Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to Okay, lets equivocate! While your at it, go read a source or two...

You need to learn what "dual use" means
Larry J — (archived)

Dual use means just that - things that can be used for peaceful or military purposes. The same basic technology that allows someone to develop vaccines can also be used to develop biological weapons. You can't have one without the risk of the other.

Anthrax is a common agricultural problem, that's why many nations and universities have programs to work with it. Similarily, bubonic plague is a problem in some parts of the world, including here in Colorado. Every year, several people become sick from the plague and some die. The plague is carried on the fleas of ground animals like some squirrels. There are legimate research programs involving plague that aren't weapons related.

Likewise, many chemicals that are used in agriculture can also have military purposes. For example, nerve gas is very closely related to several common pesticides.

As for his conventional weapons, he didn't need our help acquiring them. Iraq sells a lot of oil each year, and there are always countries like France that will sell just about anything to anyone. Remember that Iraqi reactor the Israelis blew up in 1981? That was sold to them by the French. Jacques Chirac was a big player in that deal; I've seen pictures of him standing beside Saddam in a reactor complex.

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