Weapon of Mass Destruction Definition:

David Fidler wrote:

"[W]eapons of mass destruction is a term that generally encompasses nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, with radiological weapons occasionally included. Contemporary international legal analysis generally follows this conventional definition of WMD, even though neither treaty law nor customary international law contains an authoritative definition of WMD."

On April 28, 204, the United Nations Security Council enacted Resolution #1540 in which it indirectly defined weapons of mass destruction as nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

The United States Code, at Title 18:

"[W]eapon of mass destruction means any destructive device ... (i.e. explosive, incendiary, or poison gas destructive device or bomb); any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors; any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector... ; or any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life."

REFERENCES:

• Duhaime, Lloyd, Duhaime's Legal Dictionary
• Duhaime, Lloyd, Duhaime's Legal Citations & Abbreviations
• Fidler, David, Weapons of Mass Destruction and International Law (American Society of International Law, 2003)
• Ramraj, Victor and others, Global Anti-Terrorism Law and Policy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), pages 267-268
• United States Code, Title 18, §921 and §2332a