Where Are The WMDs?

Where Are The WMDs? The Reality of Chem-Bio Threats on the Home Front and the Battlefront, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2006

There are many books on the Iraq war and on WMD-type issues, but this is the first to offer a historical overview of chemical-biological defense issues and a policy analysis of how the U. S. government addresses the threat of weapons of mass destruction and how ground forces deal with the problem on the battlefield. Al Mauroni looks at how the 9/11 disaster forced the Department of Defense to review its management of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense equipment and then make significant changes. He outlines in detail the government's decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq and search for WMDs.

The fact that no such weapons were found, the author explains, has had dramatic consequences for how U.S. military forces address the use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons in Iraq and how they support the federal response to terrorist incidents involving these weapons at home. Mauroni draws on two decades of experience in the area of chemical-biological defense policy to present this comprehensive analysis of the decision-making process within the Department of Defense and the actions of U.S. forces in the second Iraq War. Explaining that "WMD" is no longer a useful term for the threat faced by military leaders and emergency professionals, he also outlines a number of lessons learned from the conflicts in the Middle East and offers recommendations on how to improve CBRN defense for the future.

Army Chemical Review, 2007
Air and Space Power Review, 2007
Terrorism and Political Violence Review, 2008

CB Warfare - A Reference Handbook, 2d ed

Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Reference Handbook, second edition, ABC-Clio, Santa Barbara, CA, 2006

A thorough handbook covering the facts, history, and controversies surrounding our most controversial and misunderstood unconventional weapons.

Short of a nuclear holocaust, no weapons are more frightening to us—or more sensationalized by the media—than chemical and biological weapons. But we can face these invisible killers and even overcome them, writes former army chemical officer Al Mauroni, if we stop moralizing and focus on understanding the facts.

Unlike most books on this topic, the expanded second edition of Mauroni's popular reference handbook is neither sensationalistic nor moralistic. Instead, it offers readers a reasoned, thorough, and fact-based introduction to this highly charged issue.

Covering the period from World War I through the Iraq War, Chemical and Biological Warfare not only describes the development of key chemical and biological agents, such as anthrax, tularemia, brucellosis, VEE, Q fever, and botulinum toxin, it also assesses the threats we face, compares military CB warfare with terrorist incidents, explains effective defensive measures, and clarifies the responsibilities of the various federal agencies charged to address these issues. With extensive new material, this edition provides an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to this vitally important topic.

Midwest Book Review

CB Warfare - A Reference Handbook

Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Reference Handbook, ABC-Clio, Santa Barbara, CA, 2003

Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Reference Handbook surveys the history of modern chemical and biological weapons, from their genesis on World War I battlefields through their World War II deployment and Cold War research and development to present-day policies and strategies.

Casting aside moral issues and scare tactics, this uniquely unbiased reference explores both sides of this highly controversial topic, explaining the utility, necessity, and protected use of such weapons as well as the ramifications of their abuse. From delivery systems (bombs, missiles, rockets) and defense methods (detection devices, protective suits, decontaminants) to the deployment of such weapons in the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, students and concerned citizens alike will discover the real reasons behind U.S. support for chemical and biological warfare.

Army Chemical Review