whatever it takes to eliminate the vermin. On Jan 12, 10:24 pm, Doc Holliday <[email protected]> wrote: > http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/2009110181945232... > > Human Rights Watch has called on Israel to stop using white phosphorus > which it says has been used in military operations in the densely > populated Gaza Strip. > > The US-based group said that its researchers observed the use of the > chemical, which can burn away human flesh to the bone, over Gaza City > and Jabaliya on Friday and Saturday > > "We went by Israeli artillery units that had white phosphorus rounds > with the fuses in them," Marc Garlasco, a senior military analyst at > Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera. > > "Clearly it is [white phosphorus], we can tell by the explosions and > the tendrils that go down [and] the fires that were burning," he said. > > "Today there were massive attacks in Jabaliya when we were there. We > saw that there were numerous fires once the white phosphorus had gone > in." > > 'Obscurant' > > International law permits the use of white phopshorus as an > "obscurant" to cover troop movements and prevent enemies from using > certain guided weapons, but its use is controversial as it can injure > people through painful chemical burns. > > IN DEPTH > > Analysis and features from Gaza and Israel > > Track the war and submit your own reports > > Send us your views and eyewitness videos > > Watch our coverage of the war on Gaza > "Even if they are using it as an obscurant, they are using it in a > very densely populated area," Garlasco said. > > "The problem is it covers such a wide area that when the white > phosphorus wafers come down, over 100 in each artillery shell, they > burn everything they touch and they don't stop burning until they are > done. > > "You are talking about skin damage, potentially homes going on fire, > damage to infrastructure." > > Human Rights Watch said that it believed the use of the chemical in > Gaza violated the requirement under international humanitarian law to > take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of > life. > > The Israeli military has previously denied using white phosphorus > during the 15-day offensive in the Gaza Strip, but has said that any > munitions that it does use comply with international law. > > Israel used white phophorus during its 34-day war against Lebanon's > Hezbollah movement in 2006, while the United States used it during the > controversial siege of the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
