Weapons of mass destruction

Abstract

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a term commonly used to refer to nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, but the precise meaning of the term is unclear. There is no treaty or customary international law that contains an authoritative definition. Instead, international law has generally been applied to specific categories of weapons and not to WMD as a whole. Some experts consider only nuclear weapons to be true weapons of mass destruction; other experts argue that other weapons, such as radiologic weapons, antipersonnel land mines, and explosives and incendiaries used indiscriminately, should be included among WMD.