Pentagon Document Described White Phosphorus As ‘Chemical Weapon’
a little excerpt
{...} To downplay the political impact of revelations that U.S. forces used deadly white phosphorus rounds against Iraqi insurgents in Falluja last year, Pentagon officials have insisted that phosphorus munitions are legal since they arent technically chemical weapons.
The media have helped them. For instance, the New York Times ran a piece today on the phosphorus controversy. On at least three occasions, the Times emphasizes that the phosphorus rounds are incendiary muntions that have been incorrectly called chemical weapons.
But the distinction is a minor one, and arguably political in nature. A formerly classified 1995 Pentagon intelligence document titled Possible Use of Phosphorous Chemical describes the use of white phosphorus by Saddam Hussein on Kurdish fighters:
IRAQ HAS POSSIBLY EMPLOYED PHOSPHOROUS CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST THE KURDISH POPULATION IN AREAS ALONG THE IRAQI-TURKISH-IRANIAN BORDERS. [ ]
{...} To downplay the political impact of revelations that U.S. forces used deadly white phosphorus rounds against Iraqi insurgents in Falluja last year, Pentagon officials have insisted that phosphorus munitions are legal since they arent technically chemical weapons.
The media have helped them. For instance, the New York Times ran a piece today on the phosphorus controversy. On at least three occasions, the Times emphasizes that the phosphorus rounds are incendiary muntions that have been incorrectly called chemical weapons.
But the distinction is a minor one, and arguably political in nature. A formerly classified 1995 Pentagon intelligence document titled Possible Use of Phosphorous Chemical describes the use of white phosphorus by Saddam Hussein on Kurdish fighters:
IRAQ HAS POSSIBLY EMPLOYED PHOSPHOROUS CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST THE KURDISH POPULATION IN AREAS ALONG THE IRAQI-TURKISH-IRANIAN BORDERS. [ ]
posted by TheFuriousGourmet | 6:24 AM
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