![]() ![]() it could burn right down to the bone."Ī spokesman at the UK Ministry of Defence said the use of white phosphorus was permitted in battle in cases where there were no civilians near the target area.īut Professor Paul Rogers, of the University of Bradford's department of peace studies, said white phosphorus could be considered a chemical weapon if deliberately aimed at civilians. ![]() ![]() These weapons are particularly nasty because white phosphorus continues to burn until it disappears. , a defence website, says: "Phosphorus burns on the skin are deep and painful. If the substance hits someone's body, it will burn until deprived of oxygen. White phosphorus is highly flammable and ignites on contact with oxygen. However, he "never saw anybody intentionally use any weapon against civilians", he said. San Diego journalist Darrin Mortenson, who was embedded with US marines during the assault on Falluja, told the BBC's Today radio programme he had seen white phosphorous used "as an incendiary weapon" against insurgents. "The combined effects of the fire and smoke - and in some case the terror brought about by the explosion on the ground - will drive them out of the holes so that you can kill them with high explosives," he said. He said US forces could use white phosphorus rounds to flush enemy troops out of covered positions. It is not "outlawed or illegal", Col Venable said. And he said it had been used in Falluja, but it was a "conventional munition", not a chemical weapon. ![]()
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