Chemical security

War with Iran or North Korea could involve deadly chemical weapons

Should the United States end up going to war with either Iran or North Korea, there is another concern from the Iraq war era that has not received much public attention: the possibility that former regime elements may use chemical or biological weapons  or set off dirty or nuclear bombs against American and allied troops. Regime holdovers would have potent incentives to use such weapons should the military infrastructure of their respective states be decimated.

Furthermore, they would have nothing to lose, as their wealth and influence is tied to the maintenance of the regime. If the regime falls, so do their livelihoods and grip on power. It is often noted that it is difficult to disperse chemical and biological weapons. While Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria is noticed, we don’t know how many times he’s attempted to launch chemical weapons attacks and failed. Two decades ago, we learned that the Aum Shinrikyo cult attempted multiple chemical weapons attacks in Japan only to be met with abysmal and embarrassing failures. Chemical and biological weapons are difficult to store and successfully disperse.