What is the true definition of "weapons of mass destruction"?

Answer 1

A 'Weapon of Mass Destruction' is any weapon - which by its very nature - produces effects that cannot be limited to its intended target.

Chemical weapons are an example of WMD because their effects cannot be limited to the battlefield. Due to its very nature the gas will drift in an unpredictable manner.

Answer 2

I can not wait to hear these answers. I heard on PBS that Hunter Gathers had weapons of mass destruction with just spears, bows and arrows.
Seems to me any suicide bomber has the capacity to be one. It does not require a chemical weapon or some Hitler type mode to create disaster. Japanese Kamakazee destroyed ship after ship and was a real threat during that war. 9-11 was intended to affect more casualties. Who knew we could evacuate thousands in such a short time. Yet, now our first responders suffer and die from respiratory illness, The death totals from Sept 11 are rising.
Wish I knew what the definition was. Please enlighten us folks. Thanks for the great question.

This is great. So, killing thousands? and tons of people is more important that just 3 to 4 thousand? IED's are the number 1 killer of our service people. Not at one time yet the numbers have added up? Less mass destructive? Atomic bomb is usually associated with catastrophic loss. Where do u draw the lines here?
I spoke to a Army Sargent when first deployed they faced cyanide, never reported. Now chlorine bombs. Who is to say the cache of whatever was held was not evacuated well b4 our investigators got there?

Answer 3

The true definition is : weapons which are used and can be used for destructive purposes like killing, terrorism are the "weapons of mass destruction" in the real sense. it includes explosives, disastrous chemicals, bio technologies etc. which can destroy vast area in least possible time.

Answer 4

Human Beings

Answer 5

Weapons that can kill indiscriminately a large number of people. It doesn't have to be in the thousands to be considered mass destruction. It simply has to be something that isn't focused and doesn't kill its focused target only but comes with collateral andinnocent damage and death.

A lot like what we're doing in Iraq.

Answer 6

Any device or system designed to create mass casualties or deaths. We call them NBC(Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) weapons in the military.

Answer 7

weapons of mass destruction

Weapons that can produce devastating results when delivered in a single strike. They include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.

Answer 8

Weapons capable of killing thousands of people at a time, AKA poison gases, on up to nuclear weapons.

Answer 9

From a purely technical standpoint, it is a device or biochemical that is capable of killing thousands of humans in a very brief time.

The atomic bomb is a classic example of a WMD.

Answer 10

Any weapon, chemical or explosive, that can cause death to a huge number of people with just one device.