The eleventh plague : the politics of biological and chemical warfare /

Cole, an academic who teaches science and public policy, forcefully calls for the elimination of biological and chemical weapons. He disputes those who believe that a nation can defend itself from such attacks, and argues that verifiable treaties banning both biological and chemical warfare are both feasible and desirable. Since 1945, the US military has conducted 1,000 open-air tests, frequently endangering the health of citizens who became unwitting test subjects. Despite these tests, the US is no better protected from biological and chemical attacks now than when military research began. Far better security can come from reinforcing customary attitudes of abhorrence toward the use of poison in warfare. Cole particularly faults Western nations for not denouncing Iraq for using chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. This silence made chemical and biological warfare more likely during the Persian Gulf War. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention lacks a verification mechanism; Cole therefore urges the US Senate to ratify the 1993 treaty banning chemical weapons. Such a treaty would help develop a verification regime for biological weapons. Above all, the international standard that has placed biological and chemical weapons beyond the pale needs to be cultivated and reiterated. Recommended for general readers and college and university libraries. S. G. Rabe; University of Texas at Dallas

Cole's survey is a terrifying reminder of how defenseless civilians and military alike are against chemical and biological weapons. It concentrates on two main subjects: the U.S. military's now-defunct chemical-biological program and Iraq's present arsenal. In the U.S., revelations have been made of accidents and willful releasings of toxic agents on the citizenry; Cole collates those reports chronologically. He also recounts his efforts to expose the situation of a possibly anthrax-infected building in Maryland. As for Iraq, Cole's text essentially derives from extant books and articles; for instance, it quotes extensively from Israeli press accounts of Iraq's 1991 missile attacks on the Jewish state. The fact that chemical-biological attack loomed over Tel Aviv and was actually perpetrated in Tokyo by terrorists underscores, Cole says, the erosion of an "ethos of repugnance" that he hopes to help restore. Although this book has its limitations, it provides more information on its subject than any TV story could. --Gilbert Taylor

At a time when the reach of terrorism threatens more countries than ever, this provocative analysis of the debate on the future of chemical and biological weapons delivers a strong wake-up call. Cole (Elements of Risk, etc.), an adjunct professor of political science at Rutgers University, begins by surveying the U.S. Army's testing of these weapons in the 1950s and '60s on unsuspecting civilian populations, including aerial spraying over cities such as Minneapolis and St. Louis. He then covers issues relating to the Middle East, especially the worldwide failure to condemn Iraq's use of chemical weapons during its long war with Iran‘a failure, Cole avers, that encouraged Saddam Hussein to continue his aggressive moves. Finally, Cole looks at what he calls "new challenges," such as the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo, the problems inherent in verifying compliance with various treaties and the erosion of moral outrage over continued development of these weapons. He also examines the problem of how to defend against chemical and biological weapons, citing Israel's fears during the Iraqi attacks in 1991 and exploring what he sees as America's unpreparedness for attacks by these weapons. Cole ultimately finds that "the compromise of moral principles has led to a greater insecurity"‘a message that may be painful to hear, but that, thanks to his closely reasoned and ethically astute work, has now been stated loud and clear. Author tour. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Chemical and biological warfare (CBW) is not new, nor is Cole's basic story line: all weapons cause a "conflict between moral behavior and national security." Cole (political science, Rutgers Univ.) argues his view in three parts. First, by examining through official U.S. Army files the history of CBW testing, he highlights the extent of U.S. efforts. Next he claims that the world allowed Iraq to develop a CBW capability that almost led to a catastrophe. Finally, he raises the specter of CBW terrrorism and the urgent need for a counterproliferation treaty. Cole jumps back and forth almost randomly; is this a book about chemicals or biological agents? Like the biblical plagues alluded to in the title, Cole believes that CBW is an ominous punishment brought on humankind by its own moral shortcomings. So what's new? For academic and larger public collections.‘John J. Yurechko, Georgetown Univ., Washington, D.C. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.