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?

More on White Phosphorus (WP)

Here's a piece from Israel's recent Lebanon incursion (click on link in title above): http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ld6cOJqyPqY Do these explosions look familiar? White Phosphorus, WP, Willie Pete - it's a chemical weapon being used on a civillian population in Gaza

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