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12/12/2005: "US illegally uses chemical wepons in Iraq"

Originally appeared in `The Pulse of the Twin Cities` November 30, 3005

In what should have been one of the major news stories of the year, The Pentagon has admitted what it has been denying. That is used a chemical called White Phosphorus , also known as WP or Wikey Pete against people in the assault on Faluja in Iraq.

A Pentagon spokesman “Barry Veneble admitted on November 22nd, that White Phosphorus was used in Faluja as an “incendiary weapon” against enemy combatants. The use of WP was also talked about in an Army sponsored magazine “Field Artillery in its March/April issue. This magazine talks about the use of “WP” in “Shake and Bake” missions, which, as described, sound like modern versions of Search and Destroy. In a joke, only the Us military and Charles Mansion could appreciate, WP is the spice on the top of the food in this particular oven.

WHAT IS WHITE PHOSPHORUS?

White phosphorus has been called 21st century Napalm. This chemical only burns on contact with moisture, so it will not normally destroy a brick building. If it comes in contact with skin however, it will burn, and burn, and keep on burning until there is nothing left but bone. Water only makes it worse. To put it out, you need to smother it, remove oxygen from the wound. Wet mud works, but that is not in ready supply in a desert like Iraq.
The National Committee of the Red Cross has been reporting the hundreds of extreme burn victims in Iraq and suspecting that White Phosphorus has been used against people, but up until this week, the Pentagon has been denying it.

IS IT LEGAL

There is no question that, when used against people, the use of White Phosphorus is banned by the Treaty on Chemical Weapons. In response to complaints from Iraq the BBC is reporting that there is a UN investigation underway.

WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

We were told that Sadam Hussain needed to be removed from office because of his brutal regime which included torture, and uses of chemical weapons on Iraqis. There is not no question that the US occupation forces are engaging both of these illegal and morally reprehensible activities. I have not seen any news about this from the main stream media. Shame, shame shame.

WHO MAKES MONEY SELLING WHITE PHOPHEROUS TO THE GOVERNMENT?

Every war has its war profiteers, but this one seems more like profiteers are the reason for the war.

The largest domestic producer of White Phosphorus is Monsanto Corporation, but our own local FMC produces over a million pounds of it annually.

Who was it that said that the work of a good person is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable?