White Phosphorus

One of the reasons we went to war in Iraq was because of Saddam's use of chemical weapons against Iraqis. Now the United States appears to be guilty of the same crime.

A documentary entitled "Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre," aired November eighth by RAI (Radio Audizioni Italiane), the Italian state broadcast service, focused on the U.S. military's use of white phosphorus against the civilian population of Fallujah in its November, 2004 attack on that city. It features photographs of victims whose flesh has been burned to the bone, but whose clothing is in many cases strangely intact.

The story first surfaced a year ago on the website "Islam Online," which reported that "US troops are reportedly using chemical weapons and poisonous gas in its large-scale offensive on the Iraqi resistance bastion of Fallujah, a grim reminder of Saddam Hussein's alleged gassing of the Kurds in 1988."

RAI used the Islamic site as an information and photo source for its documentary, which also features on-camera interviews with former U.S. soldiers. One of these, a veteran of the combat at Fallujah, testifies: "I heard the order to pay attention because they were going to use white phosphorus on Fallujah. In military jargon it's known as Willy Pete."

"Phosphorus burns bodies," the G.I. adds in his first-hand description. "In fact it melts the flesh all the way down to the bone ... I saw the burned bodies of women and children. Phosphorus explodes and forms a cloud. Anyone within a radius of 150 metres is done for."

For the past year, the military's USinfo website has maintained that phosphorus shells were "fired into the air to illuminate enemy positions at night, not at enemy fighters."

However, Iraqi witnesses report that "a rain of fire" fell on the city and killed enemy fighters and civilians alike, many as they slept in their beds.

The documentary also provided evidence that U.S. forces in Fallujah used Mark 77 incendiary bombs against the city, a new and more potent form of napalm. Mark 77 is outlawed for use against non-military targets.

American media have been predictably AWOL on this story.

The United States military and its civilian commanders in the Bush administration now stand accused of the same sorts of crimes for which Gestapo and SS personnel and Japanese prison camp commandants were hanged at the close of World War II.

Sources:
RAI 24 News (http://www.rainews24.rai.it/)
The (UK) Independent (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article325757.ece)
Daily Kos (http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/9/174518/797)