US May Need Chemical Arsenal for Deterrence

This weekend’s elaborately choreographed, devastating and expensive aerial bombardment of Syria by the U.S., Great Britain, and France highlighted an alarming reality: The three facilities targeted represent just part of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons arsenal.

And al-Assad’s arsenal likely pales compared to those of his allies: Russia, Iran and China. And none of them is supposed to exist.

All four nations are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that we were told would "rid the world" of chemical arms. It turns out, the CWC only rid the Free World of the one proven means to prevent the use of these terrible weapons: the threat of in-kind retaliation.

Faced with the present — and growing — danger posed by these weapons of mass destruction in the hands of unfree nations, the U.S. should reconsider its posture of unilateral chemical disarmament.

Frank Gaffney, Jr. is president of the Center for Security Policy (CSP), a columnist for The Washington Times, and host of the nationally syndicated program, Secure Freedom Radio. Read more reports from Frank Gaffney, Jr. — Click Here Now.