Burn, Baby, Burn

Boy, the news from Iraq just keeps getting more and more Apocalypse Now. The Independent is reporting new evidence that the US used white phosphorus and possibly a new form of napalm in its attack on Fallujah in November 2004:

Powerful new evidence emerged yesterday that the United States dropped massive quantities of white phosphorus on the Iraqi city of Fallujah during the attack on the city in November 2004, killing insurgents and civilians with the appalling burns that are the signature of this weapon.

Ever since the assault, which went unreported by any Western journalists, rumours have swirled that the Americans used chemical weapons on the city.

In December the US government formally denied the reports, describing them as "widespread myths". ... But now new information has surfaced, including hideous photographs and videos and interviews with American soldiers who took part in the Fallujah attack, which provides graphic proof that phosphorus shells were widely deployed in the city as a weapon. [more]

Now, if you're like me, you never heard of white phosphorus before this news. So, ever your intrepid blogger, I did a little research, and well - this stuff is absolutely appalling. According to GlobalSecurity.org (my emphasis):

White phosphorus burns spontaneously in air. Contact with these particles can cause local burns. These weapons are particularly nasty because white phosphorus continues to burn until it disappears. If service members are hit by pieces of white phosphorus, it could burn right down to the bone. ... White phosphorus fume is an irritant of the respiratory tract and eyes; the solid in contact with the skin produces deep thermal burns. Exposure to moisture produces phosphoric acid. Prolonged absorption of phosphorus causes necrosis of bones. It is a hepatotoxin [a substance poisonous to the liver]. ... Signs and symptoms include irritation of the eyes and the respiratory tract; abdominal pain, nausea, and jaundice; anemia, cachexia [severe wasting/ weight loss], pain, and loosening of teeth, excessive salivation, and pain and swelling of the jaw; skin and eye burns.

Of course, "service members" affected by the chemical will have relatively speedy access to treatment by trained experts. Your average citizen of Fallujah ... not so much. And since white phosphorus is a substance that will keep burning until it's completely removed or burned away, there's little hope for the amelioration of these people's suffering. And let's not forget that the vast majority of Fallujans at the receiving end of this attack were civilians, not "insurgents." That's some kind of strategery we've got for winning hearts and minds. Color me revolted.