US fired phosphorus in Iraq, TV reports (military admits MK77s, denies WP)

[cyberpj]

If it's true that we're using chemical weapons in a war to stop others from using chemical weapons, doesn't this merit outrage?

========================================================
US fired phosphorus in Iraq, TV reports
By Reuters | November 9, 2005

ROME -- Italian television aired a documentary yesterday alleging that the United States had used white phosphorus shells ''in a massive and indiscriminate way" against civilians in the November 2004 offensive in the Iraqi town of Fallujah.

The US military has denied that it used white phosphorus against civilians. It confirmed, however, that US forces had dropped MK 77 firebombs, which a documentary on Italian state-run broadcaster RAI compared to napalm, against military targets in Iraq in March and April 2003.

The documentary showed images of bodies recovered after a November 2004 offensive by US troops on Fallujah, which it said proved the use of white phosphorus against men, women, and children who were burned to the bone.

snip
''Suggestions that US forces targeted civilians with these weapons are simply wrong," US Marine Major Tim Keefe said in an e-mail message. ''Had the producers of the documentary bothered to ask us for comment, we would have certainly told them that the premise of the program was erroneous."

He said US forces do not use chemical weapons in Iraq.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/11/09/us_fired_phosphorus_in_iraq_tv_reports/


Details and video can be found in these threads:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5288550

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5295412


MORE INFO:
On November 12, 2004, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a denial of the chemical weapons charge, stating:

"The United States categorically denies the use of chemical weapons at anytime in Iraq, which includes the ongoing Fallujah operation. Furthermore, the United States does not under any circumstance support or condone the development, production, acquisition, transfer or use of chemical weapons by any country. All chemical weapons currently possessed by the United States have been declared to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and are being destroyed in the United States in accordance with our obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention."

http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive_Index/Illegal_Wea...

That was counter to the article in the March/April edition of the US Army's "Field Artillery Magazine."

http://sill-www.army.mil/FAMAG/Previous_Editions/05/mar...

<snip> "The munitions we brought to this fight were . . . illumination and white phosphorous (WP, M110 and M825), with point-detonating (PD), delay, time and variable-time (VT) fuzes."

"WP proved to be an effective and versatile munition. 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."

[sinkingfeeling]

1. See this thread as well, since many here do not think this action was

wrong in any way..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5313063&mesg_id=5313063

[cyberpj]

6. That's just incredible to me. I guess Geneva conventions are only

for OTHER countries.

[rfkrfk]

7. how does this involve the Geneva Convention?

did you mean the Hague Convention?

[cyberpj]

8. My bad - Kos says "1980 UN treaty" and another one in 1997.

"The investigation will also broadcast documentary proof of the use in Iraq of a new napalm formula called MK77. The use of the incendiary substance on civilians is forbidden by a 1980 UN treaty. The use of chemical weapons is forbidden by a treaty which the US signed in 1997"

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/7/11819/9522

So much is related to Geneva I guess I jumbled it all in my brain. So many atrocities it's hard to keep track of all the agreements Bush admin is breaking.

[rfkrfk]

9. do you have any more info?

about the treaties?

this link 'seems' to involve 1997

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_Weapons_Convention

but does not include white phosphorus



can't find anything on '1980'


Ciao

[cyberpj]

10. Hmmm... really busy at work today but go to the source...ask Kos

he's the one who posted the article on his blog.

[annabanana]

2. napalm in Iraqnam...

Anyone else here remember boycotting Dow Chemical until they passed it on to someone else?

[prescole]

3. How will history remember this administration?

I used to think "fascist" an was absurdly overstated description for these assholes. Now I wonder if it's not spot on.
It makes me sick to think that my tax dollars have been used to torture, to detain without due process, to erode our civil liberties, to kill innocent civilians, and now, it appears nearly certain, to use chemical weapons.
Bush belongs strung up by his toes like Mussolini.

[yttik]

4. This is so sad

I keep thinking of history repeating itself. Many of us knew this would become another Vietnam. I'm still haunted by the photos of the little girl napalmed in that war.

[prescole]

5. Welcome to DU

That little Vietnamese girl grew up just fine...physically, anyway. God only knows what an experience like that does to a child.