White phosphorus use in Iraq

Description

There have been several cases in which white phosphorus (WP) has been used or has been claimed to have been used as an anti-personnel weapon in Iraq by the Saddam Hussein regime and the United States military. The use of white phosphorus is notable because of its incendiary properties, which can inflict severe burns. Phosphorus itself is also is highly toxic, much being absorbed into the body from the burn. This has potential to cause multiple organ systems to fail, but death from shock would usually happen before, given enough particles imbedded in the body. Although initially denied, its use by the US was later confirmed by a United States Army general serving in Iraq. General Pace, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff denied allegations that the weapon was used against civilians, maintaining that it was only targeted on insurgents. However, given the particularly brutal and intense fighting that happened in Fallujia, it is not out of the question that some COs may have called in strikes upon civilians mistaken as enemy combatants, or the shells used for concealment may have inadvertently fallen upon noncombantants. (via DBpedia)