From what I've gathered from other news sources and blogs, it appears white phosphorous was used in Fallujah. Rawstory says Infantry Magazine confirms the story, and the NYTimes has a piece that it hasn't published yet.
BUT, although WP is a weapon of chemicals, it is not technically a "chemical weapon". That is, it is not banned by international treaty.
BUT, 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.
BUT, the U.S. did not sign that convention.
BUT, that doesn't mean WP isn't a horrible way to die. "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."
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I guess I was wrong.
US Admits Using Chemicals
Updated: 14:12, Wednesday November 16, 2005
The US has admitted using burning white phosphorus as a weapon during the battle of Fallujah last year.
The Pentagon confirmed troops used the shells, which contain chemicals that can cause horrific burns, against insurgents.
Previously it had said they were used only to create smokescreens for attacking purposes.
The admission came after US soldiers wrote about the practice in an internal army magazine.
It backs up claims made in an documentary by the Italian state broadcaster, RAI, which also alleged Iraqi civilians had died of burns caused by the weapon.
Witnesses said victims, including women and children, had been left with "caramelised" skin as a result of their injuries.
But the Pentagon says it has not broken the convention on the use of chemical weapons and that the material was not used against civilians.
The Ministry of Defence has said that British troops have stocks of the chemical and have used it during operations in Iraq to create smokescreens.
But unlike the US, the UK is a signatory to a protocol of the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons.
This prohibits the use of the substance as an incendiary weapon against civilians or in civilian areas.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Use of phosphorus by the US is a matter for the US.
"British forces do possess white phosphorus but it is used for producing smoke and that is how it has been used in Iraq."
Defence officials said UK troops would have most commonly used the substance in the initial "war-fighting" stages of engagement in Iraq.
Posted by nykrindc | November 16, 2005 5:12 PM