Planning the Unthinkable
How New Powers Will Use Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons

Peter R. Lavoy (Edited by), Scott D. Sagan (Edited by), James J. Wirtz (Edited by)

9780801487040

Paperback / softback, published 18 August 2000

288 pages
23.5 x 15.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.454 kg

This important volume breaks new ground by moving past a focus on the reasons why international actors acquire unconventional weapons... For the statesperson, the volume acts as an admonition to refrain from treating all proliferators alike; for the scholar, it serves as an exceptional example of the analytical robustness that results from a willingness to use multiple theoretical approaches to explain complex phenomena.

The proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons is now the single most serious security concern for governments around the world. Peter R. Lavoy, Scott D. Sagan, and James J. Wirtz compare how military threats, strategic cultures, and organizations shape the way leaders intend to employ these armaments. They reveal the many frightening ways that emerging military powers and terrorist groups are planning the unthinkable by preparing to use chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in future conflicts. Distinguished specialists consider several states and organizations that have this weaponry: Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, as well as the Aum Shinrikyo cult. The contributors expose plans for using unconventional weapons, highlighting the revolutionary effects these arsenals might have on international politics and regional disputes.