The US military use of white phosphorous munitions in Fallujah is getting a lot of press. Especially as a "chemical weapon" according to the original Italian news broadcast and this Guardian commentary. Others disagree that they are, in fact, chemical weapons. I would have to agree, no matter how repulsive they are, fundamentally it's just a different way of lighting people on fire. In Iraq, the US government lights people on fire with conventional explosives, with napalm, and also with white phosphorous (WP). And plenty of people, civilians and fighters alike, die in other horrible manners. It seems to me that the difference here is that for some interpretations of what "chemical weapon" means, WP might fall within that classification. And the public reason for the entry into the war had to deal with lies about weapons of mass destruction such as chemical arms.
Rather, I think the most disturbing part of the story, also seen in the articles above, is the clear murder of the truth. The use of WP was denied repeatedly until sufficient evidence became public that even the Defense Department had to relent and tell the truth. If WP is okay to use on an Iraqi town, which the military obviously believes is the case, then you have to be willing to admit it in public.
The Iraqi government is also investigating what happened in Fallujah.
Posted by duver001 at November 16, 2005 10:30 AM | TrackBack