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Chemical weapons in Iraq? An old story, but new questions
Italy's state-run television network says that the U.S. used white phosphorus on human targets in Fallujah. The Pentagon has denied it.
Tim Grieve [2005-11-08]

  • Who said these were chemical weapons?

    Your headline is rather inflammatory and misleading. Who decided that white phosphorus and napalm were chemical weapons? Per Wikipedia, chemical weapons are defined as follows:

    Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate the enemy.

    The fact that WP and napalm are chemicals does not mean that their use constitutes chemical warfare. Bullets are made of lead, and are propelled by a burning mixture of compounds. Does that mean that if US forces shoot someone, they're guilty of "chemical warfare"? White phosphorus and napalm damage human bodies by burning them, not by toxicity.

    While use of these substances may have been unwarranted, to conflate them with weapons such as nerve agents trivializes the horror of true chemical warfare, and diminishes your credibility in reporting on this issue.

    Sean Peters

    -- Sean P.
    [Read Sean P.'s other letters]
    Tuesday, November 8, 2005 08:04 AM
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