There has been a lot of talk about good ol’ Willy Pete, especially in the Italian media. Here’s straight poop:
White phosphorous, the recently maligned munition, is not a chemical weapon any more than a high explosive round is a chemical weapon. They are classified as conventional weapons and guess what? So are fuel-air bombs (think of napalm). At the nuts and bolts level they are made of all kinds of chemicals (duh), but there is a major difference between this munition and chemical weapons munitions. Chemical rounds are designed to “pop” upon impact so as to deliver their chemical contents without destroying the chemical, whereas all other types of artillery rounds are designed to explode. If a chemical round explodes then it is likely that the chemical intended for delivery will likewise be destroyed.
The claim that US forces used WP on civilians in Fallujah is preposterous. I say this because anyone who is a veteran of that siege knows that after the cordon of Fallujah, the only guys left in the city were bad guys wanting to find a way to salvation and 72 virgins. That’s not to say the bad guys didn’t keep women and children around to use as shields and fodder for their own media war. Yes, the bad guys know how to work the media in their favor!
For more info on WP try this link:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/wp.htm
BTW "Whiskey Papa fire for effect" is what we say when we have the enemy bracketed when calling for fire (artillery fire that is). Its sole purpose is to totally annihilate the enemy. WP is a good thing!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
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3 comments:
Yeah, just because onces it gets on your skin it burns and burns and burns your flesh doesn't make it a chemical weapon.
You are so brave you let WP roll around on your tongue!
Jellied Kerosene for the Masses! Go America Go!
Actually it burns when exposed to air. If you are hit with a small amount you can actually survive by suffocating the flame. If you're hit directly you won't have time for a thought, pretty much the same as if you were hit with a regular HE (high explosive) round. The point is, they are conventional weapons and we have been using them for decades. If you give me your 8-digit grid I can introduce you to some...Well not really but it's the thought that counts ;-) And that's Team America to you Mr Baka baka baka!
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