In chemical warfare, the U.S. lags far behind Moscow
One causes nosebleeds, blurred vision, convulsions and paralysis. Another covers the victim with blisters. Still an other makes the lungs and respiratory sys tem secrete so much fluid that the body drowns in its own juices.
These are some of the grisly and deadly effects caused by the various sprays and gases used as chemical weapons. Partly because of popular revulsion, such poisons have not been used in large scale on battlefields since 36 gases, including chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas, killed 91,000 One causes nosebleeds, blurred vision, convulsions and paralysis. Another covers the victim with blisters. Still another makes the lungs and respiratory system secrete so much fluid that the body drowns in its own juices.
These are some of the grisly and deadly effects caused by the various sprays and gases used as chemical weapons. Partly because of popular revulsion, such poisons have not been used in large scale on battlefields since 36 gases, including chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas, killed 91,000 and injured 1.2 million (many for life) in World War I. Indeed, President Richard Nixon in 1969 renounced all use of biological weapons and first use of chemical arms. But top U.S. generals are becoming increasingly alarmed at the chemical warfare (C.W.) threat from the Soviet Union. There have been reports, which Western intelligence has not been able to confirm, that the Soviets have used poison gas in Afghanistan, and that the Vietnamese and Laotian Communist forces have used U.S.S.R.-supplied gas against Meotribes in Laos. Says General John W. Pauly, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe: "The Soviets have a considerable C.W. capability, both offensive and defensive. And they are prepared to use it."
Moscow's armed forces now have between 70,000 and 100,000 C.W. specialists, and a chemical-defense company is assigned to every line regiment. Using bombs, artillery shells, mortars, multiple-rocket launchers, air-delivered sprays or even land mines, the Soviets can attack with phosgene, mustard gas, hydrogen cyanide, nerve agents, botulin and a variety of lethal viruses.
U.S. military intelligence experts missiles U.S.S.R.'s warheads, are estimate more that equipped than a with 2,000 third of chemical the tactical Scud B rocket, The for example, can 170-mile-range infect an area of 750 to 1,000 acres with nerve gas by exploding on ground impact or detonating overhead and releasing a deadly drizzle. According to John Erickson, a widely respected expert on Soviet military matters and director of defense studies at the University of Edinburgh, Kremlin battlefield doctrine calls for using chemicals against the West's command posts and airfields. Gases can blanket a wide area and penetrate buildings and fortifications, killing their occupants even though their exact location may be unknown to the attacker. Says Erickson: "A mixture of conventional and chemical attacks by the Red Army in Europe would give them a considerable tactical advantage."