Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei tweeted that ‘Tear gas with nerve agent has been used against the Tahrir Square demonstrators’. This raises the suspicion of use of chemical weapons in the ongoing struggle for democracy in West Asia. This commentary analyses the relevance of chemical weapons in the Arab Spring.
The US Special Forces undertook Operation Neptune Spear nicknamed “Geronimo” to kill Osama bin Laden on May 02, 2011. The importance of this operation is momentous. In the absence of any detailed disclosure by the US administration (till date) about the conduct of this operation, except the press conference held by intelligence officials immediately after the operation, it becomes difficult to study this operation in depth. On the other hand both multiple narratives of this operation are available in electronic and print media.
Chemical science has a direct relationship with human life. In order to celebrate the value of chemistry, the United Nations (UN) has declared 2011 as the ‘International Year of Chemistry’. Various bodies of the UN including UNESCO and other organisations like the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have been entrusted with popularising the science of chemistry.
India and France must now develop a joint marketing strategy for satellite launches and also concentrate on the joint design and development of satellites for smaller developing countries.
China’s development of a space station is not only for the purpose of scientific experimentation but also to showcase its technological and economic strength.
The history of the use of biological agents by non-state actors indicates that radical groups, religious fanatics and even disgruntled scientists have engaged in bioterrorism
The larger issue which the GSAT-12 launch brings to the fore is that of the mounting demand for satellite transponders and India’s capabilities in this regard.
The US is stopping the shuttle programme by design and not for want of technology or money; nor does discontinuing the space shuttle indicate that the US has lost the space race.
The Ghost of Chemical Weapons in the Arab Spring
Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei tweeted that ‘Tear gas with nerve agent has been used against the Tahrir Square demonstrators’. This raises the suspicion of use of chemical weapons in the ongoing struggle for democracy in West Asia. This commentary analyses the relevance of chemical weapons in the Arab Spring.