"I Can't Believe It's Not Napalm!"

Tim Ireland at Bloggerheads talks about the U.S. use of napalm in Iraq:

The secret to this denial is that they don't call it napalm any more. It's been rebranded for PR reasons. It's still fiery, indiscriminating death from above... it just has a different name is all.

So you'd best regard that headline above as US used I Can't Believe It's Not Napalm in Fallujah.

The new improved napalm is MK77, which uses a slightly different combination of chemicals but still rains destruction upon those it hits. It's delivered in dumb bombs, which have piss-poor guidance, so even when it's aimed at military targets, there's no assurance it doesn't hit nearby civilians instead.

U.S. officials lied to the British, who've banned its use, when asked if napalm were being used in Iraq:

The confirmation that US officials misled British ministers led to new questions last night about the value of the latest assurances by the US. Mr Cohen said there were rumours that the firebombs were used in the US assault on the insurgent stronghold in Fallujah last year, claims denied by the US.

Gives a whole new meaning to "liar, liar, pants on fire" doesn't it?

UPDATE: I think the Brits are getting fed up—Chicken Yoghurt has more.

Comments

[na]

The legacy of depleted uranium will eclipse the after-effects of napalm use. Both types of weapons, and napalm's successor, the Mark 77 Fire Bomb, kill and maim needlessly.

Napalm and all similar derivatives are properly considered weapons of mass destruction. Their use is banned by international law and treaties we've signed.

A military with the compunction to use depleted uranium will use other WMD as well. Rogue regimes are criticized by our government while we break international law as well by using these weapons.

I recommend readers contact their elected officials to demand depleted uranium and Mk 77 munitions not be used. In addition to saving innocent civilians, complying with international legal standards benefits our credibility abroad.

Depleted uranium can remain for thousands of years, poisoning and sickening. The Mk- 77 is meant to be used a a terror weapon, right alongside DU. Both are meant to instill terror in their victims, whether chosen deliberately or not. In fact the impartial way with which these weapons kill is considered part of their intimidation value (shock and awe).

Evidence of DU can be traced to the Gulf War. Over 1/3 of Gulf War veterans have contracted diseases of unknown origin, called Gulf War Syndrome. These may be traceable to the use of Depleted Uranium in Gulf. The uranium oxide particles thrown off by DU weapons upon impact showers the target area with radioactive waste, which is used to make the weapons.

Both DU and the Mk-77 are illegal and their use is considered a WAR CRIME and as such the individuals responsible for their use can be apprehended and prosecuted as war criminals.