ABSTRACT
This chapter intends to remove nuclear weapons and warfare from the realm of the abstract and unimaginable. Death by radiation could require a month. Here is one description of the process: The first symptoms of radiation poisoning are headache, nausea, dizziness and frequent vomiting, then acute diarrhea and fatigue. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction. Their various effects may cover vast areas and the destruction of the intended target within this area, whether military or civilian, can be made as complete as desired through the choice of weapon yield and the point of explosion. There is therefore no target strong enough to resist the intense effects of nuclear weapons, no effective defense against a determined attack. The extract from the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on nuclear weapons draws upon leading scientific and military studies to portray the consequences of nuclear conflict at the “theater” and “intercontinental” levels of confrontation.
