Jan 10 2009
Willy Pete
Human Rights Watch workers have accused Israel of using white phosphorus in Gaza. White phosphorus is a chemical compound that burns anything on contact, including burning human flesh all the way to the bone. It is also used in warfare to hide troops or hide targets by emitting white smoke and flares. It is because of this duel purpose that white phosphorus is only considered a chemical weapons by independent groups. Officially it is legal if used as an obscurant.
White phosphorus, aka, Willy Pete, was used in the World Wars. More recently it has only been used by the United States, Russia, Israel, and Saddam Hussein. The US used Willy Pete in the battle for Fallujah, asserting that they never hurt any civilians. According to the Italian documentary, Fallujah, The HIdden Massacre, they did indeed do just that. I suppose it might be an interesting film worth watching.
Israel used WP in 2006 against the Lebanese, and more recently in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces spokesman, to their credit, said that the particular shells that everyone saw them using were actually empty, void and innocent of both the chemical agent and any explosives. I don’t know why such an impassioned military, capable of killing almost 900 without remorse, would be shooting empty shells, but I guess I’ll have to wait for the documentary on this one to come out. 2009-01-10
