A previously classified Department of Defense (DoD) directive, titled “Chemical Weapons Policy” (S-3145.2), dated July 23, 1987, has been released following a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) filed by The Black Vault. This document, which appears to have never been made public before, outlines U.S. military policy regarding the employment of chemical weapons during wartime.
The directive was signed and implemented by William H. Taft IV, who served as the Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan. Taft, a prominent figure in defense and legal circles, was known for his role in shaping U.S. military policy during the Cold War era. His tenure included significant contributions to the strategic doctrines that governed the use of weapons of mass destruction.
According to the document release, which took more than four years to get completed, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) initially had no objections to releasing the directive in full. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff intervened, resulting in specific portions being redacted. The redactions were made under Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(5), which protects information that could potentially reveal active U.S. military war plans or operational elements of past plans that remain relevant.
The release of this document provides insight into U.S. chemical weapons policy during a critical period in the late 20th century. The directive explicitly details the U.S. strategy to deter the use of chemical, toxin, and biological weapons by maintaining military capabilities to retaliate effectively. It states, “The U.S. reservation to the Geneva Protocol of 1925… allows for retaliation with chemical weapons against a violator if chemical, toxin, or biological weapons are used against U.S. allies even if U.S. forces are not directly attacked.”
The directive also outlines the procedures for the deployment and employment of chemical weapons, emphasizing the importance of maintaining readiness and survivability of chemical-capable forces. For instance, it asserts that “Chemical weapons shall be employed only against suitable tactical targets of military value,” and underscores that the use of such weapons in response to enemy chemical attacks requires the approval of the President of the United States.
The redacted portions also would have seemed to have added more important context when it comes to the use of chemical weapons. For example:
In this particular portion above, you can see that the redacted portions outline the intended damage caused by a retaliatory chemical weapon strike. The paragraph later talks about the want to inflict “at least” but the next portion is redacted.
Another section talks about the “maximum effectiveness” of chemical capabilities, but the opening remarks are fully redacted.
The MDR process, which led to the release of this document, allows for the declassification of government records in response to a specific request. The Black Vault utilized this process to obtain the directive, shedding light on a piece of Cold War history that had remained hidden for decades.
The document is available below for download.
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Document Archive
Release of the 1987 DoD Directive S-3145.2: Chemical Weapons Policy [10 Pages, 2MB]
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