Anyone _still_ believe these butchers? They were exposed on Italian
television in a documentary, complete with follow-up evidence
consisting of "after action" reports by the Christian baby killers.
-=-
US defends use of white phosphorus weapons in Iraq
16 Nov 2005 18:41:12 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Will Dunham
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16599015.htm
WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday acknowledged using
incendiary white-phosphorus munitions in a 2004 counterinsurgency offensive
in the Iraqi city of Falluja, but defended their use as legal.
Army Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S. military
had not used the highly flammable weapons against civilians, contrary to an
Italian state television report this month which said the weapons were used
against men, women and children in Falluja who were burned to the bone.
"We categorically deny that claim," Venable said.
"It's part of our conventional-weapons inventory and we use it like we use
any other conventional weapon," added Bryan Whitman, another Pentagon
spokesman.
Venable said white phosphorus is not outlawed or banned by any convention.
However, a protocol to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons forbids
using incendiary weapons against civilians or against military targets amid
concentrations of civilians.
The United States did not sign the protocol.
White phosphorus munitions are primarily used by the U.S. military to make
smoke screens and mark targets, but also as an incendiary weapon, the
Pentagon said. They are not considered chemical weapons. The substance
ignites easily in air at temperatures of about 86 F (30 C), and its fire
can be difficult to extinguish.
U.S. forces used the white phosphorus during a major offensive launched by
Marines in Falluja, about 30 miles (50 km) west of Baghdad, to flush out
insurgents. The battle in November of last year involved some of the
toughest urban fighting of the 2-1/2-year war.
Venable said that in the Falluja battle, "U.S. forces used white
phosphorous both in its classic screening mechanism and ... when they
encountered insurgents who were in foxholes and other covered positions who
they could not dislodge any other way."
He said the soldiers employed what they call a "shake-and-bake" technique
of using white phosphorus shells to flush enemies out of hiding then using
high explosives to kill them.
The Italian documentary showed images of bodies recovered after the Falluja
offensive, which it said proved the use of white phosphorus against
civilians.
"We don't target any civilians with any of our weapons. And to suggest that
U.S. forces were targeting civilians with these weapons would simply be
wrong," Whitman said.
---
http://www.ElmerFudd.US/ http://www.rightard.org/ http://www.thedarkwind.org/
Yes, George W. Bush is a mass murdering Christian butcher. GET OVER IT!!!
.
|
