IS launches chemical weapons: How great is the threat?
Confirmation from two reputable organizations this week that the self-described Islamic State used chemical weapons against Kurds in Iraq offers clues into the group’s capabilities and intentions.
Though the use of chemical weapons can create fear, the recent attack in some ways points to IS’s limitations.
The type of chemical weapon used, which contained chlorine, is not very potent. And while chlorine can cause a violent physical reaction, the effect of such weapons is mostly psychological. Indeed, IS might have used chemical weapons primarily to save their conventional ammunition.
