Pointing at the USA as the standard is among the worst defences there is for war crimes. Whoever authorised this tactic belongs in prison.
Comment on Ukraine Sends Evidence of 10,000 Russian Chemical Attacks to The Hague
Koolio@hexbear.net 3 weeks ago
I thought it was going to be heinous, but its just tear gas, which is technically a chemical weapon. We’re routinely hit with CN/CS here in the states as civilians, there are adverse health effects they do not really talk about though.
Aria@lemmygrad.ml 3 weeks ago
Skua@kbin.earth 3 weeks ago
Chloropicrin isn't tear gas, it's a pesticide that's poisonous to humans. It was used in WW1 because it can circumvent and damage gas masks, and it absolutely can kill
Russia is a signatory to both the 1925 Protocol and the 1993 Convention against using chemical weapons (the latter of which even specifically names chloropicrin), so usage of these - even the ones police use - is a war crime
Also, really, is "American police use them" a defence?
LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 3 weeks ago
if Russia is going to use illegal chemical weapons why the fuck would they use this instead of literally any of a number of more effective chemical weapons
Skua@kbin.earth 3 weeks ago
Probably specifically because they have non-war uses (even if the police ones shouldn't be used like that, they currently are). The convention classifies chemical weapons differently depending on their civilian uses, so you can stockpile a lot of pesticide without attracting attention much more easily than you can stockpile a lot of novichok
Aria@lemmygrad.ml 3 weeks ago
Are there more effective chemical weapons for this task at a similar price? Include transport risks in your assessment.