Humanizing the Victims: A Middle East Zone (MEZ) Free of Nuclear Weapons and the Historical Necessity of Including "Other Weapons of Mass Destruction"

Tong, Zhenkai

Abstract

With five nuclear-weapon-free-zones (NWFZ) in place, the Middle East Zone (MEZ), still undergoing negotiations, is the first NWFZ to include “other weapons of mass destruction” in its deliberations. This article seeks to examine the historical necessity of including other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the MEZ. It does so by first stressing the destructive and lingering consequences of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons against human populations and the environment. It then provides an overview of the concepts of NWFZs and zones free from other WMDs while stressing the importance of understanding the historical context surrounding these concepts. After establishing these concepts, the article discusses the historical necessity of including other WMDs in addition to nuclear weapons in NWFZ treaties by exploring case studies of the use of these weapons and their consequences. By presenting these case studies, the article demonstrates the necessity of including other WMDs by adding a human face to the consequences of not including other WMDs within the MEZ.

Citation

Tong, Z. (2022). Humanizing the Victims: A Middle East Zone (MEZ) Free of Nuclear Weapons and the Historical Necessity of Including "Other Weapons of Mass Destruction". Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 5(2), 469-486. https://doi.org/10.1080/25751654.2022.2138097

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 17, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 20, 2022
• Publication Date: Oct 20, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 31, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 31, 2022
• Journal: Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament
• Electronic ISSN: 2575-1654
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 469-486
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/25751654.2022.2138097
• Keywords: Middle East Zone, nuclear, chemical weapon, biological weapon, NWFZ
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25751654.2022.2138097
• Additional Information: Data Access Statement : This paper does not have figures.