The Pros And Cons Of The Proliferation Of Wmds

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Essential global protection against the modern plague known as terrorism relies heavily on the non-proliferation of materials for weapons. Terrorism desires the powerful threat that Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) bring to the world. The world marketplace avails a deluge of opportunity to profit from restricted materials needed by terrorists seeking to build and deploy atrocious WMDs. Vast networks of illegal traders of WMD materials discovered, as well as weaknesses in the non-proliferation system have been identified in the past decade. Non-proliferation of WMDs therefore, has to become an imminent priority for the protectors of the world. Treaties, agreements, and policies regarding non-proliferation are the place to start, but those …show more content…

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s a group of illegal material traders, now known as the Khan network, took advantage of international lapses in WMD material procurement (Forest and Howard, 2013). Efforts since have been magnified to stop the proliferation of materials into the international market, and more specifically, these efforts have sought to keep materials out of the hands of terrorists and terrorist support regimes. Currently, the most arduous task involving WMD proliferation is the concerted effort of all governments to stop it. Perhaps the most challenging and threatening category of weapons currently available is radiological material weapons. Radiological weapons sources are the most difficult to shut down, as they have the least potential for damage, and are the least controlled materials. Radiological weapons may have immediate proximal effects on human safety, and they may have some lasting biological or environmental effects. Once dispersed, the effectiveness of radiological weapons depends on a number of factors, most importantly the location of the deployment. Radiological weapons may be thought of as the “lesser” of evils when comparing WMDs, they are still are dangerous and their proliferation must be …show more content…

Time plays a huge factor in the biological effects that occur after an exposure. Within hours or days, the immediate biological dangers of death or injury may subside in a RDD attack. However, there may be many lasting biological effects after a radiological deployment. Illness, including cancer, may be a lingering result of radiological weapons use. Another biological concern stemming from RDD use would be the contamination of water. “There exist several generalized human exposure pathways for the materials that would be dispersed in an act of radiological terrorism: external exposure, inhalation, ingestion, and immersion” (Forest and Howard, 2013). The use of radiological materials may be effective at killing people in proximity to the device deployed, but it will also have lasting effects on the health of the human population, and it will cause negative environmental impacts as