Fentanyl as a Chemical Weapon December 2019 By John P. Caves, Jr. John P. Caves, Jr., is a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD), Institute for National Strategic Studies, at the National Defense University.The United States chemical weapons program began in 1917 during World War I with the creation of the U.S. Army's Gas Service Section and ended 73 years later in 1990 with the country's practical adoption of the Chemical Weapons Convention (signed 1993; entered into force, 1997). Destruction of stockpiled chemical weapons began in 1986 and was ...Comical-Weapon. 19 1.2K. 1. 2 3... 50 Next. DeviantArt - Homepage. DeviantArt Facebook DeviantArt Instagram DeviantArt Twitter. About Contact Core Membership ...May 12, 2015 · April 22. The German military launches the first large-scale use of chemical weapons in war at Ypres, Belgium. Nearly 170 metric tons of chlorine gas in 5,730 cylinders are buried along a four-mile stretch of the front. In the end more than 1,100 people are killed by the attack and 7,000 are injured. September 25. The Dugway sheep incident, also known as the Skull Valley sheep kill, was a March 1968 sheep kill that has been connected to United States Army chemical and biological warfare programs at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Six thousand sheep were killed on ranches near the base, and the popular explanation blamed Army testing of chemical weapons ...Sarin ( NATO designation GB [short for G-series, "B"]) is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound. [4] A colourless, odourless liquid, it is used as a chemical weapon due to its extreme potency as a nerve agent. Dec 9, 2022 · Weapons of Mass Destruction. The United States faces a rising danger from terrorists and rogue states seeking to use weapons of mass destruction. A weapon of mass destruction is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device that is intended to harm a large number of people. The Department of Homeland Security works every day to ... Mar 10, 2022 · Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and "we should all be on the lookout", the White House has said. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about ... It took less than six hours for drug-developing AI to invent 40,000 potentially lethal molecules. Researchers put AI normally used to search for helpful drugs into a kind of “bad actor” mode ...Is the same will that banned chemical weapons 100 years ago still there on a global scale? This is a personal opinion. I have the feeling that the increased use of toxic chemicals in conflict leads to the stigma diminishing. What’s useful militarily in a chemical, radiological or biological weapon attack is the fear effect. It creates fear.Feb 27, 2021 · The dirt berm in the middle of the highway forced the driver to slow for a moment, and that was all the defenders needed. Two Kurdish fighters were waiting with a 35-pound antitank rocket, and ... A chemical weapon is "any chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm" through its toxic properties, the OPCW says.Many countries classify powerful opioids like carfentanil as chemical weapons. In October 2002, after Chechen rebels stormed a Moscow theater and trapped more than 800 people for 57 hours, it ...About Comical-Weapon Artist // Student // Digital Art July 26 Mexico Deviant for 10 years He / HimIt took less than six hours for drug-developing AI to invent 40,000 potentially lethal molecules. Researchers put AI normally used to search for helpful drugs into a kind of “bad actor” mode ...Chemical weapon proliferation. Many nations continue to research and/or stockpile chemical weapon agents despite numerous efforts to reduce or eliminate them. Most states have joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which required the destruction of all chemical weapons by 2012. Twelve nations have declared chemical weapons production ...In this report, we identify some of the key technical and political challenges currently facing the broader Chemical and Biological Weapon (CBW) regime- with a particular emphasis on major forthcoming diplomatic meetings. Most significantly the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (1972) (BTWC) which will take place in 2022 and preparations for the Fifth ...CWAs have been used in at least 12 conflicts since, including the first Persian Gulf War (Iraq-Iran War). The Iraqi military also used chemical weapons against the Iraqi Kurds during the second Persian Gulf War. Civilians also have been exposed inadvertently to chemical weapons many years after weapon deployment during war.The Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, also known as the Salisbury Poisonings, was a botched assassination attempt to poison Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies in the city of Salisbury, England on 4 March 2018. [5] [6] Sergei and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned ... Mar 10, 2022 · Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and "we should all be on the lookout", the White House has said. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about ... The Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, also known as the Salisbury Poisonings, was a botched assassination attempt to poison Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies in the city of Salisbury, England on 4 March 2018. [5] [6] Sergei and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned ...Comical-Weapon Published: Apr 21, 2020 119 Favourites 3 Comments 26.3K Views riskyboots shantae Part of a comic made exclusive for my patrons where they decide the fate of a character with a poll. www.patreon.com/posts/jesters-… Please consider supporting me on patreon for early access and exclusive stuff that doesnt get posted anywhere else!Comical-Weapon. 19 1.2K. 1. 2 3... 50 Next. DeviantArt - Homepage. DeviantArt Facebook DeviantArt Instagram DeviantArt Twitter. About Contact Core Membership ... Jul 7, 2023 · The U.S. Chemical Demilitarization Program (CDP) enhanced national security by eliminating chemical warfare materiel, while protecting the workforce, public, and environment and meeting obligations specified in a multilateral arms control treaty known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Chemical weapon - WMD, Toxins, Agents: Chemical weapons did not become true weapons of mass destruction (WMD) until they were introduced in their modern form in World War I (1914–18). The German army initiated modern chemical warfare by launching a chlorine attack at Ypres, Belgium, on April 22, 1915, killing 5,000 French and Algerian troops and momentarily breaching their lines of defense ... chemical weapon, any of several chemical compounds, usually toxic agents, that are intended to kill, injure, or incapacitate enemy personnel.In modern warfare, chemical weapons were first used in World War I (1914–18), during which gas warfare inflicted more than one million of the casualties suffered by combatants in that conflict and killed an estimated 90,000.Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and "we should all be on the lookout", the White House has said. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about ...Oct 7, 2021 · Condemning the use of chemical and biological weapons as unacceptable under any context or circumstances, delegates urged all States to abide by critical existing international instruments for their regulation, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate today. Fentanyl as a Chemical Weapon December 2019 By John P. Caves, Jr. John P. Caves, Jr., is a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD), Institute for National Strategic Studies, at the National Defense University. A chemical weapon ( CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as a weapon "or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation ...The claim: Tear gas is a chemical weapon banned in war. As police officers across the country have tear-gassed crowds in attempts to disperse protesters, claims have surfaced on social media that ...May 12, 2015 · April 22. The German military launches the first large-scale use of chemical weapons in war at Ypres, Belgium. Nearly 170 metric tons of chlorine gas in 5,730 cylinders are buried along a four-mile stretch of the front. In the end more than 1,100 people are killed by the attack and 7,000 are injured. September 25. Jul 17, 2014 · To this day, phosgene is considered one of the most dangerous existing chemical weapons. It was first used in combination with chlorine gas on December 19, 1915, when Germany dropped 88 tons of ... Dave Philipps reported from Pueblo, Colo., and John Ismay from Richmond, Ky. July 6, 2023. In a sealed room behind a gantlet of armed guards and three rows of high barbed wire at the Army’s ...Chemical weapon - Banning, Prohibition, Conventions: During World War I, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia developed a wide array of chemical arms, including choking, blister, blood, and irritant agents. During World War II, Germany developed nerve agents such as toman, soman, and sarin. After World War II, the British invented VX, a more persistent nerve agent that eventually ...Chlorine. orthorhombic. Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature. Jul 7, 2023 · The U.S. Chemical Demilitarization Program (CDP) enhanced national security by eliminating chemical warfare materiel, while protecting the workforce, public, and environment and meeting obligations specified in a multilateral arms control treaty known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Apr 9, 2018 · Is the same will that banned chemical weapons 100 years ago still there on a global scale? This is a personal opinion. I have the feeling that the increased use of toxic chemicals in conflict leads to the stigma diminishing. What’s useful militarily in a chemical, radiological or biological weapon attack is the fear effect. It creates fear. VX is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent and is one of the most toxic of nerve agents. VX, like all nerve agents, interferes with the operation of an enzyme that stops muscles from contracting. When this enzyme does not work correctly muscles are constantly being stimulated. With continuous contraction of muscles ...Tue 12 Apr 2022 10.29 EDT. Last modified on Wed 13 Apr 2022 00.12 EDT. Ukraine forces holed up in the besieged city of Mariupol announced late on Monday the Russians had used “a poisonous ...According to the OPCW’s annual report for 2022, the OPCW confirmed that the United States has verifiably destroyed a total of 26,606.252 metric tons of priority Category 1 chemical weapons, which is 95.81% of the total U.S. declared stockpile. 2 The United States has destroyed all of its Category 2 chemical weapons, such as phosgene, and ...Is the same will that banned chemical weapons 100 years ago still there on a global scale? This is a personal opinion. I have the feeling that the increased use of toxic chemicals in conflict leads to the stigma diminishing. What’s useful militarily in a chemical, radiological or biological weapon attack is the fear effect. It creates fear.Apr 1, 2021 · Napalm can cause death by burns or asphyxiation. Napalm bombs generate carbon monoxide while simultaneously removing oxygen from the air. The air in the bombing area can be 20 percent or more carbon monoxide [source: GlobalSecurity.org ]. This effect occurs because napalm partially combusts the oxygen in the air, turning CO 2 (carbon dioxide ... We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us.intended for chemical weapons (dual-use items). The definition also includes munitions and devices intended for the delivery of toxic chemicals and equipment directly in connection with those munitions and devices. Chemical Weapons under the CWC A common conception of a chemical weapon is of a toxic chemical contained in a delivery system such as15 car/truck bombings with chlorine tanks used; most fatalities were from the explosions, most injuries from the chemical releases. 8 Oct 2006. Numaniyah, Iraq. Islamist terrorists. poison. policemen. 7 killed, 700 injured. poisoning of food at meal on police base; unconfirmed. 25 Sep 2006.Comical-Weapon. 19 1.1K. 1. 2 3... 45 Next. DeviantArt - Homepage. DeviantArt Facebook DeviantArt Instagram DeviantArt Twitter. About Contact Core Membership ...chemical weapons, reportedly including stocks of nerve (sarin, VX) and blister (mustard gas) agents, and their potential use. For analysis of chemical weapons possession and use in Syria, see CRS Report R42848, Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, coordinated by Mary Beth D. Nikitin.Dave Philipps reported from Pueblo, Colo., and John Ismay from Richmond, Ky. July 6, 2023. In a sealed room behind a gantlet of armed guards and three rows of high barbed wire at the Army’s ...VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in ...History as chemical weapons. Sulfur mustard is a type of chemical warfare agent. As a chemical weapon, mustard gas was first used in World War I, and has been used in several armed conflicts since then, including the Iran–Iraq War, resulting in more than 100,000 casualties.Mar 6, 2023 · Syria’s full cooperation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is essential to closing all outstanding issues related to its initial and subsequent declarations, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today during its monthly briefing on implementation of resolution 2118 (2013) on elimination of the country’s chemical weapons programme ... The use of chemical weapons is prohibited in international armed conflicts in a series of treaties, including the Hague Declaration concerning Asphyxiating Gases, the Geneva Gas Protocol, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Statute of the International Criminal Court. [1] At present, only 13 States are not party to either the Geneva Gas ...Apr 21, 2020 · Comical-Weapon Published: Apr 21, 2020 119 Favourites 3 Comments 26.3K Views riskyboots shantae Part of a comic made exclusive for my patrons where they decide the fate of a character with a poll. www.patreon.com/posts/jesters-… Please consider supporting me on patreon for early access and exclusive stuff that doesnt get posted anywhere else! Mike Rothschild. From homemade tanks to nuclear land mines kept warm by chickens, war brings out the engineers in people. When a weapons system works, it's made by the thousands, and sometimes used for decades. But when it doesn't, it's quickly added to the dustbin of bad ideas. Many of these ridiculous, odd, and exceptionally weird weapons ...Phosgene is a planar molecule as predicted by VSEPR theory. The C=O distance is 1.18 Å, the C−Cl distance is 1.74 Å and the Cl−C−Cl angle is 111.8°. [9] Phosgene is a carbon oxohalide and it can be considered one of the simplest acyl chlorides, being formally derived from carbonic acid.About Comical-Weapon Artist // Student // Digital Art July 26 Mexico Deviant for 10 years He / HimSarin ( NATO designation GB [short for G-series, "B"]) is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound. [4] A colourless, odourless liquid, it is used as a chemical weapon due to its extreme potency as a nerve agent.Mike Rothschild. From homemade tanks to nuclear land mines kept warm by chickens, war brings out the engineers in people. When a weapons system works, it's made by the thousands, and sometimes used for decades. But when it doesn't, it's quickly added to the dustbin of bad ideas. Many of these ridiculous, odd, and exceptionally weird weapons ...The first reported use of chemical weapons came at 02:45 local time on 21 August in Ein Tarma, in about 6km (3.7 miles) east of the centre of Damascus, and again at 02:47 in Zamalka, an adjoining ...The weapon of mass destruction most likely to be used is a chemical weapon. Russia once possessed the world’s largest stockpile of chemical weapons, ranging from nerve agents such as Sarin and ...CNN —. After US intelligence accurately predicted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s disturbing that Americans now fear Russia is preparing to use chemical weapons during the conflict. “I ...Updated. Artificial intelligence was used to ‘easily’ invent 40,000 new possible chemical weapons in just six hours. This is according to researchers who turned a drug-developing AI into a ...Apr 29, 1997 · The OPCW. History was made on 29 April 1997 with the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)—the world’s first multilateral disarmament agreement to provide for the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction within a fixed time frame. The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force on 29 April 1997. To this day, phosgene is considered one of the most dangerous existing chemical weapons. It was first used in combination with chlorine gas on December 19, 1915, when Germany dropped 88 tons of ...OPCW confirms: All declared chemical weapons stockpiles verified as irreversibly destroyed The United States of America, the last possessor State, completed the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile 7 July 2023. Australia contributes over €60,000 to OPCW missions in Syria Australia is a steadfast supporter of the OPCW and its ...Chemical weapon - Defense, Protection, Prevention: Since World War I the military organizations of all the great powers have acquired defensive equipment to cope with emerging offensive chemical weapons. The first and most important line of defense against chemical agents is the individual protection provided by gas masks and protective clothing and the collective protection of combat vehicles ... Mar 10, 2022 · Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and "we should all be on the lookout", the White House has said. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about ... Phosgene is a planar molecule as predicted by VSEPR theory. The C=O distance is 1.18 Å, the C−Cl distance is 1.74 Å and the Cl−C−Cl angle is 111.8°. [9] Phosgene is a carbon oxohalide and it can be considered one of the simplest acyl chlorides, being formally derived from carbonic acid. Sarin ( NATO designation GB [short for G-series, "B"]) is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound. [4] A colourless, odourless liquid, it is used as a chemical weapon due to its extreme potency as a nerve agent.The Russian Federation is known to possess or have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons, biological weapons, and chemical weapons. It is one of the five nuclear-weapon states recognized under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons . Russia possesses a total of 5,889 nuclear warheads as of 2023 ...Napalm can cause death by burns or asphyxiation. Napalm bombs generate carbon monoxide while simultaneously removing oxygen from the air. The air in the bombing area can be 20 percent or more carbon monoxide [source: GlobalSecurity.org ]. This effect occurs because napalm partially combusts the oxygen in the air, turning CO 2 (carbon dioxide ...Chemical weapons investigations. Investigating claims of chemical weapons use is often challenging. Inspectors will look to gather victim and witness reports to help establish the facts of any ...Mar 14, 2022 · According to the OPCW’s annual report for 2022, the OPCW confirmed that the United States has verifiably destroyed a total of 26,606.252 metric tons of priority Category 1 chemical weapons, which is 95.81% of the total U.S. declared stockpile. 2 The United States has destroyed all of its Category 2 chemical weapons, such as phosgene, and ... Mar 14, 2022 · According to the OPCW’s annual report for 2022, the OPCW confirmed that the United States has verifiably destroyed a total of 26,606.252 metric tons of priority Category 1 chemical weapons, which is 95.81% of the total U.S. declared stockpile. 2 The United States has destroyed all of its Category 2 chemical weapons, such as phosgene, and ... VX is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent and is one of the most toxic of nerve agents. VX, like all nerve agents, interferes with the operation of an enzyme that stops muscles from contracting. When this enzyme does not work correctly muscles are constantly being stimulated. With continuous contraction of muscles ...Comical-Weapon. 1 705. Sumo Princesses-Page 9. Comical-Weapon. 1 673. 1. 2 3 Next. DeviantArt - Homepage. DeviantArt Facebook DeviantArt Instagram DeviantArt Twitter.White phosphorus munitions. US Air Force Douglas A-1E Skyraider dropping a 45 kilograms (100 lb) M47 white phosphorus bomb on a Viet Cong position in South Vietnam in 1966. White phosphorus munitions are weapons that use one of the common allotropes of the chemical element phosphorus. White phosphorus is used in smoke, illumination, and ... The use of chemical weapons is prohibited in international armed conflicts in a series of treaties, including the Hague Declaration concerning Asphyxiating Gases, the Geneva Gas Protocol, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Statute of the International Criminal Court. [1] At present, only 13 States are not party to either the Geneva Gas ... The Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, also known as the Salisbury Poisonings, was a botched assassination attempt to poison Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies in the city of Salisbury, England on 4 March 2018. [5] [6] Sergei and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned ...Fentanyl as a Chemical Weapon December 2019 By John P. Caves, Jr. John P. Caves, Jr., is a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD), Institute for National Strategic Studies, at the National Defense University. chemical weapons, reportedly including stocks of nerve (sarin, VX) and blister (mustard gas) agents, and their potential use. For analysis of chemical weapons possession and use in Syria, see CRS Report R42848, Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, coordinated by Mary Beth D. Nikitin.Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and "we should all be on the lookout", the White House has said. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about ...Jun 12, 2006 · The toxic substance later became known as lewisite, one of the most deadly poison gases developed until well after World War I. Produced by the United States during the latter part of that war, it had also been independently discovered, although not manufactured, in Germany. During World War II, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, the ... VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in ... Chlorine. orthorhombic. Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature.The Russian Federation is known to possess or have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons, biological weapons, and chemical weapons. It is one of the five nuclear-weapon states recognized under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons . Russia possesses a total of 5,889 nuclear warheads as of 2023 ... Updated. Artificial intelligence was used to ‘easily’ invent 40,000 new possible chemical weapons in just six hours. This is according to researchers who turned a drug-developing AI into a ...15 car/truck bombings with chlorine tanks used; most fatalities were from the explosions, most injuries from the chemical releases. 8 Oct 2006. Numaniyah, Iraq. Islamist terrorists. poison. policemen. 7 killed, 700 injured. poisoning of food at meal on police base; unconfirmed. 25 Sep 2006.
The Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, also known as the Salisbury Poisonings, was a botched assassination attempt to poison Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies in the city of Salisbury, England on 4 March 2018. [5] [6] Sergei and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned .... 1_11_zabiegi na cialo
About Comical-Weapon Artist // Student // Digital Art July 26 Mexico Deviant for 10 years He / HimNovichok (Russian: Новичо́к, lit. 'newcomer, novice, newbie') is a group of nerve agents, some of which are binary chemical weapons.The agents were developed at the GosNIIOKhT state chemical research institute by the Soviet Union and Russia between 1971 and 1993.Oct 7, 2021 · Condemning the use of chemical and biological weapons as unacceptable under any context or circumstances, delegates urged all States to abide by critical existing international instruments for their regulation, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate today. May 12, 2015 · April 22. The German military launches the first large-scale use of chemical weapons in war at Ypres, Belgium. Nearly 170 metric tons of chlorine gas in 5,730 cylinders are buried along a four-mile stretch of the front. In the end more than 1,100 people are killed by the attack and 7,000 are injured. September 25. VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in ... Feb 15, 2023 · a weapon (such as mustard gas or sarin) used in chemical warfare… See the full definition Hello, Username. Log In Sign Up Games & Quizzes ... Comical-Weapon. 1 705. Sumo Princesses-Page 9. Comical-Weapon. 1 673. 1. 2 3 Next. DeviantArt - Homepage. DeviantArt Facebook DeviantArt Instagram DeviantArt Twitter.Jan 2, 2023 · Upwards of 1,729 people were killed in the attack, leaving 3,600 individuals severely crippled with neurotoxic symptoms. Metal vial used to deliver ricin during the 2003 "Ricin Letter" attacks. 8. Ricin. Ricin is a highly potent chemical weapon derived from the seeds of castor bean plants. The Russian Federation is the home of the former Soviet stockpile of chemical weapons consisting of a declared stockpile of nearly 40,000 metric tons of chemical nerve, blister and choking agents. According to some reports, the total stockpile exceeds 50,000 tons, with an additional 32,300 ton stockpile of phosphorus agents.Comical-Weapon. 19 1.1K. 1. 2 3... 45 Next. DeviantArt - Homepage. DeviantArt Facebook DeviantArt Instagram DeviantArt Twitter. About Contact Core Membership ....