The use of chemical weapons has a long history, stretching from ancient poisoned arrows aimed at a single person to modern nerve gases that can affect thousands and persist in the atmosphere for long periods. During the Iran-Iraq War, which began in 1980, Iraq directed chemical warfare agents not only at Iranian forces but also at several thousand of its own people. In 1995, the terrorist group Aum Shinrikyo released the nerve gas sarin in a Tokyo subway, killing a dozen civilians and injuring hundreds more. Today, anyone could be a target.
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