The Chemical Weapons Convention: Will it Assure The End of Chemical Warfare?

After more than a generation of negotiations, the Conference on Disarmament CD has completed a draft treaty banning the development, production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of chemical weapons CW. Unfortunately, despite all the successful work put into the CWC it will not, and cannot assure a permanent halt to chemical warfare. This paper analyzes the merits of having a CWC treaty to thwart chemical weapons proliferation. It will offer a way to strengthen the verification regime. Finally, from this analysis, the paper reaches conclusions concerning what CW policy best supports U.S. national interests.