Pentagon Used White Phosphorous in Iraq...

washingtonpost ^ | Tuesday, November 15, 2005; 6:02 PM | ROBERT BURNS (AP)

[fontoon]

Pentagon Used White Phosphorous in Iraq By ROBERT BURNS The Associated Press Tuesday, November 15, 2005; 6:02 PM

WASHINGTON -- Pentagon officials acknowledged Tuesday that U.S. troops used white phosphorous as a weapon against insurgent strongholds during the battle of Fallujah last November. But they denied an Italian television news report that the spontaneously flammable material was used against civilians.

Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said that while white phosphorous is most frequently used to mark targets or obscure a position, it was used at times in Fallujah as an incendiary weapon against enemy combatants.

"It was not used against civilians," Venable said.

The spokesman referred reporters to an article in the March-April 2005 edition of the Army's Field Artillery magazine, an official publication, in which veterans of the Fallujah fight spelled out their use of white phosphorous and other weapons. The authors used the shorthand "WP" in referring to white phosphorous.

"WP proved to be an effective and versatile munition," the authors 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 (high explosive)" munitions.

[Radix]

"We should have only fired nerf balls at the terrorists."

Please, I am certain that you meant to say spitballs.

[GingisK]

I don't understand how using a smoke screen is illegal

WP is an incendiary, not a smoke screen.

I don't see why an incendiary would be illegal while HE is not. Weapons are weapons. If you've got 'em, use 'em.

[takbodan]

"Jesse says, "White phosphorous across the Bosporus is
preposterous.""

I thought he said, "If the phosphorus flies so must I."

[mdittmar]

Just another opportunity to repost a great article,

Hey washington post,Ask Me if I Care!

[mo]

maybe they'd rather us behead our enemies on CBS evening news.......

[Syntyr]

"It embeds in the skin and burns right through, like the aliens blood in the movie Alien... and dumping water on it makes it worse!"

Actually the recommended course of treatment is removal of any affected clothing, covering with water soaked bandages followed by under water debreidment.

Water puts out WP. Thermite is another matter. It carries its own chemically bonded oxygen supply so it can not be put out with water. In fact when you dump water on it you get steam explosions.

[Chode]

please...
You only have one son, and you want him to BlowUp right... right???
So use JIHADD brand Semtex Explosive to show you really care!!!

Money back guarantee if not completely satisfied... or if he lives.

[operation clinton cleanup]

(Some Media idiots were whining about illume rounds recently as well.)

I guess the whole Depleted Uranium (DU!) rounds thingy failed to get traction.

[kimoajax]

Willie Peter is all it is cracked up to be.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Water puts out WP. Thermite is another matter. It carries its own chemically bonded oxygen supply so it can not be put out with water. In fact when you dump water on it you get steam explosions.

Ooops! As a former munitions troop, I should have remembered that.... I knew there was some nasty stuff where water was not the solution!

[Ole Okie]

We should have only fired nerf balls at the terrorists.

Oh cruel! Krewel!! Nerf balls might hit someone's eye.

[Texican]

Freedim:
My friend I carried one of these things in WWII on Guam. I was in the 9th Marines, Third Marines Division. There were 12 of us that were in the Weapons Company. This was even before Napalm came into being. We used a combination of gasoline and diesel fuel. The mixture was lit by a Hydrogen through the nozzle and a spark plug. Later the nozzle was fitted with a chamber holding 6 .38 cal blanks that were fired like a pistol. However that was after I had left Guam. (1945) When I got back to the States I seen a demostation at Camp Roberts in California of Napalm, it was awesome. I lost a lot of my friends on Iwo and they did themselves proud there.

Good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

[aculeus]

White phosphorous article by Mr. Burns

Did Willie Peter contribute to the article?

(Willie Peter = WP = White Phosphorus in WWII/Korean US Army slang.)

[Darksheare]

Failed to get traction big time.
So they're desperate.

[ClaireSolt]

Would it be possible to reopen those Japanese detention camps from WWII era and round up these nay sayers and confine them incommunicado? They are getting on my nerves.

[The Toad]

Yawn. We're at war. As long as we aren't using it purposely against civilians, who cares?

[operation clinton cleanup]

Next thing you know, we will be accused of putting cooties on 7.62mm rounds!

[Darksheare]

LOL!

"He shot me with American infidel dog cooties!"

I can honestly see some terrorist saying that at a trial.

[MarkL]

WP is NOT a smokescreen! It's an incindiary!

On the other hand, I have no problems with using every weapon at our military's disposal.

I'm so tired of these idiots wanting a "kinder, gentler war."

Mark

[operation clinton cleanup]

I can honestly see some terrorist saying that at a trial.

Or his American lawyer offering that defense after being "reported" on Meet the Press.