War of the poison dart: How Britain planned to rain death on the Nazis with sewing machine needles – The Daily Mail
The concept sounds almost medieval in its crude simplicity. A war strategy to shower enemy troops with tens of thousands of poisoned darts made from sewing machine needles that could bring death in minutes…

Britain’s secret weapon: sewing needles – Alan Travis – The Guardian
British biological warfare scientists developed a poisoned dart to rain down on enemy troops during the second world war and used sewing machine needles to make prototypes…

Britain considered Japan chemical attack: records – AFP
Britain considered attacking Tokyo with chemical weapons almost a year before the US bombardments that ended World War II in Asia, declassified records revealed on Friday. The records at the National Archives, which have remained hidden from public view for 65 years, revealed clear proposals to use gas on civilians in 1944…

British wanted poison darts for WWII – Gregory Katz, The Associated Press – Accessed from The Edmonton Sun
Long before Ian Fleming dreamed up James Bond, the British military was planning to develop poison darts, lethal weapons that would have pleased 007 and his gadget man, Q. Detailed proposals about the poison-laden darts, which were supposed to be dropped on enemy troops from Royal Air Force bombers…

OPCW Chief Meets With Leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina – Global Security Newswire
The head of the organization that monitors compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention met Monday with top officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina to discuss efforts by national governments to enforce the treaty…

Gas leak detected at weapons depot – KTVZ News
Employees of the Umatilla Chemical Depot detected a small leak of the chemical warfare agent mustard gas in 1 of the storage igloos but depot officials said the leak would be repaired and decontaminated with no risk to humans…

Chemical Plants Must Be Safe From Attack – By Reps. Bennie Thompson, Henry Waxman, Sheila Jackson Lee and Ed Markey – Roll Call
It is a terrible fact of life after 9/11 that we now more fully understand the elements of a terrorist attack. It involves a weapon, a target and a terrorist. In London, Madrid, Islamabad, Mumbai and Bali, the elements were separate and distinct. In some cases, however, the weapon and the target could be one and the same…

House Panel Advances Chemical Security Bill – Chris Strohm – Global Security Newswire
Chemical facilities across the country could be required to use safer technologies and processes and could be sued for security violations under legislation approved by Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee late Tuesday…

No Public Comment Offered On Arsenal’s Burn Permit – Amy Riggin – The Pine Bluff Commercial
It appears that local residents don’t have much to say about continued chemical weapons incineration. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality held a meeting Monday at White Hall City Hall to give the public a chance to provide input on the Pine Bluff Arsenal’s chemical weapons disposal permit renewal…

Judge Denies Injunction Against Mustard Agent Incineration at Umatilla – Global Security Newswire
The U.S. Army’s Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon will continue burning mustard blister agent for the time being despite objections from environmental groups…

Disarmament cooperation with Russia: construction begins today on a new chemical weapons destruction plant in Pochep, German MFA announced – Auswärtiges Amt
Today (22 June 2009) German firms, charged by the Federal Foreign Office, will begin construction of the technical equipment for the chemical weapons destruction plant being built in Pochep in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation. Under a G8 initiative known as the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, the German Government is supporting…

Update: Arsenal Up For New Permit – Melissa Dunbar-Gates – TodaysTHV
You’re probably aware that just north of Pine Bluff an arsenal is burning and destroying chemical weapons. Most date back to the 1940’s and 1950’s. Monday night the public had a chance to speak out about the arsenal’s permit to do so…

Umatilla Chemical Depot update – The East Oregonian
With the startup of operations again at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, the East Oregonian is starting up its weekly update again. The depot described its start to destroying the mustard ton containers as “slow” and “deliberate,” noting the numbers on the amount destroyed won’t be large to start with…

North Korea’s Chemical and Biological Weapons Programs – International Crisis Group Report
This report examines North Korea’s chemical and biological weapons capabilities in the context of its military doctrine and national objectives. It is based on open source literature, interviews and unpublished documents made available to Crisis Group. Companion reports published simultaneously assess the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and what the policy response of the international community should be to its recent nuclear and missile testing…

North Korea Could Use Chemical Weapons in Conflict, Report Says – Global Security Newswire
A report released today said that military conflict with North Korea might lead the isolated regime to use its sizable chemical arsenal against South Korea…

US boosts Hawaii defense to counter NKorea threat – Vijay Joshi – The Associated Press
The United States says it has deployed anti-missile defenses around Hawaii, following reports that North Korea is preparing to fire its most advanced ballistic missile in that direction to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day holiday next month…

Analysts: NKorea’s chemical arms as grave as nukes – Jae-Soon Chang – The Associated Press
North Korea’s massive stockpile of chemical weapons is as threatening as its nuclear program, analysts said Thursday, highlighting an aspect of the secretive regime’s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction that is rarely talked about…

N. Korea chemical weapons threaten the region: report – The China Times
North Korea has several thousand tons of chemical weapons it can mount on missiles that could be used on a rapid strike against the South, said a report released on Thursday by the International Crisis Group (ICG)…

Massive chemical attack drill carried out across Wisconsin – Brian Bull – Wisconsin Public Radio
Ten Wisconsin hospitals and the U.S. Army Reserve are staging several mass casualty drills this week. Officials say “Operation Red Dragon” is the largest ever exercise they’ve done yet to prepare for a possible, large-scale disaster…

Russia Pledges to Meet 2009 Chemical Weapons Disposal Obligation – Global Security Newswire
A senior Russian official said this week that the nation would meet its obligation to destroy 45 percent of its chemical weapons stockpile by the end of this year…

DHS Officials, Industry Reps Protest Chemical Security Bill – Mickey McCarter – Homeland Security Today
The House Homeland Security Committee will begin markup Thursday of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 (HR 2868)–but it does so over the resistance of the panel’s Republicans, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and representatives of the chemical industry…