user. The report is very specific and overall shows that self-testing and/or testing in a brother-in-law relationship with another "national" lab just does not work. You get the results you plan for, or pay for, and the user literally gets burned.

         The EU's Landobobo, the EC enlargement commissioner, in all of the Commission's limited wisdom, said on 16 February that the "EC will apply measures against any country that has not harmonised". These measures included denial of EU membership and/or denial of membership benefits. He further said the EC would be merciless. Of course his problem was Poland who planned to buy US F-16s.

1 year ago: February 2007, ASA 07-1, issue #118.

         Dr. Jan Medema and Dusty Mustard. Jan Medema challenges the self-proclaimed experts to explain their flawed rationale in proclaiming dusty whatever agent to be more dangerous than the undiluted liquid agent.

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