U.S. Army publication confirms United States used incendiary weapon in Falluja

U.S. Army publication confirms United States used incendiary weapon in Falluja

RAW STORY

The March edition of Field Artillery magazine, a U.S. Army publication,
reveals that the U.S. military did in fact use the incendiary weapon
white phosphorous in Fallujah, Iraq, a Daily Kos diarist has found.

"WP [i.e., white phosphorus rounds] proved to be an effective and
versatile munition," the article's author wrote. "We used it for
screening missions at two breeches and, later in the fight, as a potent
psychological weapon against the insurgents in trench lines and spider
holes when we could not get effects on them with HE. We fired 'shake and
bake' missions at the insurgents, using WP to flush them out and HE to
take them out."

A second publication, Infantry Magazine, also alleges that white
phosphorous was used near the Iraqi city of Irbil. Newsroom sources tell
RAW STORY that the New York Times held a story they were scheduled to
run on the weapon's use Thursday.
Advertisement

A terrifying video about the U.S. use of the weapon in Fallujah is
available at Information Clearinghouse.

The U.S. has said any use of the weapon was for "lighting" purposes.

According to the Toxic Disease registry, "White phosphorus is a waxy
solid which burns easily and is used in chemical manufacturing and smoke
munitions. Exposure to white phosphorus may cause burns and irritation,
liver, kidney, heart, lung, or bone damage, and death."

Wikipedia adds, "Detonating a WP shell in a confined area (like firing
into a building) will indeed cause an effect comparable to the use of
lung agent poison gases for those inside who do not or can not flee,
with the additional consequence of setting the room(s) alight. Death
will occur from lung edema, phosphoric acid poisoning or the resulting
shock, or burns."

Use of white phosphorus is not banned by name in any international
treaty. However, the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (Protocol
III) prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against civilian
populations or in areas that have high civilian populations. The United
States is among several nations that are not signatories to the convention.

==========