12 Chemical Weapons Schemes That Don't Cross Red Lines

There's been a lot of talk about 'red lines' and 'international norms' in the wake of an apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria -- pinned on the Assad regime by the Obama administration. There's also been a lot of outrage and bombastic rhetoric from the U.S. as it hammers down the drumbeats to war. As Syria waits in the crosshairs, let's non-exhaustively waltz through history and see just how self-serving (and selective) this talk, outrage and rhetoric actually is...

1. Napalm: Multiple U.S. operations (1944-present)

The U.S. Air Force deliberately used massive amounts of the chemical mixture on civilian populations and infrastructure, though this use now constitutes a war crime, 388,000 tons were dropped on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Not technically a chemical weapon because the U.S. claims it is not a chemical weapon. Problem solved. No red lines.

2. Agent Orange: Operation Ranch Hand, Vietnam (1961-1971)

The U.S. Air Force used agent orange to "clear forests", killing over 400,000 and maiming over 500,000. Massive birth defects still occur to the day due to its use. The U.S. claims it is not technically used as a weapon. Problem solved. No red lines.

3. Sarin and VX: SHAD Tests (1962-1968)

The U.S. Navy tested sarin and VX nerve gasses on 4,300 sailors without notice, consent or protection. It is believed 113 tests were carried out in total and only the details of a few have been released to the public. These were only tests and hey, now the sailors are able to receive awesome VA benefits. Everybody wins. No red lines.

4. Sarin: Operation Tailwind, Laos (1970)

During an illegal incursion into Laos, the U.S. Air Force used sarin gas on a small group of American soldiers who had defected and holed up in a small village, ultimately killing over 100 men, women and children in the attack. But defectors? Come on. They and the innocent Laotians harboring them clearly deserved to be gassed for crossing the imperium. Problem solved. No red lines.

5. Swine Flu: Cuba (1971)

The CIA provided an anti-Castro group with a vial of African Swine Fever Virus for the purpose of decimating Cuban livestock, destabilizing the economy and fomenting domestic (and hungry) opposition to Fidel Castro. 500,000 pigs are slaughtered in order to stave off a nationwide epidemic. Communists and animals don’t count when measuring atrocity or terror. Problem solved. No red lines.

6. Sarin and Mustard Gas: Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)

Recently released documents confirm yet another “conspiracy theory” widely denied by U.S. officials for ages: that the U.S. under Reagan not only knew about Saddam Hussein's use of unacceptable chemical weapons, but actively helped him to use them. Foreign Policy, who broke the story, sums it up: ‘The U.S. knew Hussein was launching some of the worst chemical attacks in history -- and still gave him a hand.’ See, when it's an ally of the U.S. doing a bad thing, it's not really bad until it needs to be used as an excuse for something else bad-not-bad like war. Problem solved. No red lines.

7. Sarin, VX, Tabun and Mustard Gas: Halabja Chemical Attack (1988)

Saddam Hussein famously gassed the Kurdish town of Halabja, killing thousands of civilians. The U.S. was fully aware who did what but concocted a story out of whole cloth that blames Iran for the attack in order to muddy the waters and protect their pet dictator (and the U.S.) from international condemnation. U.S credibility was on the line here and that's paramount. Problem solved. No red lines.

8. Depleted Uranium: Gulf War (1991) and Iraq War (2003-2011)

Not technically a chemical weapon—just toxic and radioactive. Currently causing a cancer epidemic and birth defects worse than what Hiroshima went through. Colonel James Naughton of U.S. Army Material Command is sublime in his defense of its use, “[The Iraqis] want it to go away because we kicked the crap out of the them." This is another hair-splitting exercise where the U.S. gets to split the hairs. If you forget the chemical reaction then guess what? Problem solved. No red lines.

9. White Phosphorous: First and Second "Battle" of Fallujah (2004)

U.S. Marines indiscriminately used the chemical agent against civilians and militants alike, maiming and killing thousands in the massacre and ruination brought upon the city—and then the Bush administration lied about it. Use as a weapon constitutes a war crime. So, the U.S. claimed it was technically only used as an obscurant. Then they got caught lying. So, then they said it was only used as a weapon against militants. Problem solved. No red lines.

10. White Phosphorous: Israel-Hezbollah War (2006)

Israeli Defense Forces indiscriminately used the chemical agent against civilians and militants alike. Using white phosphorous as a weapon still constitutes a war crime. But hey, the U.S. did it in Iraq and got away with it. Plus, Israel isn’t subject to international law anyway. Problem solved. No red lines.

11. White Phosphorous: Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009)

Israeli Defense Forces indiscriminately used the chemical agent against civilians and militants alike. But remember, Israel isn’t subject to international law, specifically not when it is terrorizing the Palestinians. And why not? Because the U.S. shields all Israeli actions from sanction at the UN and gives Israel absolute impunity. Israel is never the problem, never the criminal and never the aggressor. No red lines.

12. Sarin, VX and Mustard Gas (Now-ish)

The U.S. still has (literally) tons of chemical weapons stockpiled and has missed multiple deadlines to destroy them—in direct contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This is not a problem because hypocrisy is not a charge (and international law is not a thing) that can ever apply to the United States of America. No red lines.