From: utzoo!decvax!decwrl!sun!megatest!fortune!hpda!hplabs!hao!csu-cs!bentson
Newsgroups: net.politics
Title: RE Are nuclear weapons *special*?
Article-I.D.: csu-cs.2204
Posted: Thu May 12 10:27:37 1983
Received: Thu May 19 07:22:38 1983


ihuxo!jnc claims to be setting the record straight by pointing out the
the U.S. used Agent Orange in Viet Nam and that this defoliant contains
dioxin which harms people, leading one to the conclusion that this was
chemical warfare.

Chemical warfare is when one uses a chemical which is designed to
incapacitate or kill people.  If we had an effective defoliant which
didn't have harmful side effects, we would have used it.  (That we don't
have any such defoliant and that dioxin is an industrial side product is
evidenced by the dioxin discoveries within the U.S.)

Agent Orange or Paraquat might be considered as chemical weapons when
used to destroy consumable vegatation, but let's distinguish this from
"yellow rain" and other chemicals designed to harm people.  The design
and intent behind chemical use is important in this discussion.