Identification

• Chemical weapons come in various forms, from solids to gases. They are used to affect biological processes in a person, such as the nervous system. According to the Chemical Weapons Convention, they are divided into three groups: Schedules 1, 2 and 3.
  
  

History

• In 1942, chemical weapon testing occurred on American soil for possible use during World War II. At the Dugway Proving Ground in Toole County, Utah, toxic agents, flamethrowers and chemical sprays were tested, in particular. Some of this testing was performed on animals. Declassified Pentagon reports also show American chemical weapon testing that occurred during the 1960s in Alaska and Hawaii. There were more than two dozen tests performed involving weapons such as deadly nerve agents and bacteria sprays.
  
  The Iraqi government, under Saddam Hussein, used chemical weapons against Kurdish Iraqis in 1988, killing thousands of people.
  
  

Proliferation

• Other countries also test chemical weapons. It is believed the North Korean bioweapons research and development program encompasses testing grounds in areas like Chonju, as well as 12 plants that manufacture the weapons throughout the country.