Decontamination

At the end of the Gulf War, the U.N. Security Council created the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM). UNSCOM’s mission was to uncover and destroy Iraq’s clandestine biological/chemical ballistic-missile programs.  To fully understand the mission of UNSCOM and its findings, please read: Phythian, M.  (2000). UNSCOM in the time of cholera.  World Affairs, 163(2), 51-63 & Black, S.  (1999).  UNSCOM and the Iraqi biological weapons program:  Implications for arms control.  Politics and the Life Sciences, 18(1), 62-69 both found in Reserved Readings.  You might also find interesting: Iraq - Timeline of UNSCOM Related Events.

Now then, let’s discuss UNSCOM’s mission from inception to its collapse in 1998 by answering a central thesis question for this conference:  How did the U.S. get so much wrong about Iraq’s biological weapons program, or did it?  In doing so, include several (it would be nice to have all) of the following identifiers in your thoughtful, well-written response that evolves with in-depth discussions during this week:

• UN Security Council Resolution 687
• Dr. David Kelly (remember him?)
• Richard Spertzel
• “Material balance” technique
• Salman Pak
• Al Hakam
• Al Kindi veterinary vaccine plant
• Infant formula plant at Abu Ghraib
• General Hussein Kamal
• Scott Ritter
• Dr. Germ
• Karl Kolb inhalation chamber
• TSMID
• UNSCOM successes & failures
• OMV
• The children and economic sanctions
• US interests vs. UN interests
• Political unity/cohesion in the UN Security Council
• Lessons learned & implications for future arms control

APA format, in-text citation, references include, 1 1/2 pages