White Phosphorus - mainstream press gives column inches

At last The Times newspaper has run a story about Israel's use of white phosphorus munitions on Gaza, together with reports of resultant civillian casualties. Well done for that... but a bit bloody late... This is something observers have known all along but which the powers that be have chosen to ignore. It must be a quiet newsday. As usual the official Israeli line is to deny the use of white phosphorus as a weapon, though how they will explain the need to detonate the so called "smoke" rounds in mid-air, hundreds of feet above urban dwellings remains to be seen. War crimes trial anybody? Or should we settle for a white-wash party?

Chemical Weapons on Gaza - Why White Phosphorus?

It has occurred to me that white phosphorus has some of the following qualities, particularly useful in urban warfare:

1. It is absolutely terrifying with the result that the populace will flee before it - great for inducing panic and herding a populace away from an urban area when preceeded by leafleted warnings
2. It is absolutely deadly and perfect for denying territory to your enemy, laying waste to property and clearing bunkers and tunnels
3. It doesn't seed the land with unexploded ordinance like cluster munitions do, thus making the land unuseable for months and years afterwards; great if you want to settle there afterwards
4. The smoke screen effect (especially useful at night) makes it almost legitimate to observers from afar...

This link has proved interesting: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/9/164137/436

Chemical Weapons on Gaza

The logical conclusion of the current action (to which the US administration appears to have given implied consent - see link below) is for, at the very least, the depopulation of the northern Gaza strip and the complete annihilation of Hamas and its supporters by any means necessary. Logically, anything less than the removal and/or the complete neutralisation of Hamas would amount to a pointless exercise. A great deal of damage has already been done to the Israeli public persona. The Israeli policy of detention and assassination of Palestinian political and military leaders to date serves to underline the cynicism with which this campaign is being waged. Particularly worrying is the deployment of chemical weapons over ‘bona fide civilian structures, dwellings and places used for civilian purposes’ [see Geneva Conventions], images of which appeared in today’s press. I write specifically about the use of White Phosphorus munitions, which produce phosphorus gas that reacts vigorously with water and oxygen, effectively burning human, animal and vegetable tissue but leaving structures including clothing intact.. Ostensibly, the Israeli military claims these munitions are being used to produce smoke screens; however this seems highly unlikely where they are being deployed at night over built-up areas. The munitions are by their very nature indiscriminate. Could we perhaps be witnessing the build-up toward another Fallujah type scenario in Gaza city itself, in which case could this ultimately lead to the complete ethnic cleansing of the Gaza strip and the West Bank? The 21st century micro war is still being waged in the name of peace and justice, mercilessly and without quarter but the strategies are no less bold, cynical or brutal than in any other era. In this case the propaganda of denial will give just enough time for Israel to complete the campaign before the public outcry and backlash becomes too loud to ignore... Saying nothing simply condones the outrages. I’ve included some links to support this comment. You’ll need a strong stomach for some of them but that shouldn't need an apology. LINKS Succinct analysis of the Arab/Palestinian – Israeli conflict to date: http://www.juancole.com/2009/01/gaza-2008-micro-wars-and-macro-wars.html Forced removal of Palestinian people from Gaza - ETHNIC CLEANSING by another name [document]: http://arablinks.blogspot.com/2009/01/next-step-in-gaza-forced-evacuations-of.html Very graphic documentary about the use of the white phosphorus chemical weapon used in Iraq and now being deployed in Gaza: http://justice4lebanon.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/use-of-napalm-like-white-phosphorus-bombs-in-lebanon/ For description and analysis of white Phosphorus munitions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_phosphorus