Beware the Siren’s Song: Why Non-Lethal Incapacitating

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Chemical Agents are Lethal

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University of California, Davis

2003

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A number of events have brought “non-lethal” chemical incapacitating agents into the news

recently. Most prominently, their use in the rescue of hostages held in the Moscow theater in

October 2002 encouraged advocates of the military development of such weapons, since most of

the hostages were rescued. Detractors were alarmed that over 15% of the hostages died of effects

of the chemical agent (as well as all of the captors, who were executed by security forces while

they were comatose).

In this paper we address only the causes of the high level of lethal effects among the captives in

Moscow, and ask if that is typical, and whether truly non-lethal chemical weapons are feasible. We

conclude that this level of mortality is to be expected, and that genuinely non-lethal chemical

weapons are beyond the reach of current science.