NUCLEAR WEAPONS DETER CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS USES Robert G. Joseph and John F. Reichart. The Case for Nuclear Deterrence Today Orbis, 00304387, Winter 1998, Vol. 42, Issue 1. Turning to the contribution of nuclear weapons in a counter proliferation role, one can draw on the real world case of Desert Storm. Iraqi leaders attribute their decision not to use chemical weapons--and we now know biological agents as well--to the coalition's nuclear capabilities and warning of catastrophic consequences if Iraq were to use such weapons. General Wafic Sammarai, former head of Iraqi military intelligence, has stated that Iraq did not arm its Scud missiles with chemical weapons "because the warning was quite severe, and quite effective. The allied troops were certain to use nuclear arms and the price will be too dear and too high In retrospect, it appears that Saddam Hussein simply could not count on the United States (or perhaps Israel) refraining from responding with nuclear weapons, especially given his view of the world and demonstrated absence of constraints in the use of force to achieve his personal objectives.
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